We live in unusual times, however motorcycle technology keeps pushing forwards. While only cars are getting an internal combustion engine ban from 2030 it’d be silly to think that motorcycles will be unaffected by this. Ultimately, demand for petrol (and diesel) will reduce so there’ll be fewer and fewer petrol stations around, and innovation in the technology will fade. Hybrids might keep some demand alive, but hybrids don’t really work in tiny motorcycles, especially as they often go via lifeless CV transmissions.
This brings us onto the motorcycles that divide opinion like few others – fully electric ones. Swapping out the engine for a potent motor, and the fuel tank for lithium batteries, the electric motorcycle remains the same but very different. The main worries people have are range, charging time, and cost. Step back a few years and you could count on one hand how many electric motorcycles were on sale, whereas now you’ve got genuine choice. Let’s take a look at some of the models on offer.
If you’ve not heard of Harley’s LiveWire at this stage, you’ve probably been living under a rock. The most unlikely of electric bike manufacturers has made a credible alternative to the petrol-powered motorcycle with a model that looks like nothing else out there. It’s fair to say this hasn’t addressed all the concerns that electric bike critics might have, its range is up to around 100 miles depending on how hard it’s ridden and its price of nearly £30,000 is unpalatable for many. It’s worth checking out Long Way Up to see what they can (and can’t) do.
This all being said; fast charging is becoming more widespread and keeps getting faster and faster. With DC Fast Charging you can get an 80% charge in 40 minutes, or 100% in an hour – this is well within the realms of a lunch break. What this means is that you can crack out 100 miles in the morning, and a further 100 miles in the afternoon, before plugging into a conventional charger for the night to get a full charge ready for the next day. This makes touring a possibility, and for most commuters this is well within the realms of simply being completely usable. Add that to the fact that a full ‘tank’ costs only a couple of quid and suddenly the asking price isn’t as ludicrous. Sure, it’s still north of £20,000 over a couple of years, but the lack of road tax and cheap ‘fuel’ will knock a good dent in the costs, alongside extremely minimal servicing requirements.
So, on paper, the LiveWire makes an argument for itself based on its powertrain alone, however it comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a modern bike – colour LCD dash, full LED lighting, hefty Brembo brakes, multiple riding modes to adjust energy regeneration and power output make this fully up-to-date in all respects. 0-60 in 3 seconds and a top speed of 110mph make this an excellent road bike, with instant ‘go’ up to and beyond the legal limit.
One of the other big players in this segment is Zero Motorcycles. Unlike Harley this company is making purely electric bikes, and makes one of the most viable ones you can currently buy. Much like the LiveWire it targets the premium end of the market with all the kit you could need, great running gear and performance that certainly has the giggle-factor in spades. Their latest SR/S is their first fully faired bike, although underneath it’s mostly unchanged from their unfaired SR/F. The basis of the SR/F means it has a solid platform to work off with a full charge in around an hour with the right charger, a top speed of 124mph and even upgrades to its battery available to comfortably take its range over 100 miles. The SR/S starts at a shade under £20,000 and other, more basic bikes in Zero’s range plunge below the £15,000 mark if you’re willing to accept a more no-frills experience. Suffice to say, the fact they’re continuing to develop new bikes shows the demand is there and they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Energica are a relatively small Italian brand, however they’re making waves. Not only do they supply the bikes for Moto-e, the electric racing class the runs alongside MotoGP, but they make some pretty bold range claims for their Ego and Eva Ribelle bikes. Both are seriously punchy with 145bhp punting you to 60mph in 2.6 seconds, and the claimed city range is 249 miles…but take that with a punch of salt. Realistically, even with an extra third of battery capacity over the Zeroes and the LiveWire, the bike will do up to around 100 miles with mixed use, however its performance is significantly increased with the extra torque and power, and fancy running gear. Fully adjustable suspension and Brembo brakes alongside a chassis that handles beautifully; this is a great motorbike. Like the Zero and LiveWire bikes the Energica bikes are compatible with fast charging, giving full charges in around an hour. Also like the others their bikes aren’t cheap, and you’ll be looking at spending over £20,000 for one.
Moving into more realistic areas, and we have the electric Vespa. Sure, it’s not going to go around a track, but for ease of use it’s an ideal commuter. Packing around 60 miles of range up to a touch over 40mph this is a city beast with a couple of unique features. A retractable electric cable is a seriously neat touch that not even electric cars haven’t really taken on board, and allows for a full charge in 4 hours from a standard wall socket. There’s also space for a helmet under the seat like a normal scooter. A full colour dash that integrates with your phone is also present allowing you to answer calls on the fly without any extra phone holders. At a shade over £5,000 it’s certainly more than your average 125cc scooter, however it definitely has its charms.
It’s still a case of wait and see for what other big motorcycle players will do in the electric motorcycle space, however with their huge research and development budgets, and electric vehicles as a whole coming on in leaps and bounds in the past few years it’s safe to say that motorcycling will not be relegated to the past as the UK moves from internal combustion engines to an electric future.
If you need some expert advice then you can have a chat online with us via web chat on our website. The Bike Stop shop in Stevenage is currently only open for click and collect orders, with our online shop alive and well taking orders for delivery too, however we will reopen as soon as Government guidelines allow it. You can check out our full range on our website with free delivery for any order over £50 on the UK mainland, and delivery possible to almost anywhere else. Not only that but our ‘No Quibble’ returns policy allows for returns within a 365-day period – see our returns page for more details.
