western australia

electric motor bikes

Electric motor-bikes are finding a place on sheep farms

@JudyEv (382542)

Rockingham, Australia

March 27, 2022 7:50pm CST

I’m not an expert on electric motorbikes but from what I’ve been reading, the size and weight of batteries needed for bikes capable of highway speeds and/or long-distance riding has been a major obstacle in the uptake of electric motorbikes. This has meant that they have not been in common use. But electric bikes have found a strong advocate in Ian Kelly, a sheep farmer in Western Australia. New batteries now being used are lighter and charge faster. Ian chose a bike with a relatively small 2.1kWh battery which is good for about 40 kms at low speed. He uses it for checking sheep flocks, especially mobs of lambing ewes. Its particular advantage is its quietness, which enables him to check his flocks without disturbing them with a noisy petrol-driven bike. Ian said his sheep react very differently to the light, quiet electric bike. As he raises fat lambs for market, he was happy to pay a premium for his bike which has enabled him to more easily help ewes that are having trouble lambing. He has also had fewer miscarriages from ewes trying to race away from his former noisy machine. And what better excuse do I need to post a photo of Herc, our pet sheep.

20 people like this

19 responses

@snowy22315 (209173)

• United States

28 Mar 22

Hopefully Herc is happily grazng somewhere in the great beyond. Electric bikes on farms who knew?

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

There are a lot of quad bikes on farms too but I guess they are just as noisy.

2 people like this

@snowy22315 (209173)

• United States

29 Mar 22

@JudyEv Yeah, they are really pretty noisy.

2 people like this

@wolfgirl569 (136006)

• Marion, Ohio

28 Mar 22

Sounds like it is a great help

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

This guy is really pleased with it.

2 people like this

@rebelann (117272)

• El Paso, Texas

28 Mar 22

What a kool photo. I imagine you really miss him. I wouldn't try any of the electric vehicles being offered, one thing for sure is that Roscoe might not fit in one.

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

With rising fuel costs, electric vehicles might become even more popular. I'm glad you like the photo.

2 people like this

@jstory07 (148771)

• Roseburg, Oregon

28 Mar 22

Nice picture of your pet sheep. The electric motor bike seems perfect for sheep farms.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

My Dad always rode a horse. They were nice and quiet too so Dad was able to get close to the sheep.

1 person likes this

@RasmaSandra (98129)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

28 Mar 22

Great photo and I know it brings good memories, Very interesting since I did not know this

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

Thanks. We have lots of lovely memories of Herc.

1 person likes this

@franxav (14597)

• India

28 Mar 22

With petrol prices rising every other day, I intend to buy one electric bike..

3 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

I guess the rising fuel costs could well accelerate the use of electric vehicles.

1 person likes this

@Carmelanirel2 (8085)

• United States

28 Mar 22

Wait, that picture is your sheep? That's cool. I can understand how the quieter electric bike would cause the sheep to not panic, what a great idea.

1 person likes this

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@Carmelanirel2 (8085)

• United States

29 Mar 22

@JudyEv That's sweet. If I ever had a farm, I think sheep would be my choice to raise.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

@Carmelanirel2 They are low maintenance really and can make great pets.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

I had a few pet sheep over the years but Herc would have been my favourite.

1 person likes this

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@LadyDuck (502812)

• Italy

28 Mar 22

This is a good idea, using a motorbike to monitor his her sounds good. I think that the engine is not too noisy and does not scare the sheep.

1 person likes this

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@LadyDuck (502812)

• Italy

29 Mar 22

I think that riding a horse is still more climate friendly.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

It's a very good idea. My Dad always rode his horse but that was in the olden days.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

@LadyDuck They are quiet too and sheep are more accepting of them than of a motor bike.

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@JESSY3236 (22287)

• United States

29 Mar 22

cool. cute sheep.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

30 Mar 22

Herc was a great pet. We were very fond of him.

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21492)

• London, England

28 Mar 22

Ebikes and escooters are getting very popular over here

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

We have more and more of them too but there have been a couple of nasty accidents with young teenagers riding escooters on the roads at night. I guess next they'll be bringing in rules and regulations on their use.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

30 Mar 22

@Ronrybs We step out from our yard virtuarlly straight onto a street. Visibility isn't really that good and someone has pointed out that we need to watch for scooters on the footpath as we go out as they are pretty silent.

1 person likes this

@Ronrybs (21492)

• London, England

29 Mar 22

@JudyEv indeed, someone was killed on an escooter, recently

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@thelme55 (79352)

• Germany

28 Mar 22

That sounds good and helpful for him. Nice photo.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

My Dad used a horse which didn't make a lot of noise either.

But times move on.

1 person likes this

@thelme55 (79352)

• Germany

29 Mar 22

@JudyEv We have modern times.

1 person likes this

@Kandae11 (57231)

•

28 Mar 22

Those petrol driven bikes can be very noisy. They pass my way at all hours disturbing the peace.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

Some are noisier than others and some riders just like riding them with as much noise as possible.

1 person likes this

@dgobucks226 (37621)

•

31 Mar 22

Seems like it would be a fun way to check up on the sheep. Does it make the sheep dog obsolete?

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

3 Apr 22

Not really. There are still places where only a dog can get to and dogs are used a lot in the yards too.

1 person likes this

@dgobucks226 (37621)

•

4 Apr 22

gotcha

1 person likes this

@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

28 Mar 22

What a cool idea. Sound perfect to me. Love this photo.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

Herc quite liked helping Vince and was also poking his nose in.

1 person likes this

@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

29 Mar 22

@JudyEv How sweet. I love being around animals.

1 person likes this

@RebeccasFarm (91297)

• United States

28 Mar 22

Well thats handy. Yes I remember dear Herc.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

He liked to keep an eye on what Vince was doing.

@marlina (154103)

• Canada

29 Mar 22

I'm glad the bike is helping him.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

The farmer is very pleased with it and believes it has helped him save a lot of lambs.

@xFiacre (14805)

• Ireland

28 Mar 22

@judyev the sound of normal petrol bikes driven stupidly by macho punks late at night can be prescribed by doctors as laxatives.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

I can well believe it.

@Fleura (35124)

• United Kingdom

28 Mar 22

Sounds like they do have quite a number of advantages. Certainly quad bikes have been used on hill farms for quite a long time. I thought the sheep would have got used to the noise, but perhaps over there the farms are so much bigger that the sheep don't get visited as often?

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

There have been a lot of accidents with quad bikes over the years and it was going to become compulsory for them to have rollbars on them but I don't know if that's the case now. Maybe our sheep have bigger spaces to get away from bikes and quite possibly they are not visited as often either.

1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (222806)

• United States

28 Mar 22

Interesting post about electric motorbikes but an even better picture of Herc. SO CUTE!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382542)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Mar 22

Thanks. I'm glad you like the photo.

1 person likes this