@nanaholic01 I know!! It's expensive as hell lol you would think it would be cheap but nah!! They make hydrogen bikes but only the people who could afford them are "well off"
IDK... You ever sat in a tesla going down the road at night with no noise? There's something to "silence is golden" when the alternatives can always be straight pipes. There's value to stealth.
My bike gets 40mpg, and takes $10 to fill up. There’s no need for electric bikes. Let alone the fact that we love the pops and bangs and exhaust notes. We love the smells. We literally rub the used motor oil on our…. Well maybe not ALL of us…. But you get the idea.
Unless you are in some country where the fuel prices are $10 per gallon and the general cost of living is ridiculous, fuel mileage means nothing. Personally speaking, here in the US, I haven't met a single person in 35 years of riding where the MPG was important. Nobody wants MPG, we all want HP and TQ
@tedmarakas2626 Go talk to the guys in the North West where they ride year 'round, rain or shine. They are a breed of their own though. They are always talking about how they get so.much more out of a gallon of gas compared to cars.
That's one of the joys of owning a motorcycle, the sweet sound the engine makes, if you have an electric bike, in my opinion I may as well ride a electric wheelchair 😂
@@jmackinjersey1 Why though? If it is about going the distance where fuel stations are far apart then I can see the point. However, if you spend $30k on a motorcycle a few dollars here and there means nothing.
Here in Brazil there is a company that makes EV Bikes, they can swap the battery but you need 3 batteries if you don't want to stop for a few hours waiting one to charge.
@@C0lon0are you sure it's not one of the chinese brands? we do have a few chinese brands selling EV scooters and "bikes" here in Norway, most of them with batteries easily removed for external charging, none of them seems to be good in any way, as none of the buyers want to keep it for any time, and nobody seems to buy it for 25% reduced price "used" 1 year and 100-500km
@lassebrustad everything is made in China nowadays, but the brand is Brazilian, assembled in Brazil with a "good" quality control, but they are almost bankrupt because EV bikes don't sell.
A customer at my dealership let me try out a Ninja 7 Hybrid they rode in a couple weeks ago. I'm not running out to buy one, but it was a LOT more interesting than a pure EV bike. You still get an ICE and all it's fun noises, and when paired with a real engine the whine of the electric motor is evocative of a supercharger. The big BOOST button is a little goofy, but in a fun way imo. She'd already had multiple issues within like 2k miles, but Kawi was following through on warrantying anything weird. If Uncle Sam held a gun to my head and made me buy one, I'd take the hybrid over a Livewire any day. Until then though, I think my next bike will be a 2 stroke.
Yeah it's good. Just needs a charging port. Without charging port it doesn't seem to have any lower emissions than regular motorcycle so it's kinda pointless.
@@EvilGav yeah, it's a bit heavy and unusually long. Felt a bit like a chubby SV650 IMO. No idea what it's like when you push it, but if they iron out the kinks it'd be a fine backroad street bike. Give one a try if you get the opportunity, it's a fun novelty at the very least.
Having a battery blow up and dramatically catch on fire really sucks in a car. But on a bike, with no real shielding from that fire? You're absolutely cooked. I mean, fuck. Seriously.
Had 10+ lithium ion and lifepo4 batteries not one has burst into flames or had any faults , talk to real e riders and see what they have to say and cut the fear mongering bullshit because a gas tank and loose connections can burst into flames on a ice bike no different than a lithium battery... Education is key and if as many in the comments have posted it's severely lacking..
@@kamenrob8500 Chemistry and manufacturing quality must go together. There's a reason why the fire departments in major cities have implemented laws concerning EVs and batteries. It is not fear mongering but reality. In life being practical is more important than acting according to feelings. If you are comfortable with the technology and the quality do as you please. Your choice. However, don't discount other people's knowledge and comfort zone. By the way, I use Lithium batteries on many of bikes, EarthX is a respectable company that has been approved by aeronautics , American made, LiPo4 but even then.....I follow their guidelines on charging, use and safety using the recommended chargers, temperature and balancing. Cheers.
@@kamenrob8500 in all honesty, e bikes are cool. The range and price are deal breakers. Icing on the cake is lack of character. I ride for the mechanical experience. Not to feel like im in a convertable with handle bars.
Whoa don’t bash republicans in this fight they are much more realistic when it comes to EVs and seeing the inherent flaws as well as the need to transition slowly
@@TheHuskyK9 ha. Don’t give me that “loud bikes” nonsense. I have 30 years and half a million miles on quiet bikes. Living is a death sentence. Stop worrying.
Yeah. Here is India, where a lot, LOT, of people own scooters(100-125cc) for general utility, there are some decent electric options. Around 4-5kWh battery packs with 5-7yr warranty, better acceleration than 125cc w/ cvt. 100-120km of range & very close in pricing. Essentially perfect daily commuters for cities, if you have a way to charge at home / office. There's even a mid size bike for like $5000 from a decent local startup Ultraviolette (called F77), but still a bit expensive considering the rest of the market.
@@kushagraN Sounds very cheap. How do they make good quality batteries and safe at this price point? Government subsidy? or simply unsafe LiFe batteries that can explode and burn down half of Bombay in a day.
Stuff like a Suron or Talaria are awesome. Allow em to be street legal in all 50, and they would make a great commuter. As for full sized bikes, you hit all the main points I see.
Most building in NYC and other congested downtowns with high risers won't let you bring them or charge them in the building. Therefore, unless the distance is a few miles and less than the battery range owning one of those is a nightmare. Needless to say, no underground garage will allow you to park. So, what do you do with it?
The failing of EV's is the government push to replace and force choice. Make a good product and we will buy it and love it because it's fun and makes sense. EV's should be a good option, not a replacement.
@@fdub301 Yes, invest in good technology that doesn't work. EV's are not the solution to gas engines. We do not have the technology or the know-how to make them sustainable. The idea that EV's being good for the environment is a complete lie. The farming of lithium and the fact that it can't be recycled makes it far more toxic to the environment than car exhaust. You get that energy to charge your car from mostly coal/gas plants, maybe a few nuclear sources. We do not have the infrastructure to mass-charge millions of EV's as we have gas stations for regular cars. Charging a car takes hours, unless you get a fast charge which still takes 30-60mins. The power grid cannot sustain the sheer amount of energy to power the amount of EV's that would replace all gas cars on the road. Replacement batteries cost more than the car is worth, making it so you can't drive it more than a few years before the battery is dead and needs replaced, but why would you spend $60k on a battery for a $50k car? The range of EV's is only a couple hundred miles and that's if you're barely touching the pedal and not always in stop and go traffic. We should have been pushing for more hybirds, but because of activists and lobbyists, they're pushing for a technology that only the rich can afford while they make anything gas illegal, which is 99% of the population. It's not about saving the environment, it's about control.
Yes that has been my point its not that i dislike EV vehicles. It is just that i do not think they are ready yet. They have been rushed due to politics pushed on the population and because of that the companies have put the prices really high because they can. The EVs will be good and worth buying in the future but not in this political climate.
TLDR: It's unthinkable to have an EV charge as quickly as pump gas into an ICE vehicle, If you want the long and nerdy version, continue reading. I once ran some quick math to figure out what kind of power would be needed to charge an EV in the time it takes to get gas. For a 40kWh battery, to charge in like 5 min you need to feed it 480kWh, that would demand (in a 400v 3 phase system, the kind used in Europe) around 700amps per phase. Most houses in my country only have a single phase 230v 50Hz supply at their disposal. Also that feed is limited to somewhere from 5 and 45 amps depending on your needs (most have 15 to 30 amps at their disposal here). You can get 3 phase in your home here but it's not that common, and ranges from 10 to 60 amps per phase (230v live to neutral and 400v between phases).
Maybe not at home (unless you have a battery), but telsa v4 chargers are 250kw and the newer ones coming out are 350kw... so its not that unthinkable...
@@jolieriskin4446yeah that 350kW charger is peak, achievable only under perfect conditions for a fraction of second. Just like phones - that advertise 65 & 100W chargers but most trickle down to 5-10W once battery reaches a certain charge & temperature to maintain battery health. The bike's small battery can only charge at peak for a few seconds and would average arnd 10-20% of the peak. Most homes are only wired upto 5kW load on single phase. You need to request fresh meters & wiring for 3 phase.
It's just a matter of time and technological development. Don't remember the current system involves shipping dead dinosaurs thousands of miles, then piping it or trucking it, then storing it underground, then you as a consumer have to drive to a special building to fill up. Alternatively, electricity is already pretty much everywhere.
Level 3 "ultra fast" and level 4 chargers are up to 900kw and > 900kw respectively (thought the latter might as well not exist at the moment, there are so few). However, cars can get away with that sort of power load, as they have the space for all the electronics needed to step it down to what's needed to charge the battery. Bikes don't have that sort of space, so tend to be limited to the ~44kWh of a level 2 charger at most.
@@Drakelett technological development doesn't trump physics. And in the US most homes cant draw more than 2kw from the 120v supply, so either you need house batteries or a specialist supply.
Electric motorcycles have their place. It's not a good choice as your only bike but if you have room for more than 1 then it's a great addition to the garage. The lack of noise and shifting means you can focus on your ride and not disturb nature while doing it. I had someone in a truck in the next lane ask me if my bike was electric while my visor was down and I heard him perfectly. Also, I'm never roasting chestnuts at a traffic light. Also, I whiz past cops staked out all the time. They can't hear me coming which means they never look up from their phones or computers There's many benefits!
I would like an electric motorcycle but there are some conditions. 1. It has to be a second bike. I need a regular bike for my long trips. 2. I have to have a shed with electricity at least 100 yards away from my house to store it. I can't chance my house burning down at night while I'm asleep. 3. I could maybe spend 9 thousand dollars for a new motorcycle. So someone has to give me 6 or 7 thousand more so I can buy an electric one. So I don't see any of this happening.....so .......
Whenever someone makes a video claiming that something won't happen in the next 15 years, that should be a clear indicator that they have no idea what they're talking about. No one can accurately predict the future 15 years ahead. However, RUclips's algorithm prioritizes quantity over quality, so these kinds of videos are prevalent.
@@mencibenciI think that shows the issue. Electric bikes dont have a practical use that others dont do better. They cant compete with ice when it comes to longer distance. And when you get to them being an urban commuter - electric scooters are just better. Smaller, cheaper, and easier to use.
Remember seeing a group of factory Live wire riders at the Rock store a few years ago. They look great, but when they took off in a pack all the air came out when all you hear is the electrical sound. It was disappointing. And everybody just laughed at them. Haven't seen them since.
It is very important to do this. That said, generally speaking this research is done and you can find it. How it's interpreted is usually going to be based on the political or economical leanings of the people doing the interpreting. If you take a hard look at it, while this argument doesn't work for cars, most motorcycle enthusiasts ride _so very little_ that the EVs actually won't catch up with the gas equivalent. It would be interesting for someone to do a motorcycle specific comparison though. The tire wear and brake wear differences are somewhat different in my experience, but it is important to understand where the break in mileage is. If you ride 1000 miles a year though, you will probably never hit it.
for me range LITERALLY doesn't matter until they provide 100km worth of charge in 5 minutes. I can wait and stretch for 5 mins every 100km. But they don't provide and i don't buy
Im a professional auto mechanic and I agree with yami's analysis of EV bikes. I asked people where they get their electricity from and 99% look at me with a confused expression. Most people don't understand how EV produce more carbon emissions than ice vehicles. I took a 8hr trip in my gas car and got 600-700 miles to the tank *driving normal posted speed limits*. How do you justify that to a vehicle that gets half the range on a good day going downhill with the wind. I will say this, EV's do have their place as a short distance and city vehicle, but, as yami stated, there is the charging infrastructure if an urban environment and then ultimately full circle back to using carbon emissions to generate electricity. EV's will not be the final solution but just another option for people
Even in Brazil where 80% of the energy comes from hydroelectric power plants EVs aren't greener than normal cars running on ethanol, that is the absolute green fuel because to grow sugarcane you remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it produces in the refinery and in the burning in the engine
Petroleum products produce more carbon foot prints than electricity. The machines and process polute the environment, the trucks and tankers need to transport the physical fuel to the petrol stations. Those things use up fuel too.
Hitting all the great points of our new EV world. What disgusts me is that our government is involved so passionately with the "EV" adoption and spends our tax dollars to that end. Leave it to the private sector and we will decide if the technology has merit or not.
I own a Zero DSR/X, have owned several ICE bikes. Getting ready to take it on the CA BDR next week. It will be an adventure on the charging. Many of your points are valid, but fail to acknowledge the advantages of EV bikes: Being able to focus on bike handling skills instead of clutch work. Being able to enjoy better connection with your surroundings. Lower maintenance. Instant torque. Regen braking. It is definitely a different kind of motorcycling, but not too different than, say bagger vs. sport bike.
So on these advantages. Instant torque. Motorcycles are already extremely quick. You have bikes that can easily wheelie right from under an unskilled. Adding even more torque is probably not the best idea. So I fail to see how thats a boon. Ditto for regen breaking. Thats solution to a problem caused by beimg an ev to begin with. If its about preserving breaks - well thats what engine breaking is for. I'll admit to the shifting issue but even then ‐ dct's are probably going to be common place in the near future.
100%. Electrification makes sense for some usage. Daily driver cars for example. Local delivery of mail and lightweight packages too. But motorcycles, boats, trucks, motorhomes, etc are still so much better on traditional fuels that EVs simply don't even remotely make any sense for those applications. The performance characteristics of an EV would be great on a bike, but everything else about the experience would suck.
I feel like that electric motorcycles (or cars for that matter) wont really become totally 100% viable for general use until we find a way to make the batteries last longer, and charge faster. Range anxiety is scary.
There are too many cons that outweigh the pros for EV motobikes. -Range is bad -Maintenance is expensive (only the dealership can fix it) -MSRP is expensive (You can literally get 3 gas-powered bikes for the price of 1 EV bike) -Depreciates faster due to uncertainty of reliability -Dangerous to ride in busy traffic (this one is a personal gripe. Motorcycles are already tough to drive in traffic because people can't hear the motorcycles coming, hence why the engines are so loud and the bikes are in bright colors. EV bikes make ZERO noise, gee I wonder if drivers can hear them coming in their blind spots now...)
I don't think they'll fail in general (but SOME will fail). These things are still pretty new. Gas motorcycles were pretty hideous in their beginning years.
Im buying one right now, not out of the care of the enviroment because let's face it they are not good for the enviroment, but because the quick acceleration, low weight, low noise, and no clutch. As somebody who can't learn clutch or manual for the life of them, This is perfect for me. Also the low weight means I can bring it into my apartment easily and not have to worry about it getting stolen. I can see how how the range can be a negative for most, but for me in a city it is more than enough.
If u can’t learn a clutch u shouldn’t be on a motorcycle honestly mostly likely u also lack the dexterity and sharpness get yourself out of danger on two wheels . Using the clutch is all reflex., something you’ll need on a motorcycle
@@obeii1805 I bet manual car drivers said the same thing when automatic transmissions came out. Now look. Manual cars are a dying breed, at least in the US.
@@obeii1805 I’ve been riding electric motorcycles for years, you don’t need some special skill with a clutch. That’s like saying you need to learn manual in a car to drive. 80% of Americans drive automatic and most of those don’t know manual.
If you put an old battery in the trash, and then landfill, there is containment and recovery for its leaching. It doesn't get into the soil or water. They should be disposed of properly of course, but there are systems in place to abatement contamination.
The reason all EV sales tanked last year was because everyone who would have bought one got one and everyone on the fence learnt a valuable lesson in patience and logical thinking.
Unfortunately, i believe you are wrong, most Europeans are looking for utility when moving to a motorcycle and usually its an economic decision when getting a 2nd vehicle for a household, as soon as the prices go down a bit and the range will improve i see it as a really good option for most people, not for me, but im not most people.
Batteries lose ability to hold charge the more times you recharge them, so if you buy a 2nd hand ev, you might have to replace the battery, which is expensive (at least on cars), so you could be really paying a lot more than you think for a 2nd hand EV.
For me it's all about the DollHairs. I have a short work commute and could see an EV being practical. But for the price of any of the ones that are remotely practical you can just about get into bagger/touring bike kind of money. If all it's good for us relatively short commutes, then it should be priced cheaper than a Grom or a Royal Enfield Hunter. But they're not, and aren't going to be any time soon. My current bike cost me $1500 used. I've got a couple hundred more in repairs and time, but I have a bike that I'd happily ride across the country if my boss would give me the time of work. And I could do it in a fraction of the time of even the highest end electric because refueling only takes a couple of minutes and I can go fast without instantly draining the tank.
I took a test ride once on a Zero. The advantages of electric motorcycles were obvious. For starters, the acceleration is mind-boggling, and I didn't even have it in the most aggressive riding mode. Handling was also excellent, because most of the mass of the bike from the motor and batteries is down low. But the thing I like the most about it was that it was dead quiet. Instead of the drone of the engine, which after a while gets annoying, all I heard was the wind rushing past my helmet and the crickets. It was blissful. I didn’t buy one for reasons that you state: I couldn’t afford it and I need something with longer range. These problems will be overcome and we’ll be the better for it.
I recently did a test drive on a Zero Fx while the dealer was checking my Scout. It was awesome!!! The torque was crazy for that size of a bike. I also went to a parking lot to try some 8-turns: dead easy. You could throw it around like a moped. If my job would be within a 30km range, this would definitely be my choice. Just gas and brakes, ton of torque, no noise, low maintenance. It would never replace my Scout but for that purpose, (commuting within 30km) I think it’s awesome.
batteries could charge in 2 seconds flat, with a range of 10,000km and cost a dime and I would STILL refuse to give up the striple, the feeling and sounds the engine makes is just perfection.
Motorcycling died long ago! I got fed up when Harley started putting sissy equipment like distributors, oil filters, and electric lights on new models. It's points, total loss systems and kerosene on a real bike!
1-Ev takes away that visceral feel that us riders want 2-Every little bit helps to make yourself more noticeable on 2 wheels. I'm not saying that we all need obnoxious exhausts, but taking away 95% of the sound component is a horrible idea 3-$6 gets me 130 miles and I'm in and out of the gas station in less than 5 minutes. Try that with a EV 4-If I crash and am trapped under my bike it sucks. Ya wanna know what sucks more? Crash and have the EV battery catch fire while you're trapped under it. 5-Back to range, I mostly do highway miles on the interstate. So that estimated ev range just dropped even more. 6-This is kind of shallow, but looks. Most ev bikes are flat out ugly when when compared to their ICE counterparts, and most riders do care somewhat about looks. I don't care much about how my car looks, but I want to look back and my bike when I get off of it and think "dam she's a beauty" P.s.-idk if anyone here has seen it, but Ford is stopping EV production due to lack of profit on their end.
The fact that you have to pay to unlock all of the features in the motorcycle that you’ve already paid full price for Will forever make it not an option for me. That’s an absolute joke.
Tammy, You really should do more research before spouting off about your "so called facts" on electric motorcycles. I've had my Zero for a year and a half and all it has cost me is the bike payment and tires. Not too many gassers can say that. I can go about as far as the average gasser before charging back up. Yes, it takes longer to charge but I use it to commute over 60 miles to work every day. That costs me 42 cents for the day. It would cost me $9 with my gas bike and then the cost of oil and other maintenance that I just don't have with my SRS. I don't think you have a leg to stand on when it comes to "knowing what you are talking about" when it comes to electric bikes. Get one and use it daily for at least six months and then see and have at least a reasonable opinion and not just un-informed gab. My bike pays for itself by NOT paying for gas. Gather more information and talk to people who know the product.
Not only does mining the metals create damage to the environment, those metals are also an extremely finite resource. EV enthusiasts refuse to think about what designers plan to do when those finite resources run out.
The worst part of an ev motorcycle is the weight. For a car, you can deal with the extra weight. For a motorcycle? You now have a motor which isn't light, plus a battery which is heavy. And in a sportbike, weight is way more important than in a car
Plus even a performance bike gets near 40 MPG, so while an EV truck might appeal economically benficial to my 10 MPG RAM 2500, an EV bike provides no real ecomony over an ICE.
- Me laughing at EV owners with my 100mpg+ Honda Super Cub costing me only $3 a week to fill up - Seriously, lithium is not the future. Everyone drinking the green Kool-aid needs to wake the fuck up. We need a whole new power source that doesn't demand such a drain on our current power grid and can get you from New York to San Francisco on a single charge. It's not happening in our lifetime.
I think the most overlooked thing is batteries don't produce electricity. They store it. Fossil fuel power plants burning coal charge the batteries. So what's the point. Especially with many power grids already overburdened.
As someone who was very interested in EVs for mostly the environmental factor, this summarizes pretty well for me why I still won't look into them as of now. Especially the money and greenwashing are big issues for me. This stuff needs to get both more affordable as well as better, actually sustainable tech that's not based on exploiting whole ass countries.
Any 17yo across the world can save up working a summer job, buy a decent pre loved japanese 125cc and have the time of their life. Then when they're done or want to move up, sell the bike for close to what they paid for it because of how they hold value That is culture, sentimentality and cost factors that EVs will never be able to compete with
i love the sound of my tripple fz09 reving to the moon before quick shifting through gears ..those e-bikes will never replicate that thrill or experience
Conservatives aren't down with child labor as practiced pretty much everywhere in the non industrialized world. They do want (in the US) school-age children to be able to work voluntarily without massively regulating it to death.
They won't fail. Solid state batteries are around the corner. Giving them 3x the range. Or making them 3x lighter. Either way it will make them more useable than than the ones we know today.
3 times the range and at the same time 3 times lighter are just around the corner. As a 40 year qualified and experienced mechanic, I have to understand how energy works to diagnose problems and do my job, and you don’t have a clue. It’s like thinking we don’t have pollution because we don’t see the mines that produce it half way around the world. Out of sight, out of mind.
@@simonlangmead7 well you should *actually* do your homework pal😂. Yes the battery making process is harmfull. BUT way less harmful than a gasoline for diesel powered car. It becomes greener after as few as 2 years. AND battery packs can be refurbished over and over. And be mostly recycled. And I'm talking about solid state batteries which reduce risk of fires too and have crazy energy density.
@@simonlangmead7 He said " 3x the range. OR making them 3x lighter " . Not And. And solid state batteries will not have, as far as we can see, 3 times the current capacity, but rather 2 times. Or rather twice the energy density. And much higher recharging capacities on the other hand. of the order of 0 to 80% in 5-10 minutes. And electricity doesn't have to (and should not) come from coal or gaz. We have more " greener " solution. Wind, Nuclear, Water etc. And maybe, if we can make this work, fusion reactor in 30 or 40 years. EV are not "clean" yet. But does the fact that the solution is not good now mean that it never will be? With this kind of thinking, we would never have had a major technological advance. “Hey, we might not succeed, it’s better to stop everything” ..
Toyota have only been saying that for the last 20 years. I'll believe it when I see it. Plus, it still doesn't bypass the charging problem - bikes tend not to have fast charging, as they don't have the space for the electronics, at most they can use type 2. That means at most 44kW of charging per hour. The Zero bikes have a 14.4kw battery, but it cant charge the whole battery at full tilt, it has to ramp up and down, so at best it's ~30 minutes to charge that battery. If we assume that we make the battery a little smaller while trebling the range, it's still at best going to be ~20 minutes to charge. It makes it difficult for group rides and annoying if you want to head out for a quick ride and need a charge.
The saddest part is that they are mechanically simple. So many more parts in a gas bike and same with cars but because of greed what could have been a good thing got turned into a wealthy persons toy.
The only thing that can change EVs for better are new battery technology. Safer, more energy denser, faster to charge, easier to make and recycle. But we are still stuck on lithium and cobolt.
When battery technology becomes smaller, lighter, & increases range, that's when they'll be viable. Charging is another complete issue all together but that's the core of what'll increase e-moto value.
The idea that electric motorcycles will fully replace ICE motorcycles is redundant. While electric bikes are ideal for small, daily commuters (common in Europe and Asia), they can't yet compete with large legacy bikes. They'll thrive in city commuting but not in the Harley or sportbike communities and that’s okay.
And with respects to the enviromental impact the impact of refining oil is on par with battery manufacture and oil spills are also know to happen, the big diffence is the life time emission of a 500k milage f150 compared to 500k tesla 3 one is clearly going to be bigger than the other. To view eletric vehicles as the be all, end all of motoring is silly they each have their own benefits and their weakness, eletric vehicles will be improved over time same as combustion did over the last 200 years and the trillions and trillions that companies and goverments invested into them over that life time it just takes time and money. (but why would billionaires and goverments invest in the poor peoples future lol)
I think with the current market and battery density, the only real place for e-bikes are track bikes. The Stark Varg makes huge sense in a MX setting. Plus, something like a Surron is amazing for mobbing around locally and practising wheelies without drowning your neighbours in 120dB of 4 stroke exhaust noise
EV's make sense for city commuting and not much else. Hybrid technology is the most effective application of electric technology currently. Electric motorcycles make basically no sense. Most people in the US don't use motorcycles or atv's as a main form of transportation, they use them as fun toys that you bring out on warm sunny days and put away in the winter. What I'd like to see is a motorcycle that runs on biodeisel or make a plant oil based fuel similar to gasoline.
A lot of these arguments are probably the same ones made when automobiles first came out. Why should I have to buy one of those metal things. My horse doesn't need maintenance, and food is everywhere. Plus, how do those metal things do when it rains and gets muddy. You're wasting your time and money. Those metal wagons will never catch on. E-bikes are brand new cutting edge technology. Just like anything else, it will evolve and become more practical. 💯✌️
Bought my bike new for $9k last year. I average 60+mpg. That's an awful lot of miles I'll have down before I reach the price of an electric. I do long tours so the range and charging times were already no gos for me.
LAND owner here. This thing is a great commuter bike. It really puts into perspective how inefficient ICE engines are: I go 40 miles on $0.80 worth of electricity :)
The charging infrastructure needs a kick up the derriere to catch up with what's required........ Here in UK, a US friend was talked into hiring an electric car for a tour of Scotland and found huge problems with using it. Lack of chargers. Lack of working chargers. Even apps would say they worked only to arrive and find two out four working with a queue. Lack of superchargers. Unfriendly and uncoordinated payment systems, some wanted apps, some credit cards, some bank cards some required signing in and using specific websites, etc. Range anxiety was foremost on her mind and she actually missed a restaurant booking as finding and using chargers took up so much time. Scotland has 5,000 charging points. 1,200,000 electric cars and 450,000 hybrid cars in UK. At the end of July 2024, there were 66,779 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, across 34,570 charging locations. UK banning all new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 so around ten years to fill the place up with charging facilities. My local built up area six miles out from the city centre has only ten charging points in two service stations out of eight service stations. Gonna need a lot more..........
I am still keen for a work commuter electric bike but it kind of needs to fit a real use model. It has to be capable of sustained 65 MPH for one hour of travel and come in under 10K. My home state in Australia is like Texas. 1/2 hour drives to work at highway speed are commonplace.
Unlike cars motorcycles are absolutely dominated by enthusiasts. Removing gas kills the visceral experience. If you want an E-bike fine I have one. However, for longer distances, cost effectiveness, initial costs and not to be called gay by the homies. I got to go with a dual sport for shenanigans.
Prices are not that big of a problem. You can get Chinese ebikes with H2, 1000 or R1 fairings, top speed of 120-150kmh and range of around 100 km (or 200 if speeds are under 50). Ofc, those are held together by furniture screws, but they cost under 5000 dollars, so...
Battery tech needs to come a long way before E-bikes will become a viable alternative for most. They could also be programmed to have pretend power ranges, which would be interesting as far as the mastery aspect goes.
I'm neither a fan of electric motorcycles or cars ! The one thing I feel that can benefit a lot from the switch however would be scooters ! Not these standing ones that get tossed into every pedestrian area but a proper scooter that would normaly have somewhere between 50 - 125 CCs . They are designed for short range and practicality and they don't see any crazy action like a bigger bike would .
How are EVs going to fail if the goverment mandates them? California has already banned ICE vehicles after 2035. Not saying that this is the right approach, just todays reality.
Electric won't become a thing until they either charge fast or they swap out batteries at stations. The price is a huge issue as well.
Why they don't focus on hydrogen? I remember a dude that had his Cadillac running on water. They killed him
range, weight, cost. lots stacked against the ev world without government assistance.
@@CrunchDramaNetwork Kawasaki has made a prototype hydrogen fuel cell bike.
@@CrunchDramaNetworkhydrogen is very hard to produce its expensive as well
@nanaholic01 I know!! It's expensive as hell lol you would think it would be cheap but nah!! They make hydrogen bikes but only the people who could afford them are "well off"
where’s my vroom vroom? I need my vroom vroom
IDK... You ever sat in a tesla going down the road at night with no noise? There's something to "silence is golden" when the alternatives can always be straight pipes. There's value to stealth.
@@draunt7 its also very dangerous to be silent and also my ICE car doesnt make much noise when im driving cuz of good sound deadning
@@draunt7 Except the ride isn't silent cause the road noise is so bad
the electric hum also sounds amazing tbh
no more Vroom Vroom
My bike gets 40mpg, and takes $10 to fill up. There’s no need for electric bikes. Let alone the fact that we love the pops and bangs and exhaust notes. We love the smells. We literally rub the used motor oil on our…. Well maybe not ALL of us…. But you get the idea.
Unless you are in some country where the fuel prices are $10 per gallon and the general cost of living is ridiculous, fuel mileage means nothing. Personally speaking, here in the US, I haven't met a single person in 35 years of riding where the MPG was important. Nobody wants MPG, we all want HP and TQ
@tedmarakas2626 Go talk to the guys in the North West where they ride year 'round, rain or shine. They are a breed of their own though. They are always talking about how they get so.much more out of a gallon of gas compared to cars.
That's one of the joys of owning a motorcycle, the sweet sound the engine makes, if you have an electric bike, in my opinion I may as well ride a electric wheelchair 😂
@@tedmarakas2626Except me. I ride my Busa like an elderly man having an age crisis.
@@jmackinjersey1 Why though? If it is about going the distance where fuel stations are far apart then I can see the point. However, if you spend $30k on a motorcycle a few dollars here and there means nothing.
Charging takes longer than you can actually ride it.
Here in Brazil there is a company that makes EV Bikes, they can swap the battery but you need 3 batteries if you don't want to stop for a few hours waiting one to charge.
@@C0lon0are you sure it's not one of the chinese brands? we do have a few chinese brands selling EV scooters and "bikes" here in Norway, most of them with batteries easily removed for external charging, none of them seems to be good in any way, as none of the buyers want to keep it for any time, and nobody seems to buy it for 25% reduced price "used" 1 year and 100-500km
@lassebrustad everything is made in China nowadays, but the brand is Brazilian, assembled in Brazil with a "good" quality control, but they are almost bankrupt because EV bikes don't sell.
India and I think in Indonesia there are brands doing that but only for scooters and scooters are not real bikes, except for OG Vespas.
Wrong
If I got $20k for a bike, I'm getting a rocket3 or tiger 900 fully kitted
rocket 3's are awesome
A customer at my dealership let me try out a Ninja 7 Hybrid they rode in a couple weeks ago. I'm not running out to buy one, but it was a LOT more interesting than a pure EV bike. You still get an ICE and all it's fun noises, and when paired with a real engine the whine of the electric motor is evocative of a supercharger. The big BOOST button is a little goofy, but in a fun way imo.
She'd already had multiple issues within like 2k miles, but Kawi was following through on warrantying anything weird.
If Uncle Sam held a gun to my head and made me buy one, I'd take the hybrid over a Livewire any day. Until then though, I think my next bike will be a 2 stroke.
Multiple issues under 2000 miles. 🤔 🤔
So even kawasaki is beta testing with people's vehicles...
How did it handle? I saw them at a bike show earlier this year and my thought was it seemed very heavy for what it was - 227kg and around 70bhp.
That seems like a lot of kgs
Yeah it's good. Just needs a charging port. Without charging port it doesn't seem to have any lower emissions than regular motorcycle so it's kinda pointless.
@@EvilGav yeah, it's a bit heavy and unusually long. Felt a bit like a chubby SV650 IMO. No idea what it's like when you push it, but if they iron out the kinks it'd be a fine backroad street bike. Give one a try if you get the opportunity, it's a fun novelty at the very least.
Having a battery blow up and dramatically catch on fire really sucks in a car. But on a bike, with no real shielding from that fire? You're absolutely cooked. I mean, fuck. Seriously.
Especially when the batteries explode. You cannot put the fire out easily.....and the fire is between your legs just under the family jewels.
@tedmarakas2626 for an eletric car you need around 5m³ of water to put out the fire, for an normal car it is around 1m³.
Had 10+ lithium ion and lifepo4 batteries not one has burst into flames or had any faults , talk to real e riders and see what they have to say and cut the fear mongering bullshit because a gas tank and loose connections can burst into flames on a ice bike no different than a lithium battery...
Education is key and if as many in the comments have posted it's severely lacking..
@@kamenrob8500 Chemistry and manufacturing quality must go together. There's a reason why the fire departments in major cities have implemented laws concerning EVs and batteries. It is not fear mongering but reality. In life being practical is more important than acting according to feelings. If you are comfortable with the technology and the quality do as you please. Your choice. However, don't discount other people's knowledge and comfort zone. By the way, I use Lithium batteries on many of bikes, EarthX is a respectable company that has been approved by aeronautics , American made, LiPo4 but even then.....I follow their guidelines on charging, use and safety using the recommended chargers, temperature and balancing. Cheers.
@@kamenrob8500 in all honesty, e bikes are cool. The range and price are deal breakers. Icing on the cake is lack of character. I ride for the mechanical experience. Not to feel like im in a convertable with handle bars.
Whoa don’t bash republicans in this fight they are much more realistic when it comes to EVs and seeing the inherent flaws as well as the need to transition slowly
An electric vehicle making engine noises? That seems like a frivolous waste of energy...
5-15kw on a motor and like 0.05kw on fake sound. So it's not too bad. Still much More efficient that gasoline powered vehicle.
@@oplkfdhgk still wasteful. Why consume more than necessary? Be as “green” as possible.
@@lonniecross4698 Because a silent motorcycle is literally a death sentence.
@@TheHuskyK9 ha. Don’t give me that “loud bikes” nonsense. I have 30 years and half a million miles on quiet bikes. Living is a death sentence. Stop worrying.
@@lonniecross4698 haha yeah i don't feel like defending that point more because i also think it's stupid. 😀
An electric Grom would work for me but for a full sized motorcycle I'm just not interested.
Yeah. Here is India, where a lot, LOT, of people own scooters(100-125cc) for general utility, there are some decent electric options.
Around 4-5kWh battery packs with 5-7yr warranty, better acceleration than 125cc w/ cvt. 100-120km of range & very close in pricing.
Essentially perfect daily commuters for cities, if you have a way to charge at home / office.
There's even a mid size bike for like $5000 from a decent local startup Ultraviolette (called F77), but still a bit expensive considering the rest of the market.
That's because you want to use it around town...I can see the point owning one somewhat. Personally speaking, they aren't worth the trouble.
@@kushagraN Sounds very cheap. How do they make good quality batteries and safe at this price point? Government subsidy? or simply unsafe LiFe batteries that can explode and burn down half of Bombay in a day.
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Stuff like a Suron or Talaria are awesome. Allow em to be street legal in all 50, and they would make a great commuter. As for full sized bikes, you hit all the main points I see.
Most building in NYC and other congested downtowns with high risers won't let you bring them or charge them in the building. Therefore, unless the distance is a few miles and less than the battery range owning one of those is a nightmare. Needless to say, no underground garage will allow you to park. So, what do you do with it?
@tedmarakas2626 in a city setting, a Surron Ultra Bee will do about 75 miles. Outside of your very specific problem set, my comment stands.
I have a SurRon. It's cool for around town or a quick trip to the corner store. I got it plated as a moped in CA.
The failing of EV's is the government push to replace and force choice. Make a good product and we will buy it and love it because it's fun and makes sense. EV's should be a good option, not a replacement.
God forbid the government invest in new technology
@@fdub301 Yes, invest in good technology that doesn't work.
EV's are not the solution to gas engines. We do not have the technology or the know-how to make them sustainable.
The idea that EV's being good for the environment is a complete lie. The farming of lithium and the fact that it can't be recycled makes it far more toxic to the environment than car exhaust. You get that energy to charge your car from mostly coal/gas plants, maybe a few nuclear sources.
We do not have the infrastructure to mass-charge millions of EV's as we have gas stations for regular cars.
Charging a car takes hours, unless you get a fast charge which still takes 30-60mins.
The power grid cannot sustain the sheer amount of energy to power the amount of EV's that would replace all gas cars on the road.
Replacement batteries cost more than the car is worth, making it so you can't drive it more than a few years before the battery is dead and needs replaced, but why would you spend $60k on a battery for a $50k car?
The range of EV's is only a couple hundred miles and that's if you're barely touching the pedal and not always in stop and go traffic.
We should have been pushing for more hybirds, but because of activists and lobbyists, they're pushing for a technology that only the rich can afford while they make anything gas illegal, which is 99% of the population.
It's not about saving the environment, it's about control.
@@cujoedaman 🤦🏾♂️
Yes that has been my point its not that i dislike EV vehicles. It is just that i do not think they are ready yet. They have been rushed due to politics pushed on the population and because of that the companies have put the prices really high because they can. The EVs will be good and worth buying in the future but not in this political climate.
TLDR: It's unthinkable to have an EV charge as quickly as pump gas into an ICE vehicle, If you want the long and nerdy version, continue reading.
I once ran some quick math to figure out what kind of power would be needed to charge an EV in the time it takes to get gas.
For a 40kWh battery, to charge in like 5 min you need to feed it 480kWh, that would demand (in a 400v 3 phase system, the kind used in Europe) around 700amps per phase. Most houses in my country only have a single phase 230v 50Hz supply at their disposal. Also that feed is limited to somewhere from 5 and 45 amps depending on your needs (most have 15 to 30 amps at their disposal here). You can get 3 phase in your home here but it's not that common, and ranges from 10 to 60 amps per phase (230v live to neutral and 400v between phases).
Maybe not at home (unless you have a battery), but telsa v4 chargers are 250kw and the newer ones coming out are 350kw... so its not that unthinkable...
@@jolieriskin4446yeah that 350kW charger is peak, achievable only under perfect conditions for a fraction of second.
Just like phones - that advertise 65 & 100W chargers but most trickle down to 5-10W once battery reaches a certain charge & temperature to maintain battery health.
The bike's small battery can only charge at peak for a few seconds and would
average arnd 10-20% of the peak.
Most homes are only wired upto 5kW load on single phase. You need to request fresh meters & wiring for 3 phase.
It's just a matter of time and technological development. Don't remember the current system involves shipping dead dinosaurs thousands of miles, then piping it or trucking it, then storing it underground, then you as a consumer have to drive to a special building to fill up. Alternatively, electricity is already pretty much everywhere.
Level 3 "ultra fast" and level 4 chargers are up to 900kw and > 900kw respectively (thought the latter might as well not exist at the moment, there are so few). However, cars can get away with that sort of power load, as they have the space for all the electronics needed to step it down to what's needed to charge the battery. Bikes don't have that sort of space, so tend to be limited to the ~44kWh of a level 2 charger at most.
@@Drakelett technological development doesn't trump physics. And in the US most homes cant draw more than 2kw from the 120v supply, so either you need house batteries or a specialist supply.
Think they make a lot of sense in the dirtbike world and for kids right now. Bit bias but electric dirtbike for my child has been a game changer.
They're great for short commutes or niche sports like Trials and motocross.
Electric motorcycles have their place. It's not a good choice as your only bike but if you have room for more than 1 then it's a great addition to the garage. The lack of noise and shifting means you can focus on your ride and not disturb nature while doing it. I had someone in a truck in the next lane ask me if my bike was electric while my visor was down and I heard him perfectly. Also, I'm never roasting chestnuts at a traffic light.
Also, I whiz past cops staked out all the time. They can't hear me coming which means they never look up from their phones or computers
There's many benefits!
I would like an electric motorcycle but there are some conditions. 1. It has to be a second bike. I need a regular bike for my long trips. 2. I have to have a shed with electricity at least 100 yards away from my house to store it. I can't chance my house burning down at night while I'm asleep. 3. I could maybe spend 9 thousand dollars for a new motorcycle. So someone has to give me 6 or 7 thousand more so I can buy an electric one. So I don't see any of this happening.....so .......
Whenever someone makes a video claiming that something won't happen in the next 15 years, that should be a clear indicator that they have no idea what they're talking about. No one can accurately predict the future 15 years ahead. However, RUclips's algorithm prioritizes quantity over quality, so these kinds of videos are prevalent.
Electric sportsbike, naked bike, cruiser, or dirtbike won't sell, I'm agree
But i i think it might work on scooters or moped
electric scooters are already huge, they’re super practical too so it tracks
@@mencibenciI think that shows the issue. Electric bikes dont have a practical use that others dont do better. They cant compete with ice when it comes to longer distance. And when you get to them being an urban commuter - electric scooters are just better. Smaller, cheaper, and easier to use.
Remember seeing a group of factory Live wire riders at the Rock store a few years ago. They look great, but when they took off in a pack all the air came out when all you hear is the electrical sound. It was disappointing. And everybody just laughed at them. Haven't seen them since.
As someone working at honda, electric cars are failing too. 85-90% of those wanting an electric vehicle have already bought it.
Why the hate? I love my Sur Ron, for what it does. And I love my Speed Twin 1200 for everything else.
7:43 YES! We really need to talk about the environmental impact of manufacturing an EV as well as their lifecycles!
It is very important to do this. That said, generally speaking this research is done and you can find it. How it's interpreted is usually going to be based on the political or economical leanings of the people doing the interpreting. If you take a hard look at it, while this argument doesn't work for cars, most motorcycle enthusiasts ride _so very little_ that the EVs actually won't catch up with the gas equivalent. It would be interesting for someone to do a motorcycle specific comparison though. The tire wear and brake wear differences are somewhat different in my experience, but it is important to understand where the break in mileage is. If you ride 1000 miles a year though, you will probably never hit it.
for me range LITERALLY doesn't matter until they provide 100km worth of charge in 5 minutes.
I can wait and stretch for 5 mins every 100km.
But they don't provide and i don't buy
Im a professional auto mechanic and I agree with yami's analysis of EV bikes. I asked people where they get their electricity from and 99% look at me with a confused expression. Most people don't understand how EV produce more carbon emissions than ice vehicles. I took a 8hr trip in my gas car and got 600-700 miles to the tank *driving normal posted speed limits*. How do you justify that to a vehicle that gets half the range on a good day going downhill with the wind. I will say this, EV's do have their place as a short distance and city vehicle, but, as yami stated, there is the charging infrastructure if an urban environment and then ultimately full circle back to using carbon emissions to generate electricity. EV's will not be the final solution but just another option for people
Even in Brazil where 80% of the energy comes from hydroelectric power plants EVs aren't greener than normal cars running on ethanol, that is the absolute green fuel because to grow sugarcane you remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than it produces in the refinery and in the burning in the engine
Petroleum products produce more carbon foot prints than electricity. The machines and process polute the environment, the trucks and tankers need to transport the physical fuel to the petrol stations. Those things use up fuel too.
Your missing the point. It's the bigger picture @charliequach6399
Hitting all the great points of our new EV world. What disgusts me is that our government is involved so passionately with the "EV" adoption and spends our tax dollars to that end. Leave it to the private sector and we will decide if the technology has merit or not.
I own a Zero DSR/X, have owned several ICE bikes. Getting ready to take it on the CA BDR next week. It will be an adventure on the charging. Many of your points are valid, but fail to acknowledge the advantages of EV bikes: Being able to focus on bike handling skills instead of clutch work. Being able to enjoy better connection with your surroundings. Lower maintenance. Instant torque. Regen braking. It is definitely a different kind of motorcycling, but not too different than, say bagger vs. sport bike.
So on these advantages. Instant torque. Motorcycles are already extremely quick. You have bikes that can easily wheelie right from under an unskilled. Adding even more torque is probably not the best idea. So I fail to see how thats a boon. Ditto for regen breaking. Thats solution to a problem caused by beimg an ev to begin with. If its about preserving breaks - well thats what engine breaking is for. I'll admit to the shifting issue but even then ‐ dct's are probably going to be common place in the near future.
Love my Zero SR/F. Hate from RUclips influencers only makes it stronger. Keep up the good work Yammie!
100%. Electrification makes sense for some usage. Daily driver cars for example. Local delivery of mail and lightweight packages too. But motorcycles, boats, trucks, motorhomes, etc are still so much better on traditional fuels that EVs simply don't even remotely make any sense for those applications.
The performance characteristics of an EV would be great on a bike, but everything else about the experience would suck.
Yeah I think we are 15 to 20 years away from EV superbikes that are viable
My next car will be an EV, my next bike won't 😊 Dane here 🇩🇰
Fully agree with all of this. Too short range, too heavy, too pricey.
How heavy is too heavy? A Zero SR/F weighs less than a Ducati Multistrada V4.
@@hcoppegard multi v4 is huge. 😀
There is no place for an EV motorcycle except for maybe California 😂😂😂
That trope is getting old. How will rural America pay for all that welfare without California's tax money?
not even in CA, we like exploring roads in the sierras. EV's have no place anywhere lol
@YTisDumb let California keep its taxes and stop taking so much from its citizens.
You mean...Newsome's Commiefornia? Hey, I know all about it, I live in liberal toilet bowl NYC LOL
I feel like that electric motorcycles (or cars for that matter) wont really become totally 100% viable for general use until we find a way to make the batteries last longer, and charge faster. Range anxiety is scary.
So the same reasons people don't want an EV motorcycle are the same reasons that people don't want an EV car.
There are too many cons that outweigh the pros for EV motobikes.
-Range is bad
-Maintenance is expensive (only the dealership can fix it)
-MSRP is expensive (You can literally get 3 gas-powered bikes for the price of 1 EV bike)
-Depreciates faster due to uncertainty of reliability
-Dangerous to ride in busy traffic (this one is a personal gripe. Motorcycles are already tough to drive in traffic because people can't hear the motorcycles coming, hence why the engines are so loud and the bikes are in bright colors. EV bikes make ZERO noise, gee I wonder if drivers can hear them coming in their blind spots now...)
I don't think they'll fail in general (but SOME will fail). These things are still pretty new. Gas motorcycles were pretty hideous in their beginning years.
Im buying one right now, not out of the care of the enviroment because let's face it they are not good for the enviroment, but because the quick acceleration, low weight, low noise, and no clutch. As somebody who can't learn clutch or manual for the life of them, This is perfect for me. Also the low weight means I can bring it into my apartment easily and not have to worry about it getting stolen.
I can see how how the range can be a negative for most, but for me in a city it is more than enough.
If u can’t learn a clutch u shouldn’t be on a motorcycle honestly mostly likely u also lack the dexterity and sharpness get yourself out of danger on two wheels . Using the clutch is all reflex., something you’ll need on a motorcycle
@@obeii1805 I bet manual car drivers said the same thing when automatic transmissions came out. Now look. Manual cars are a dying breed, at least in the US.
@@obeii1805 I’ve been riding electric motorcycles for years, you don’t need some special skill with a clutch. That’s like saying you need to learn manual in a car to drive. 80% of Americans drive automatic and most of those don’t know manual.
If you put an old battery in the trash, and then landfill, there is containment and recovery for its leaching. It doesn't get into the soil or water. They should be disposed of properly of course, but there are systems in place to abatement contamination.
The reason all EV sales tanked last year was because everyone who would have bought one got one and everyone on the fence learnt a valuable lesson in patience and logical thinking.
Just say no to bikes that suck, especially E Bikes
Ducati and KTM will be out of business buddy.
Unfortunately, i believe you are wrong, most Europeans are looking for utility when moving to a motorcycle and usually its an economic decision when getting a 2nd vehicle for a household, as soon as the prices go down a bit and the range will improve i see it as a really good option for most people, not for me, but im not most people.
Batteries lose ability to hold charge the more times you recharge them, so if you buy a 2nd hand ev, you might have to replace the battery, which is expensive (at least on cars), so you could be really paying a lot more than you think for a 2nd hand EV.
For me it's all about the DollHairs. I have a short work commute and could see an EV being practical. But for the price of any of the ones that are remotely practical you can just about get into bagger/touring bike kind of money.
If all it's good for us relatively short commutes, then it should be priced cheaper than a Grom or a Royal Enfield Hunter. But they're not, and aren't going to be any time soon.
My current bike cost me $1500 used. I've got a couple hundred more in repairs and time, but I have a bike that I'd happily ride across the country if my boss would give me the time of work. And I could do it in a fraction of the time of even the highest end electric because refueling only takes a couple of minutes and I can go fast without instantly draining the tank.
I took a test ride once on a Zero. The advantages of electric motorcycles were obvious. For starters, the acceleration is mind-boggling, and I didn't even have it in the most aggressive riding mode. Handling was also excellent, because most of the mass of the bike from the motor and batteries is down low. But the thing I like the most about it was that it was dead quiet. Instead of the drone of the engine, which after a while gets annoying, all I heard was the wind rushing past my helmet and the crickets. It was blissful. I didn’t buy one for reasons that you state: I couldn’t afford it and I need something with longer range. These problems will be overcome and we’ll be the better for it.
I recently did a test drive on a Zero Fx while the dealer was checking my Scout. It was awesome!!! The torque was crazy for that size of a bike. I also went to a parking lot to try some 8-turns: dead easy. You could throw it around like a moped. If my job would be within a 30km range, this would definitely be my choice. Just gas and brakes, ton of torque, no noise, low maintenance. It would never replace my Scout but for that purpose, (commuting within 30km) I think it’s awesome.
Picked up a primo 2007 fjr for 6k last year. Couldn't imagine paying 20k for an ev version
batteries could charge in 2 seconds flat, with a range of 10,000km and cost a dime and I would STILL refuse to give up the striple, the feeling and sounds the engine makes is just perfection.
Motorcycling died long ago! I got fed up when Harley started putting sissy equipment like distributors, oil filters, and electric lights on new models. It's points, total loss systems and kerosene on a real bike!
1-Ev takes away that visceral feel that us riders want
2-Every little bit helps to make yourself more noticeable on 2 wheels. I'm not saying that we all need obnoxious exhausts, but taking away 95% of the sound component is a horrible idea
3-$6 gets me 130 miles and I'm in and out of the gas station in less than 5 minutes. Try that with a EV
4-If I crash and am trapped under my bike it sucks. Ya wanna know what sucks more? Crash and have the EV battery catch fire while you're trapped under it.
5-Back to range, I mostly do highway miles on the interstate. So that estimated ev range just dropped even more.
6-This is kind of shallow, but looks. Most ev bikes are flat out ugly when when compared to their ICE counterparts, and most riders do care somewhat about looks. I don't care much about how my car looks, but I want to look back and my bike when I get off of it and think "dam she's a beauty"
P.s.-idk if anyone here has seen it, but Ford is stopping EV production due to lack of profit on their end.
The fact that you have to pay to unlock all of the features in the motorcycle that you’ve already paid full price for Will forever make it not an option for me. That’s an absolute joke.
Tammy, You really should do more research before spouting off about your "so called facts" on electric motorcycles. I've had my Zero for a year and a half and all it has cost me is the bike payment and tires. Not too many gassers can say that. I can go about as far as the average gasser before charging back up. Yes, it takes longer to charge but I use it to commute over 60 miles to work every day. That costs me 42 cents for the day. It would cost me $9 with my gas bike and then the cost of oil and other maintenance that I just don't have with my SRS. I don't think you have a leg to stand on when it comes to "knowing what you are talking about" when it comes to electric bikes. Get one and use it daily for at least six months and then see and have at least a reasonable opinion and not just un-informed gab. My bike pays for itself by NOT paying for gas. Gather more information and talk to people who know the product.
Are you new here? Yam's been spouting uninformed bs for years now. It's like he does his research on Wikipedia the same day he releases his videos
If this video can't convert a "electric motorcycle guy" then i don't know what will. This was the most comprehensive breakdown .
Not only does mining the metals create damage to the environment, those metals are also an extremely finite resource. EV enthusiasts refuse to think about what designers plan to do when those finite resources run out.
I like the idea of ev motorcycles, but I can't let go of my Dino powered engine.
It depends on what you use it for, my Zero SRF is a great commuter in LA. And for fun ride the M1000R!
I think one big exception to this is dirt bikes. Ev dirt bikes like the stark Varg are fantastic
Internal combustion, accept no substitutes.
The worst part of an ev motorcycle is the weight. For a car, you can deal with the extra weight. For a motorcycle? You now have a motor which isn't light, plus a battery which is heavy.
And in a sportbike, weight is way more important than in a car
Yammie pop! I don't think anyone else could have done this breakdown better. That's why I subscribe!
Plus even a performance bike gets near 40 MPG, so while an EV truck might appeal economically benficial to my 10 MPG RAM 2500, an EV bike provides no real ecomony over an ICE.
Motorcycle riding is freedom!!!!!
Damn right. Having an extension cord wrapped around your neck is not freedom it is an accessory to hang yourself.
- Me laughing at EV owners with my 100mpg+ Honda Super Cub costing me only $3 a week to fill up -
Seriously, lithium is not the future. Everyone drinking the green Kool-aid needs to wake the fuck up.
We need a whole new power source that doesn't demand such a drain on our current power grid and can get you from New York to San Francisco on a single charge.
It's not happening in our lifetime.
0:13 Edging the Indians with the Royal Enfield bullet
I think the most overlooked thing is batteries don't produce electricity. They store it. Fossil fuel power plants burning coal charge the batteries. So what's the point. Especially with many power grids already overburdened.
they also just suck, where is vroom, only bzzzzz
As someone who was very interested in EVs for mostly the environmental factor, this summarizes pretty well for me why I still won't look into them as of now. Especially the money and greenwashing are big issues for me. This stuff needs to get both more affordable as well as better, actually sustainable tech that's not based on exploiting whole ass countries.
Any 17yo across the world can save up working a summer job, buy a decent pre loved japanese 125cc and have the time of their life. Then when they're done or want to move up, sell the bike for close to what they paid for it because of how they hold value
That is culture, sentimentality and cost factors that EVs will never be able to compete with
i love the sound of my tripple fz09 reving to the moon before quick shifting through gears ..those e-bikes will never replicate that thrill or experience
Conservatives aren't down with child labor as practiced pretty much everywhere in the non industrialized world. They do want (in the US) school-age children to be able to work voluntarily without massively regulating it to death.
They won't fail. Solid state batteries are around the corner. Giving them 3x the range. Or making them 3x lighter. Either way it will make them more useable than than the ones we know today.
3 times the range and at the same time 3 times lighter are just around the corner. As a 40 year qualified and experienced mechanic, I have to understand how energy works to diagnose problems and do my job, and you don’t have a clue. It’s like thinking we don’t have pollution because we don’t see the mines that produce it half way around the world. Out of sight, out of mind.
@@simonlangmead7 well you should *actually* do your homework pal😂. Yes the battery making process is harmfull. BUT way less harmful than a gasoline for diesel powered car. It becomes greener after as few as 2 years. AND battery packs can be refurbished over and over. And be mostly recycled. And I'm talking about solid state batteries which reduce risk of fires too and have crazy energy density.
@@simonlangmead7 He said " 3x the range. OR making them 3x lighter " . Not And.
And solid state batteries will not have, as far as we can see, 3 times the current capacity, but rather 2 times.
Or rather twice the energy density. And much higher recharging capacities on the other hand. of the order of 0 to 80% in 5-10 minutes.
And electricity doesn't have to (and should not) come from coal or gaz. We have more " greener " solution. Wind, Nuclear, Water etc. And maybe, if we can make this work, fusion reactor in 30 or 40 years.
EV are not "clean" yet. But does the fact that the solution is not good now mean that it never will be?
With this kind of thinking, we would never have had a major technological advance.
“Hey, we might not succeed, it’s better to stop everything” ..
Toyota have only been saying that for the last 20 years. I'll believe it when I see it. Plus, it still doesn't bypass the charging problem - bikes tend not to have fast charging, as they don't have the space for the electronics, at most they can use type 2. That means at most 44kW of charging per hour. The Zero bikes have a 14.4kw battery, but it cant charge the whole battery at full tilt, it has to ramp up and down, so at best it's ~30 minutes to charge that battery. If we assume that we make the battery a little smaller while trebling the range, it's still at best going to be ~20 minutes to charge. It makes it difficult for group rides and annoying if you want to head out for a quick ride and need a charge.
@@EvilGav it's not just about how much kWh a pack has. It's the chemistry of the Battery you are using. And the materials used. Cooling capacity too
The saddest part is that they are mechanically simple. So many more parts in a gas bike and same with cars but because of greed what could have been a good thing got turned into a wealthy persons toy.
The only thing that can change EVs for better are new battery technology. Safer, more energy denser, faster to charge, easier to make and recycle. But we are still stuck on lithium and cobolt.
Honestly, I'll buy one.
I'm looking forward to the interesting designs that will come.
If you can't fix your own vehicle then you don't own it, you are renting it.
When battery technology becomes smaller, lighter, & increases range, that's when they'll be viable. Charging is another complete issue all together but that's the core of what'll increase e-moto value.
With current battery technology EV bikes can only be viable comuter bikes.
The idea that electric motorcycles will fully replace ICE motorcycles is redundant. While electric bikes are ideal for small, daily commuters (common in Europe and Asia), they can't yet compete with large legacy bikes. They'll thrive in city commuting but not in the Harley or sportbike communities and that’s okay.
And with respects to the enviromental impact the impact of refining oil is on par with battery manufacture and oil spills are also know to happen, the big diffence is the life time emission of a 500k milage f150 compared to 500k tesla 3 one is clearly going to be bigger than the other. To view eletric vehicles as the be all, end all of motoring is silly they each have their own benefits and their weakness, eletric vehicles will be improved over time same as combustion did over the last 200 years and the trillions and trillions that companies and goverments invested into them over that life time it just takes time and money. (but why would billionaires and goverments invest in the poor peoples future lol)
I think with the current market and battery density, the only real place for e-bikes are track bikes. The Stark Varg makes huge sense in a MX setting. Plus, something like a Surron is amazing for mobbing around locally and practising wheelies without drowning your neighbours in 120dB of 4 stroke exhaust noise
EV's make sense for city commuting and not much else. Hybrid technology is the most effective application of electric technology currently. Electric motorcycles make basically no sense. Most people in the US don't use motorcycles or atv's as a main form of transportation, they use them as fun toys that you bring out on warm sunny days and put away in the winter. What I'd like to see is a motorcycle that runs on biodeisel or make a plant oil based fuel similar to gasoline.
A lot of these arguments are probably the same ones made when automobiles first came out. Why should I have to buy one of those metal things. My horse doesn't need maintenance, and food is everywhere. Plus, how do those metal things do when it rains and gets muddy. You're wasting your time and money. Those metal wagons will never catch on.
E-bikes are brand new cutting edge technology. Just like anything else, it will evolve and become more practical. 💯✌️
Solid state and carbon batteries are in small scale production now and could solve many of the current problems. Give them time.😊
Bought my bike new for $9k last year. I average 60+mpg. That's an awful lot of miles I'll have down before I reach the price of an electric. I do long tours so the range and charging times were already no gos for me.
I was at an EV Tradeshow here in Phoenix AZ, and they had LAND cycles for test drives. Intest rode a LAND District and it was pretty awesome.
LAND owner here. This thing is a great commuter bike. It really puts into perspective how inefficient ICE engines are: I go 40 miles on $0.80 worth of electricity :)
Good arguments and summary yammie! But can you also offer any thought an alternative solution?
Plus who wants a quiet ass battery whine, instead of the sound of a beautiful 4 cyclinder cross plane screaming
The charging infrastructure needs a kick up the derriere to catch up with what's required........
Here in UK, a US friend was talked into hiring an electric car for a tour of Scotland and found huge problems with using it.
Lack of chargers.
Lack of working chargers. Even apps would say they worked only to arrive and find two out four working with a queue.
Lack of superchargers.
Unfriendly and uncoordinated payment systems, some wanted apps, some credit cards, some bank cards some required signing in and using specific websites, etc.
Range anxiety was foremost on her mind and she actually missed a restaurant booking as finding and using chargers took up so much time.
Scotland has 5,000 charging points.
1,200,000 electric cars and 450,000 hybrid cars in UK.
At the end of July 2024, there were 66,779 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, across 34,570 charging locations.
UK banning all new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 so around ten years to fill the place up with charging facilities.
My local built up area six miles out from the city centre has only ten charging points in two service stations out of eight service stations.
Gonna need a lot more..........
The second generation of Kawasakis hybrid bike design will embarrass both full EVs and standard gas bikes. I guarantee you that.
I am still keen for a work commuter electric bike but it kind of needs to fit a real use model. It has to be capable of sustained 65 MPH for one hour of travel and come in under 10K. My home state in Australia is like Texas. 1/2 hour drives to work at highway speed are commonplace.
Probably safe to say kawasakis hybrid bike is a way better idea than a full electric bike could ever
Unlike cars motorcycles are absolutely dominated by enthusiasts. Removing gas kills the visceral experience. If you want an E-bike fine I have one. However, for longer distances, cost effectiveness, initial costs and not to be called gay by the homies. I got to go with a dual sport for shenanigans.
Prices are not that big of a problem. You can get Chinese ebikes with H2, 1000 or R1 fairings, top speed of 120-150kmh and range of around 100 km (or 200 if speeds are under 50). Ofc, those are held together by furniture screws, but they cost under 5000 dollars, so...
I ❤ my Zero FX. It is a toy and nothing else. Driving in the mountains is awesome. Charge it with my Powerboost.
Great video yam, lots of points that are left out in the mainstream news of EV's.
I can get myself a good sounding R7 with that money... It pops ebike doesnt
Yam coming in hot with the facts on this one. Flaming both sides of the political spectrum & calling out company green washing. I'm proud of you sir
Battery tech needs to come a long way before E-bikes will become a viable alternative for most. They could also be programmed to have pretend power ranges, which would be interesting as far as the mastery aspect goes.
Those who want an electric motorcycle will buy them.
Those who don't want an electric motorcycle won't.
Some police departments are getting electric bikes for the stealth features like headlights with off switches.
I'd ride one if someone gave it to me but, I don't see myself ever buying an electric motorcycle. E-bicycles, on the other hand, I can get into.
E-Motorbikes would be awesome with their instant torque and controllable power.
We just need VASTLY better batteries.
I'm neither a fan of electric motorcycles or cars !
The one thing I feel that can benefit a lot from the switch however would be scooters !
Not these standing ones that get tossed into every pedestrian area but a proper scooter that would normaly have somewhere between 50 - 125 CCs .
They are designed for short range and practicality and they don't see any crazy action like a bigger bike would .
I've given electric bikes/cars a chance to blow me away. Aside from insane torque, they just haven't.
How are EVs going to fail if the goverment mandates them? California has already banned ICE vehicles after 2035. Not saying that this is the right approach, just todays reality.
If nobody buys them.
@@JoeStanek-vu7rl Brilliant - they will be the only new vehicles sold in California. I guess you're buying used... ☮