Why gas bikes just can’t compete with electric motorcycles in the summer

Zac Hall | May 1 2024 - 1:50 pm PT

Summer is coming in hot, and the impending heat is set to once again break the prior year’s record-breaking temperatures. For gas motorcycle riders, a scorching hot planet isn’t the only immediate source of discomfort outside. The benefit of riding electric is two-fold…

The cold hard truth: electric motorbikes are the future

First, and I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but electric motorcycles are clearly the future.

Electric motorcycles produce zero direct emissions. This is especially helpful for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas that already struggle with air quality.

Electric engines are inherently more energy-efficient than internal combustion engines, and fewer moving parts and no regular oil changes means less time and money on maintenance.

And demand for sustainable transportation solutions should only increase with each generation. That’s why major manufacturers will continue to make long-term investments in electric vehicle technology.

Riding electric, if possible, is voting with your wallet in support of these facts.

Everyone knows gas bikes are space heaters on wheels

Need a more direct reason to ride electric? Gas bikes are scorching hot space heaters on two wheels in the summer.

What’s worse than 90-degree and 100-degree temperatures in the summer? Wrapping your legs around an internal combustion engine. This is especially true of all gas bikes when sitting in traffic.

Air cooled engines rely on wind flow from riding to manage operating temperatures. Liquid cooled engines have an advantage in traffic, but there’s just no fighting the heat from an internal combustion engine that you sit on.

It’s just a fact that gas bikes are uncomfortable to ride in traffic during the summer. Sitting at a single red light for more than a few seconds will make you immediately fall out of love with your gas bike.

Like to ride two-up? Hovering over exhaust pipes while stationary is no better for your passenger than being blasted by engine heat.

My love for riding extends to all motorbikes, and electric motorcycle technology has plenty of room for improvement in the years to come.

However, there’s no question that electric motorcycles are already tailor-made for urban riders today.

Whether you’re shopping for your first motorcycle or considering upgrading to a new motorbike, don’t make a purchase without considering Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire or competitors such as Zero, Energica, and Lightning.

Electric motorbikes look cool, run cool, and make you feel cool as hell whether you’re cruising open roads or just stuck in traffic. See a gas bike rider stuck in traffic in the summer? They’re basically the This Is Fine Dog meme. ICE bikes just can’t compete in the heat.

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