Despite concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic would significantly delay rollout of CAKE’s new electric motorcycle platform, the Swedish company has just announced that deliveries of the CAKE Ösa have commenced in the US.
It’s no secret that Harley-Davidson has been in a tough financial spot for the last few years. And the figures from Harley-Davidson’s first-quarter earning’s call indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t made the picture any rosier.
But after H-D’s acting CEO Jochen Zeitz laid out the company’s cash preservation plan and profitability strategy to deal with the effects of the global financial downturn, which included reaffirming the company’s commitment to electric motorcycles, the company’s stock price has been on a tear.
I have frequently written about the benefits of electric motorcycles and how they can play a large role in saving our cities from pollution and congestion. But as beneficial as they are, there are two major factors holding back large scale electric motorcycle adoption: high sticker prices and a general fear/skittishness of motorcycles. That’s why I believe that smaller, urban electric motorcycles like the CSC City Slicker are such an interesting part of the market. They offer the approachability of an electric bicycle or scooter but with high enough speed and power to actually serve as a true city/suburban commuter vehicle.
Oh yea, and they’re ridiculously affordable.
Kawasaki first announced its official intentions to develop a Kawasaki electric motorcycle last year during the 2019 EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show. We were in attendance and had the chance to see the original prototype in person.
Unlike the legions of interesting but questionably vaporware concept electric motorcycles floating around the internet these days, the Zero SR/F is a powerful, sporty bike that you can actually find in dealerships. It combines high power with an aggressive ride that is sure to turn a boring commute into an ear-to-ear grinning experience.
Italy’s premier electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica is preparing to return to strong sales figures after being rocked hard by the current coronavirus pandemic.
Now the company’s CEO Livia Cevolini is detailing how she plans to do it.
Stockholm-based CAKE may have begun with electric dirt bikes, but the company is quickly establishing itself on the road as well. CAKE announced today the launch of its fourth street-legal electric motorcycle, the CAKE Kalk INK SL.
If there was any doubt that electric mopeds are coming into their own in 2020, this should pretty much crush it. Not only are there plenty of interesting and inexpensive imported options, but now we’re seeing homegrown American-made electric mopeds as well. North Carolina-based Huck Cycles is the newest electric moped manufacturer, and we caught up with the founder recently to learn about the company’s bikes and backstory.
Damon Motorcycles, a Vancouver-based electric motorcycle startup, made a splash earlier this year when they announced their Damon Hypersport Premier electric motorcycle. The $40,000 sportbike hadn’t yet entered production, but the company already began taking pre-orders for a limited edition run of 25 premium bikes intended for 2021 deliveries, in addition to taking orders for their entry-level models.
Now that those premium bikes have all been reserved, Damon has just opened up orders for two new versions with fresh colorways, as well as announced an acquisition of IP from the failed Mission Motors electric motorcycle startup. Oh, and they just completed a $3 million funding round.
With a rise in the number of electric dirt bikes available today and even more on the way, it’s becoming more interesting than ever to pit them against gas dirt bikes. A Slovenian YouTuber recently did just that, comparing an electric dirt bike versus a 2-stroke and 4-stroke gas dirt bike in drag races and hill climbs.
For anyone who thinks electric motorcycles can’t tour, check this out. A Harley-Davidson LiveWire was just used to break the 24-hour distance record for an electric motorcycle.
The bike reportedly traveled 1,723 km (1,070 miles) in 23 hours and 48 minutes.
For months now, we’ve been following the leaks and teasers around Cleveland Cyclewerks’ upcoming new Falcon electric motorcycle. And today we’re finally getting the full scoop as the Ohio-based motorcycle company pulls the sheet off their first electric motorcycle.
On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I got my hands on the new Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle. Over my weeklong trip it became my ride everywhere. From winding down Mulholland Drive to cruising along Sunset Boulevard to weaving through traffic on the 101, the LiveWire and I got to know each other pretty well during our relatively short period of time together.
And during that time I learned a lot about the bike. It’s not perfect; the LiveWire surely has its deficiencies.
But it also has a number of redeeming qualities that make it seriously deserving of a second look. And that also gives me hope for how Harley-Davidson can play a leading role in the rapidly evolving electric motorcycle industry.
I’m an electric motorcycle guy, through and through. Yet for some reason I still had to earn my motorcycle license by testing on a gas-powered Harley-Davidson. If the Super Soco TSx had been around then, though, perhaps I could have tested on a new breed of learner electric motorcycles.
An electric moped in the truest sense of the word “moped,” the ONYX RCR is a beast of an electric motorbike. I’ve admired this bike for nearly two years now. I’ve covered the development and rollout of the ONYX RCR since the very beginning, starting with the company’s crowdfunding in the summer of 2018. Yet a chance to actually ride one had eluded me until now.
And so it was with a supreme sense of delayed gratification that I finally swung my leg over an ONYX RCR last week.
Croatia-based TORP has been hard at work developing a powerful electric motorbike that could combine speed and agility in a single vehicle. Now the company is ready to show off their creation, the TORP Bike.
Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer CAKE has just announced a new model known as the CAKE Kalk INK. The bike is built on the same platform as CAKE’s legendary Kalk OR electric dirt bike, yet features updates that have helped CAKE substantially reduce the price.
Cleveland Cyclewerks, a gas-powered motorcycle manufacturer, will be unveiling its first-ever electric motorcycle next month.
Tech specs had been few and far between until recently when the company spilled the beans and shared a number of impressive specs for the bike.
Loud motorcycles are becoming such a nuisance in much of Europe that laws against them are starting to be enacted.
Energica’s sales appear to be exploding this year, showing record growth for the Italian electric motorcycle company.
All indications are that Suzuki is prepping itself to debut its first electric two-wheeler, following the likes of the other major Japanese motorcycle makers.
However, it’s not exactly what we were expecting.
New Zealand native Matthew Waddick knows a thing or two about retro-inspired electric motorcycles. In 2018, we covered his work developing and bringing to market an electric conversion kit for the classic Honda Cub moped as part of Shanghai Customs. In addition to Shanghai Customs, which mostly focuses on custom electric motorcycles and moped builds, he’s back with another new electric motorcycle company, Switch Motorcycles, which has just unveiled a decidedly impressive electric motorcycle known as the eSCRAMBLER.
Last year we ogled the Newron EV-1 electric motorcycle upon its debut, but questioned whether it would ever make it to market. As of today though, the company has ended speculation by opening pre-orders for the highly unique, wooden-bodied electric motorcycle.
UBCO may be well known for its 2×2 electric utility bike, but it’s the FRX1 that’s the wild child of the UBCO family.
And now it’s getting a little wilder.
