Green Bikes

Wow - a bike story...

Yamaha Motor Company is hitting the Tokyo Motor Show with a wave of four hybrid, electric and fuel-cell motorcycle and scooter prototypes and one production electric scooter (along with some more conventional motorcycle muscle).

Gen-Ryu. This high-performance hybrid motorcycle combines the YZF-R6 600cc engine with a high-output electric motor. Yamaha claims that the Gen-Ryu offers the running performance and handling of a 1,000-cc machine.

HV-01 Parallel hybrid scooter

HV-01. This parallel hybrid scooter offers a “push mode”—a super-low power drive for use when off the bike making it easier to push it along in places like parking lots—as well more conventional all-electric and combined modes.

The prototype offers good torque in the low rpm range and delivers the acceleration of a bike one class above as well as good fuel economy, as the company sees it.

Deinonychus two-wheel drive two-wheeler

Deinonychus. Named after an agile and quick bi-pedal carnivorous dinosaur, this is a prototype two-wheel-drive (2WD) electric two-wheeler vehicle.

The frame can “stretch & shrink” in both vertical and horizontal positions to fit the rider’s body size, riding environment, road surface conditions and personal preference.

FC-me. Second generation methanol fuel cell bike.

FC-me. This prototype fuel cell bike uses a methanol rather than a hydrogen fuel cell. The Yamaha Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) System uses a liquid methanol-water solution, eliminating the need for a converter and a pressurized (fuel) tank. This results in a lightweight system for a small vehicle requiring power in the 1 kW range without compromising on power output characteristics.

Based on survey data gathered from licensed public-road use of an earlier prototype mounting the DMFC system—the FC06 PROTO—the FC-me has improved performance in areas like reliability and running distance. By optimizing the control parameters for the fuel cell system, Yamaha’s engineers have achieved an energy conversion rate for the FC-me that is 1.5 times that of the FC06 PROTO, while re-evaluation of the body components has made possible a light machine weight of just 69 kg.

A contract has been signed with Shizuoka Prefecture to put this model in practical use on a lease basis as of September 16 of this year.

Passol-L

Finally, Yamaha will be showing the Passol-L, a second-generation model of the Passol (50cc class) released by Yamaha in November of 2002 as its first full EV. The current model uses the same motor but an improved battery, and offers improved start-up/mid-speed range and hill-climbing power and increased running distance per charge (25~30 km/55 kg rider in normal around-town riding). The Passol-L is intended to go into production.

More details will come at the show, which opens 22 October to the public.