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Electric cars have gotten all the attention lately, but they’re far from the only vehicles that run on electricity. In fact, the first electric motorcycle appeared in the pages of Popular Mechanics over 100 years ago. However, like early electric cars, they were basically forgotten once gasoline became cheap and easy to get. Now that gas is expensive and people realize that using it is hard on the environment, there is renewed interest in the concept of using electricity to power vehicles of all sorts.
Lack of need is the prime reason for the many years that electric motorcycle concepts were basically ignored, according to BikeBandit motorcycle parts company. This has caused electric bikes to lag behind their gas-powered counterparts in terms of being able to deliver what consumers want. Engineers are working hard to catch up and are developing solutions that provide decent running times and speeds. Here are some of the electric cycles on the market today:
The Zero ZF Series
With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $11,495, the Zero S ZF6 sports the company’s Z-Force battery and has a range of 43 miles on a highway. When kept charged to 80 percent capacity, the battery can last through 205,000 miles worth of driving, Bike Bandit has stated. Its traditional look will appeal to those who like standard designs. It has a top speed of 88 mph. Surprisingly, its engine is a one speed.
The Yamaha EC-03
This electric bike looks more like a scooter than a motorcycle — and even for a scooter, it’s very spindly. Even so, the Yamaha EC-03 is a surprisingly powerful machine for its size, according to TopSpeed.com. There is a standard and power mode to ensure that riders can get the zip they need at the touch of a button. Perhaps best of all, it runs silently thanks to its electric motor.
The Mission R
The Mission R motorcycle, produced by Mission Motors, has the distinction of winning the only road race it ever entered a the TTXGP/FIM e-Power International Championship race. It can also be run in either a stripped-down or standard configuration. The few industry journalists that had a chance to ride the to-be released Mission R were impressed with the bike’s power and versatility. Autoblog Green quotes Jensen Beeler of Asphalt & Rubber as saying that he felt better connection with this bike than any other he has ever ridden. A Mission Motors teaser poster hints at a release date of June 3.
These are just a few of today’s electric motorcycles. While many of them still suffer with a lack of range, it is almost certain that the technology will improve before too long. Not only is electric power better for the environment, it can be easier on the wallet. The silent or whisper-quiet operation of these bikes is another great benefit for riders. While the roar of a big gas powered bike has its attractiveness, it’s also nice to be able to ride through a neighborhood in the middle of the night without being considered a public enemy.
Even so, sales at the moment are less than lackluster. When The New York Times attempted to glean information on sales numbers, they discovered that no electric bike manufacturers released sales figures. It is safe to assume, as the paper’s reporter did, that this means that the figures are nothing to brag about. The Times suggests that wider acceptance will require increasing the technology’s appeal instead of competing on price and performance as it does now. While a “hot tech” approach may indeed cause a sales boom, it is likely that a steady and slow approach will work out better in the end. That would allow the technology to become entrenched and free it from the whims of fickle faddism.
