With electric powered transport getting more and more popular day by day (for some reason we can’t fully grasp as they aren’t any greener than internal combustion), the motorbike market has also entered the EV fad, but the question that always pops up in our minds should be asked, are they actually any good? Is it worth it to buy an electric-powered motorbike instead of an internal combustion screamer? We will talk about some of the EV bikes on the market and come to a concise conclusion. We’ve already mentioned models like Arc Vector and Energica Experia many, many, many months ago, so we will skip those in favour of more new additions. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
SONDORS METACYCLE
Our first example is the Metacycle by Sondors, which is an affordable electric motorbike that has 96 kilometers (60 miles) of range, enough for a daily commute unless you are not planning to put your foot- or rather, hand down. Of course, there are a few drawbacks to its cheapness, including its brakes and shocks, and the body itself might be a bit too industrial revolution for your liking, but it still manages to look good while offering the bare minimum for an equally minimum price of just $6,500, and for that, you get a bike that is powered by a 14.5 kW engine producing 20 hp, which gets up to 100 km/h (60 mph) in casual Drive mode, but can get up to 130 km/h (80 mph) in Sport mode, which would get you going nicely thanks to its 136 kg of bodywork made out of cast aluminium. You can also charge it in your home in 4 hours, but even less in a public station. It is a great affordable starter choice should you want to partake in the EV motorbike market.
LIVEWIRE ONE
Alright, so let’s spice up the price range a little, and take a look at more expensive and powerful stuff. This one right here is a Harley Davidson’s Livewire One, which costs $22,799, which is a massive increase compared to our previous example, but the Livewire One manages to live up to its price mark with a design that screams Harley Davidson while having the best tech at hand. It is powered by Livewire’s The Revelation™ powertrain (yes, they really did trademark that) that claims to offer instant acceleration and produce 100 HP and 114 nm of torque, which reaches to 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds. Apart from performance and looks, you get 60 minutes of charging time on a public charge station, and 11 hours of home charging time, which is good since it has claimed range of 234 km (146 miles) and a top speed of 152 km/h. It is a great bike overall, but the price is a bit too steep, considering that you can buy a Yamaha VMAX for less than this. Still though, it’s one of the best EV bikes in the market at the moment, so if you are into them, go for it.
DAMON HYPERFIGHTER
Now that we raised the bar higher, let’s just cut to the chase and take a look at the most powerful EV motorbikes currently sold. The Hyperfighter was unveiled last year and it has made a case for itself with its aggressive styling. It has three variants: Unlimited 15, 20 and Colossus, which is the most powerful one. The Colossus version gets up to 60 mph in 3 seconds and reaches a formidable top speed of 273 km/h (170 mph) thanks to its electric engine producing 200 HP. It is one of the top guns of the electric motorbikes for sure, and the 234 km of range (146 miles) is exactly what you get from Harley’s bike we just mentioned. The Hyperfighter is equipped with Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes, so you basically get a fully equipped electric road monster. Well, that’s great and all, but you might cough a little in a second, because the price for all this performance is $35,000 (Colossus) which is a lot, but you still have the U15 or U20 options, which are much more affordable ($19,000 for U15, $25,000 for U20) and offers nearly the same performance, especially Unlimited 20, which is the one to get.
ENERGICA EGO+
Here is another performance motorbike for you. It’s a great looking yet terribly named Ego+ by Energica, and it is the fastest EV motorbike on sale at the moment. This one, however, actually has a racing pedigree since it is competing in FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, racing around every MotoGP track possible. So what’s all the fuss about? Does it match the expectations of superbike enthusiasts who has enjoyed the grasp of internal-combustion Ducatis or Hayabusas for decades? Well, it produces 170 HP and gets up to a limited top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) and to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, which is pretty eye-watering. On top of that, the 420 km (261 miles) of range, Brembo brakes and all-aluminium lightweight body that weighs just 259 kg. Oh and by the way, if you think 2.8 seconds of sprint to 60 mph is a walking pace, a more ripped up RS version gets up to that in 2.6 seconds, so if you’re one of those guys that wants the most powerful and most full trim while buying a car or a motorcycle, the RS is for you. The Ego+ is therefore the most sensible electric motorbike to buy, if you are willing to slap $34,000 on the table. Honestly, though, this one does deserve every penny you spend on.
So, here’s our conclusion to the question that lingered throughout the post: are EV bikes worth it? In my opinion, it depends on the situation. I think that it is still too early for high-performance EV motorbikes to be more viable choice than internal combustion counterparts, especially those who have gained the respect and love of motorcycle enthusiasts for decades. The technology might not be anything from just yesterday, but there is still a bit more time for the performance EV motorbike market to expand and (hopefully not) take over the internal combustion models. However, for affordable, casual driving in a town, EV motorbikes do make sense, providing that they have enough range for your daily commute and acceptable charging times. The Metacycle that I mentioned at the beginning of the post is a good example of an affordable people mover, and makes a great case for electric-powered motorbikes. Until then, though, the internal combustion motorbike is still alive and sensible choice, especially for high performance motorbikes.
