Electric Motorcycles

According to multiple independent sources, Alta Motors is winding down business operations and shuttering their electric motorbike production line. The award-winning startup has recently faced issues securing enough funding to continue operations after several investment and partnership deals fell through.

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Commuting on a light electric vehicle such as an electric bicycle or motorcycle can have a number of benefits. From reducing your carbon footprint to making your commute enjoyable, electric bicycles and e-motorcycles are full of advantages. I haven’t owned a car since high school, and have spent the past decade commuting almost entirely on e-bikes, e-scooters, e-motos and just about e-anything.

But to make light electric vehicle commuting safe and fun, you’ll need the right kit. Here’s a list of recommended gear you’ll need when transforming your commute from a four-wheeled traffic-laden slog to a two-wheeled fun-fest. Each piece of gear described below is something I have used in my own commuting and can personally vouch for.

[Update: Check out my newest 2019 e-bike gear testing article!]

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The field of electric motorcycles is growing quickly, with new offerings popping up on our radar nearly weekly. However, while we’re seeing a number of new electric motorcycle companies, there aren’t many options in the US.

Tarform Motorcycles wants to change that with the unveiling of their new electric motorcycle.

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Energica took to the 2018 Intermot motorcycle show in Cologne, Germany to show off the newest 2019 models of their high power sport bikes. The newest line of Energica electric motorcycles combine impressive speeds and performance with novel tech upgrades that more closely than ever resemble the professional Energica electric motorcycles used for racing.

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Most new urban electric motorcycles we’ve seen lately are designed for modest speeds and ranges. But not the NUUK electric motorcycle.

This new urban e-moto breaks from the pack with its impressive speed and range ratings.
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“Unique” might be an understatement. Sol Motor’s new Pocket Rocket electric motorcycle looks nothing like many of the new e-motos we’ve covered recently.

Perhaps that is why the company is pitching their new Pocket Rocket electric motorcycle as a completely new class of light electric vehicle.

Electric motorcycles are a booming subsection of the electric vehicle industry, with new offerings popping up on our radar fairly regularly. Compared to full-sized electric cars and trucks, electric motorcycles are easier for companies to develop and produce due to their lower complexity, fewer parts, smaller sizes and reduced regulation.

One of the most talked about new electric motorcycles just released in the US is the $2,495 CSC City Slicker, an e-moto that we covered when it debuted earlier this summer with an even more enticing $1,995 price tag. But how does a budget electric motorcycle compare to higher end models like those from Zero Motorcycles?

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Electric motorcycles might just be one of the quickest growing markets in the electric vehicle industry. From Harley-Davidson’s new premium electric motorcycle lineup to $2,000 imported Chinese electric motorcycles, we’re seeing interesting new e-moto offerings nearly weekly.

Now a new company in Long Beach, California is preparing to offer their own line of three new electric motorcycles with decidedly non-electric motorcycle stylings.

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With electric motorcycles, dirt bikes and light electric sport bikes becoming more popular and even competitive, electric motocross bikes are increasingly common sights on tracks around the world. But such electric bikes aren’t always welcome. With high torque and power, they don’t really belong on many mountain bike trails, and yet they sometimes don’t have the range to last for extended sessions on longer motocross tracks. Plus, many riders want to be able to head straight from their garage or apartment to the track.

So Swedish electric motorcycle company Cake decided to solve the problem by designing a new motocross track meant solely for electric bikes.

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The electric motorcycle market is growing at a healthy rate with impressive new designs being introduced nearly every week. From Zero’s new line of commuter and sport electric motorcycles to high powered offerings from Curtiss and even a line of five upcoming Harley Davidson electric bikes, the future is looking good for anyone interested in two-wheeled electric fun.

Now a new Finnish company is throwing their hat in the ring with a design that sets it apart from the rest – a powerful electric motorcycle with a hubless rear-motor wheel.

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Harley-Davidson has been dangling its electric motorcycle concept in front of us for years, and has confirmed a 2019 release for the project.

While some have speculated about how committed the company is to an electric future, Harley-Davidson may be assuaging some of those concerns with news of their new Silicon Valley research and development center.

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Having spent my formative years (i.e. hooligan years) growing up in Georgia and Arkansas, I know a thing or two about exploring a farm or backwoods on a quad, all terrain vehicle or dirt bike. They make great platforms for navigating rough terrain, if you don’t mind the loud engine noise, finicky carburetors and smell of exhaust.

But why suffer when there’s a better way? New Zealand-based UBCO developed an all wheel drive electric dirt bike that is now available in the US.
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The Honda Super Cub is a legendary retro-styled motorbike that has been in continuous production since 1958. With over 100 million units sold, it holds the record for being the most produced motor vehicle in history.

For all of its strengths however, the little retro scooter has one major downside: its internal combustion engine. Sure, it’s a gas sipper instead of guzzler, but it’s gas nonetheless. Until now, that is, as the Super Cub is finally being reborn as an EV.
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If the name Harley Davidson conjures up images in your head of leather-clad biker gangs flying down a desert highway while spewing exhaust from their loud chrome pipes, then perhaps you’d better think again. As we reported earlier this summer, Harley Davidson is well on their way to debuting their first electric motorcycle which they are hoping will target a younger, more urban audience – a market with which the brand desperately needs to succeed.

And now the company appears to be doubling down on that commitment by announcing a new lineup of electric motorcycles while simultaneously fleshing out their EV team with a string of new positions.

Two-wheeled electric vehicles aren’t exactly in limited supply. There are hundreds of different electric bicycles and dozens of electric motorcycles and scooters to choose from in the US alone. However, the prices of existing options are quite delineated, with budget electric bicycles starting at under $1,000, followed by mid-range electric bicycles of higher quality in the $2,000 range, then nicer (and faster) electric mopeds and scooters that usually cost up to $4,000, and lastly full-scale electric motorcycles that start at around $10,000 and increase steeply from there.

Now a California-based company is introducing a new electric motorcycle into the mix, offering faster speeds than most electric bicycles and scooters at a price less than $2,000.
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As battery technology catches up with the rest of the electric vehicle industry, electric motorcycles are increasingly replacing their gas counterparts. Recent offerings have been packing more energy and power into two-wheeled EVs, helping them better compete against combustion-engine alternatives.

Alta’s Redshift EXR multi-terrain electric motorcycle is a great example of an EV in the motorcycle industry that has made a strong showing against a traditionally loud and proud gas-fueled sport. And now Alta has announced the 2019 Redshift EXR, poised to help push gas bikes even further to the wayside.
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France is better known for its high fashion than for fast motorcycles, but the French custom garage Jambon-Beurre Motorcycle wants to change that, or at least combine the two. Operated by Benjamin Cochard and Antonin Guidicci, Jambon-Beurre Motorcycle is a small startup better known for their custom ICE motorcycle designs, though they have also built an impressive 80 kW flat track electric motorcycle.

Now they are headed in a bold new direction with the revealing of their latest electric motorcycle Gloria, a fashionable, functional and fast electric motorcycle designed for a new breed of riders.
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It’s been a big week for electric two-wheelers in India. First, Ather Energy launched their new 340 and 450 electric scooters yesterday, and now eMotion Motors has unveiled their new electric motorcycle today. 
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San Francisco-based ONYX has launched two new electric mopeds that are advancing small electric motorbikes. With speeds of 30-60 mph (48-96 km/h) and sharp designs, these aren’t your typical mopeds.
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Curtiss Motorcycles presented its new dual motor Zeus electric motorcycle concept for the first time publicly this week at the 2018 Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, California. In addition to winning the attention of the thousands in attendance at the 10th annual meet, the powerful electric motorcycle quickly secured the coveted “Most Innovative Motorcycle” award as well.

In an Electrek exclusive interview, director of design at Curtiss Motorcycles Jordan Cornille shared more information with us about the impressive new Zeus electric motorcycle concept.
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In one of the most dramatic scenes from the classic 1963 Steve McQueen movie The Great Escape, A USAAF officer steals a German officer’s BMW R71 motorcycle and is chased up and down the sprawling Bavarian hillside before taking his newly acquired motorcycle airborne in an attempt to jump the border fence to Switzerland. An epic performance, no doubt, but I can’t help but wonder if the improved bottom end torque of an electric motorcycle couldn’t have helped McQueen make it to safety.

Apparently I’m not the only one, as a new startup has announced plans to reboot the legendary 1930’s BMW R71 as an all-electric motorcycle, complete with sidecar.
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