Electric cars, electric bikes, and now… electric motorcycles! The age of environmentally safe transportation is coming sooner rather than later, and motorcycles are no exception. Your favorite hot rod could be due for a makeover. In fact, Harley Davidson has unveiled their Livewire electric motorcycle (pictured to the right) as well as branching out into eBikes with the Serial 1.
The argument for electric vehicles may seem obvious, but let’s take a look at the differences between electric and gas motorcycles.
Cars outnumber motorcycles on the road, yet motorcycles actually produce 16% more emissions than cars (according to CARBS mobile source emissions inventory). An increase in electric motorcycles would drastically reduce the emissions motorcycles are responsible for, and as a car replacement, create a whopping big reduction in global warming emissions.
Now that may be all well and good, but are they actually as fun to ride?
The short answer is YES! Every gas powered vehicle has a delay in the torque, which is a feeling many bikers have come to enjoy; feeling the power build up in the bike before taking off. But these electric motorcycles provide instant torque, which shoots you off right away with tons of power. As fun as the classic choppers are to cruise around on, sometimes you just want pure power and speed – some electric bikes can go from 0-60mph in under 2 seconds. That’s fast.
No more stopping at a gas station. Less maintenance required as there are no spark plugs, no oil, and no timing belts. Much lower lifetime cost to own. I think it’s safe to say electric motorcycles are here to stay, and they might just be a better experience than the gas motorcycles we all know and love. With luck, there will be tax incentives to reduce the cost of adding these rides to your collection!
Experts agree that we can achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions by prioritizing the adoption of electric motorcycles over cars and combustion engine bikes. Find out more about motorcycle emissions and carbon footprints.
