Electric motorcycle leaves price hikes in the dust
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Editor's note: This week, we take a daily look at how people in this area are coping with high gas prices.
Unlike most motorists these days, Terry Richards feels pretty good when he drives by a gas station, no matter how high the price per gallon.
"I just kind of thumb my nose at them, and it feels good,'' said Richards, 47, admitting it's easier when you're not feeling the pinch of recent sharp price increases.
The reason? Richards, a test specialist at Chrysler Corp. Proving Grounds in Sylvan Township, rides a 21-year-old racing motorcycle he converted into a fully electric-powered vehicle for about $2,000.
"I study a lot of material about alternative energy sources, and I had a pretty good idea (the price hike) was going to come, and fast,'' said Richards, a driver mechanic by trade and environmentalist at heart.
The 1984 Yamaha RZ350 racing bike was never known for gas mileage, he said, but now runs on 48 volts of electricity stored in four batteries. Richards calculates spending 4 cents per mile to operate it and averages about $15 worth of electricity per week if he drives it every day.
The motorcycle cruises at 40-45 mph and can reach a top speed of 60 mph, he said.
The batteries collectively take about fours to fully charge and provide enough juice to average about 16 miles per use. Not too far, but far enough to make his 13-mile daily commute to work, where he has permission to plug in to an electrical outlet. He also regularly rides in to downtown Dexter, where he says people marvel at the quiet engine.
"I've had joggers jump out right in front of me because they just don't hear it,'' he said, likening the soft hum to a household blender.
Richards admits he and his wife, Rosemary, still do the majority of their driving with their two sedans. But these days, even skipping one or two commutes or deciding to stay home can add up to significant savings over a month's time.
"I wanted to get off gasoline as early as possible, and I'm glad I did,'' he said. "But it's just a start.''
Richards' latest project is constructing a hybrid bio-diesel car, which he hopes to have done within a few years.