The current progress with fully electric cars or hybrid electric cars over the last five years is very impressive and there is sufficient information coming forward to suggest that during the next five to ten years, considerable progress will be made with battery technology, particularly extending the range covered from a single charge.

There are an increasing number of production electric motorbikes coming into the marketplace but we are at the early stages of this adventure. While there can be no doubt that riding an electric motorbike is every bit as much fun as our beloved conventional Internal combustion engine (ICE) motorbikes, range from a charge is still the biggest hurdle apart from cost. However let us bear in mind that for some ICE sports bikes, getting more than 80 to 100 miles out of a full tank of petrol can be a challenge!

This article is a brief overview of what is happening in the electric motorbike market and which companies are doing what. To keep the article short, links are given to interesting articles from a variety of sources.

Motorcycle News currently carries a lot of content about advances with electric motorbikes.

A bit old now but perhaps shows what is coming in due course

BMW reveal Vision DC Roadster electric concept

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new-bikes/bmw-vision-dc-roadster/

A roundup of which companies are doing what

On a charge! It’s the best electric motorbikes coming soon in 2021

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new-bikes/electric-motorbikes-coming-soon-/

A recent article about the best bikes actually available now

Plug in, ride out: Best electric motorbikes of 2021

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/advice/best/electric-motorbikes/

Triumph

Click here to see a very interesting review of their TE-1 electric bike project.

BMW

Currently in showrooms the BMW CE 04, presented as their future of new urban mobility. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I first saw this I imagined a BMW engineer chilling out in his local park and observing a park bench and thinks ‘I know I will add a well on each end and sling and electric motor in the middle’. Sorry BMW, IMHO this is an ugly duckling, even though it is meant to have a worldwide appeal. One feature it does have is the gorgeous 10.25″ TFT, cool. As for its performance they claim it can cover 80 miles on a single charge.

Click here for further information on the BMW site.

Zero motorcycles

Zero is an interesting American start up company. 

https://www.zeromotorcycles.com/en-gb

Once a burning idea conceived inside a Santa Cruz, California garage, Zero has rapidly grown into an internationally known motorcycle company.

On the site they have a going electric advantages page (click here). It mentions some 15 things we will not need to do in future if you own an electric bike over an ICE. The problem is the reasons they give are exactly why we love our ICEs so much, for example, changing the oil or oil filter, replacing the spark plugs, adjusting valve clearances, changing air filters and so on!

My favourite apparel business, Motolegends in Guildford is running a promotional day with Zero motorbikes on 15th September (click here). It looks like the next time I buy my Rukka suit from Chris, he will also sell me an electric motorbike!

 

This is just a very brief taste of the future for there are all sorts of motorbikes being produce all around the world and for different markets, for example the Atum range in India. Another electric motorbikes update will be produced as the technology moves on.