Siemens has paired up with Orange County Choppers, the custom bike building outfit of TV fame, to build a one-off electric chopper.  The “Smart Chopper” showcases Siemens technology, boasting a 60-mile range and a 100 mph top speed compliments of a 27-hp electric motor.  Charging time is anywhere between 1 and 5 hours depending on the voltage available.  In addition to leveraging Siemens electric technology, the bike also features LED lights compliments of Sylvania, a Siemens subsidiary.  The bike has OCC’s characteristic flair, the least of which is a rear tire that wouldn’t look out of place on [...]

Bike Exif has posted an intriguing, obscure motorcycle concept design that Porsche came out with in 1979. The model was created to call attention to the motorcycle’s superiority in energy use, air pollution and traffic space.
Porsche describes the concept:
Comfort, safety and protection from mud and water were prime considerations, not the usual fascination with speed: The engine, running gear and wheels are carefully shielded by streamlined fairings to keep the rider clean and obviating the need for special clothing under normal weather conditions. The handlebars are heatable and adjustable. So is the seat, depending on the rider’s size or requirements. [...]

An Electric motorcycle – great idea, right? On one hand it has some dreamy specs. At top speed it can go 150 mph, and it’s battery is good for 150 miles. Charging only takes about 2 hours, and it’s designed by Yves Bahar.
Bad news is one of these cycles will cost $68,995, and only 50 are being produced. A more “affordable” model is scheduled to come out eventually after the first run is released in 2010. Maybe a far more modestly priced model would make sense. Getting electric vehicles into the hands of a larger number of people, rather than [...]

In many developing countries, three-wheeled vehicles are the norm for getting around congested cities and the countryside. Danwei and Shanghaiist point us to a modified three-wheeled car that has now made it to the US market. Made by Taixing Sandi Motorcycle and known as the Wildfire, the Chinese made car gets better than 60 miles per gallon.
Because it is registered and insured like a motorcycle, there are no airbags or other basic crash protection required for a vehicle that weighs less than 1000 pounds and can get up to 70 mph on a motor identical to a Sears [...]