Electric Bikes

Zero Motorcycles maintains its position at the cutting edge of the rapidly-burgeoning EV motorcycle market with its revised and improved for MY22 SR/S sportbike. It maintains the same sporty looks, but backs them up with a more efficient drivetrain and remarkably fast recharge times. The new Cypher III+ operating system manages it all, and comes ready to receive downloadable performance upgrades that let you tune up without ever touching a wrench.

BMW has toyed with electricity as a motive force for its bikes before, with the C-Evolution maxi scooter which ended production in 2020. Now BMW Motorrad is renewing its commitment to electric motive power with what promises to be the first in an extensive line of electric bikes. The CE.04 picks up where the C-Evolution left off and takes the company in a new and striking visual design direction.

The Bayerische Motoren Werke Motorrad USA has taken the next step in its journey into electric urban-mobility territory with the announcement of its new CE 04 model. This all-electric scooter has the range, speed and charging options you need for convenience and practicality, plus it rocks an electronics suite with an infotainment package that together have the potential to embarrass much pricier machines.

Harley Davidson shocked the motorcycling world when it announced the Livewire electric bike, a stunning departure for one of the most conservative and tradition-bound manufacturers in the world. Now, it seems as if the parent company is sending its child out to fend for itself by making it a stand-alone brand, even though it will still be firmly kept within the H-D fold, helping with future projects and being sold through the existing H-D dealer network.

Simpler and, therefore, cheaper than the outgoing C-Evolution, expect it to be released in summer.

Not content with producing a bike powered by electricity, White Motorcycle Concepts is redefining motorcycle aerodynamics as well. The radical new design channels air through the bike, rather than trying to push it aside and, in the process, increases downforce without increasing drag. Electric motors in the front wheel mean it’s two-wheel drive and can recharge the batteries through regenerative braking.

That’s right sports fans. This may be the most significant relationship thus far in the race to make electric propulsion a viable alternative to the current internal-combustion engines, specifically within the off-road and non-road sectors. Polaris Inc. and Zero Motorcycles launch a decade-long partnership as a major pillar of the “rEV’d up” campaign, and the first efforts are to produce battery-powered off-road vehicles and snowmobiles.

Piaggio is committed to the progression of EV scooters, and the Group proved it yet again at 2019 EICMA with its Vespa Elettrica 70 KM/H model. As the devilishly clever name suggests, the top speed has been raised to a more useful max for increased utility as an around-town commuter/grocery-getter. The range increase pairs well with the beefed-up output and higher speed to complete the improved drive package, and of course, it comes clad in that timeless Vespa body style that evokes images of the machines that once mobilized a post-war Italy.

Damon Motorcycles commands some pretty impressive technology, and the factory brings that to bear in the EV bike market with its new Hypersport HS. The bodywork will look familiar to fans of the Big Four, same with the brakes, but it’s the stuff under the hood that really sets this bike apart. Performance- and safety-based electronics combine to deliver a potentially safer riding experience and a more thrilling one at the same time. Could this be the bike to pull in that all-important Millennial buyer base?

The coronavirus shutdown may be in effect, but the electric-vehicle sector chives on with continued development and product releases. I have a whole handful of products to tell you about that range from scooter-like bikes to full-on, Energica-style superbikes with an extra dollop of “super.”

EV bike builder Zero Motorcycles beefs up its street-centric offerings ahead of the 2020 model year with its new SR/S. This ride carries a bit more in the way of bodywork than usual to break new ground for the marque, but the grunt-tastic performance remains in line with its super-naked sibling, the SR/F. As with most of the rest of the on-road lineup, the factory has a full line of accessory goodies that let you mix and match for just the right combination of range and recharge times to suit your riding style.

Blurring the lines between mountain bikes and motorcycles, the Kalk series of machines from the Swiss made “Cake” intends “to speed up the journey towards a zero-emission society while enhancing excitement and fun.” They are walking the path that will change the future of riding with the focus on off-road performance and innovation in terms of weight and simplicity of riding.

Their newest entry is the Kalk INK. It takes on the KALK OR with the same powerful drivetrain with slightly heavier and stable wheels and a simplified and sturdier suspension derived from motocross machines. This is a black rendition of the KALK OR as a casual offroader for a thrilling backcountry exploration.

The brainchild of a Swedish Stefan Ytterborn, “Cake” is a new player in the electric transportation business that intends “to speed up the journey towards a zero-emission society while enhancing excitement and fun.” Jumping into the category of light electric off-road motorbikes, the Kalk is the first one of a number of models to come and is walking the path that will change the future of riding. The focus here has been off-road performance and innovation in terms of weight and simplicity of riding on the Cake.

Adding another minimalistic enduro onto its lineup, the Kalk INK takes on the OR with the same powerful drivetrain with slightly heavier and stable wheels and a simplified and sturdier suspension derived from motocross machines. This is a black rendition of the KALK OR as a casual offroader for a thrilling backcountry exploration.