Isn’t It Called a Scooter?
Electric fuel, as opposed to liquid fuel, is not the distinguishing factor between a motorcycle and a scooter—it’s motor power. According to dmv.org, if you are driving a motor vehicle that has two wheels and “a motor with an engine displacement of more than 50 cubic centimeters” on the public streets, then it is legally defined as a motorcycle and requires a motorcycle license. Electrically powered motor vehicles are often associated with scooters because the first generations of electrically powered motor vehicles did not have enough motor power to be anything else. However, over the past five years, increasingly more advanced and powerful designs have been released as battery technology continues to become more powerful and more compact. While some aspects of traditional, liquid fueled motorcycles are unlikely to ever be replaced, there are benefits to the electric motorcycle which are worth taking a look at.
About Electric Motorcycles
Cost
As it stands now, electric motorcycles are considered a less costly alternative to bikes that run on gas for a surprisingly wide range of reasons. First, tax breaks are available at the federal and state level for purchasing electrically powered vehicles, so you are saving money right off the bat. Second, gas prices are going up and refueling hurts your wallet a lot less when it’s as simple as plugging your battery into the wall. Third, electric motorcycle parts are, generally, less expensive to replace, so you’ll be saving money in the long run.
Range
The con to all of the above cost benefits of the electric motorcycle is range—the great clincher of electric vehicles. Liquid-fueled motorcycles can run for some hundred miles between refueling, depending on the size of the tank, the weight of the vehicle, and the efficiency of the motor. While the range for electric motorcycles has improved greatly in the past 5 years, even the best electrically fueled motorcycles can match approximately half the range of their gas powered relatives. This fact may be just fine while riding through day-to-day commutes, but creates a stumbling block for cross-country riders.
Transmission
Yes, there are electric motorcycles with transmission options. In fact, Brammo’s design Empulse has flaunted a six-speed transmission since 2011. Too many? Perhaps, but at least the option is available. Other e-bikes are clutchless, like Zero S, but there are also options for dual clutch transitions.
Battery
The quality of an electric motorcycle’s battery will make or break the quality of the vehicle as a whole. While electric batteries provide cost benefits, as stated above, a low quality battery can risk safety hazards. For example, older batteries will explode or catch fire when they are overcharged. Also, some older batteries contain toxic chemicals and acids which are harmful to the driver and the environment. Of course, newer batteries, including LiFePO4 batteries, are able to function at temperature of up to 400 degrees fahrenheit, environmentally friendly, long-lasting (6 to 7 years), and do not risk burning out with overcharge.
Some associate electric vehicles with hours and hours of waiting for the battery to recharge, but that is becoming less and less true as technology improves. In fact, some batteries can fully recharge in 15-20 minutes. Though refueling for electric motorcycles is certainly still longer than pumping gas into your tank, recharging can be done from any location that has an outlet, including the convenience of your home.
Speed
Recent models, including Zero S and Brammo’s Empulse, are nearing average speed capacities for motorcycles (Zero S’s max speed is 95 mhp and Empulse’s is 110 mph). Now, is there an electric version of the Dodge Tomahawk, which can travel up to 350 mph? No.
Something else to keep in mind about electric motorcycles: the faster you travel, the less efficient they are.
Noise
Unlike common belief, not all electric motorcycles are quiet. In fact, some are just as noisy as the classic, liquid-fueled motorcycle. That being said, quiet electric motorcycles are an option, as demonstrated by BRD’s RedShift SM. As to whether noise is a pro or a con—each driver will have to decide the value of revving an engine for his or her self.
All of us at Christensen & Hymas hope that this overview of electric motorcycles was informative and entertaining. Keep riding, keep safe, and give us a call if there is anything that we can answer for you—801.506.0800.
Sources:
http://www.brammo.com/empulse_specifications/
http://www.motorcycle.com/categories/electric
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/specs.php
https://www.faster-faster.com/index.html
Image courtesy of Claus Ableiter on Wikipedia.