Yahoo Autos Motorcycle Monday: Electrification And The Future
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Just what role will electric motors play in getting people around on two wheels?
Just like in the automotive industry, electrification is getting a lot of buzz among motorcycle manufacturers. Even with all the talk flying around, the availability of electric motorcycles is shockingly low, pun intended. There are few reasons for this and some variables which could tip the scale moving forward.
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Holding electric motorcycles back are a few factors. One is weight. Lithium-ion batteries aren’t exactly light as a feather, especially if you want good range, even on a motorcycle. While in a car, truck, or SUV the driver will barely notice several hundred pounds or far more added to the curb weight, a rider has to deal with the extra porky nature of the batteries, so there is definitely a limit. Sure, the elusive solid state battery technology everyone has been talking about for years could help solve this problem, but nobody knows for sure when that might happen.
Then there’s the fact electric motorcycles don’t do so great on open roadways. A single-speed transmission similar to what you find in other EVs is great for driving on city streets, but getting on a highway or other long, high-speed stretches of road shows the limits of the setup. With electric cars, that can be remedied by adding a second motor and making the bodywork highly aerodynamic. Those types of workarounds are a little more difficult to implement on a motorcycle.
Some have argued the motorcycle industry in North America is doing everything wrong. Instead of making small, light, stripped-down urban commuters for younger buyers who want cheap transportation, they’ve been focusing on expensive status symbols with gobs of power and features. That might be in part because motorcycle ownership on this continent has become a luxury not a necessity. However, proponents of electric motorcycles believe if the types of models one doesn’t even need a motorcycle endorsement to ride, like what’s become popular in Europe and Asia, were introduced to this market, younger shoppers would flock to them in droves.
That’s not to say we don’t have anything like that in this market. Bicycle companies and new brands have been rapidly jumping into the ebike movement. Just swing by a cycling store these days and you’ll be shocked at how many different models they have available. Online retailers like Amazon carry even more options, though quality may vary.
