As an enthusiast of motorcycles (I own two) and a resident of the Bay
Area, I've noticed a surge in buzz surrounding electric two-wheelers and
I'm not alone. Reporting today on the recent unveiling of Red Shift, an
all-electric "supermoto" from San Francisco start-up BRD Motorcycles,
Jeanne Carstensen at the New York Times, writes;
"With Mission Motors, also in San Francisco, and Zero Motorcycles in
Santa Cruz, as well as others, the region is becoming a hub for electric
motorcycle companies."
Speaking of Mission Motors, the company made history a few weeks ago at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The company's race bike, Mission R, posted a qualifying time of 1:31.3, the fifth fastest for the weekend’s AMA Supersport race, and a track record for an electric vehicle of any kind. Motorcycle traditionalists were left scratching their heads.
As the performance of electric motorcycles closes in on their gas-guzzling counterparts, they're also becoming increasingly practical and cost-effective. The market for electric scooters and motorcycles is taking off worldwide with about a half a billion in use across the globe by 2016, estimates Pike Research.
For whatever shortfalls exist today with electric motorcycles, such as a max ranges that peak out between 60 - 100 miles and the lack of a gas engine growl, manufacturers are wasting no time compensating with designs and technology that could permanently impact both, motorcycling industry and culture.
Below is a sample of the latest electric motorcycles at various stages of development plus a $35K hybrid bicycle that must be seen to be believed: (Make | Model | Energy Storage | Horsepower | Top Speed | MSRP)
Speaking of Mission Motors, the company made history a few weeks ago at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. The company's race bike, Mission R, posted a qualifying time of 1:31.3, the fifth fastest for the weekend’s AMA Supersport race, and a track record for an electric vehicle of any kind. Motorcycle traditionalists were left scratching their heads.
As the performance of electric motorcycles closes in on their gas-guzzling counterparts, they're also becoming increasingly practical and cost-effective. The market for electric scooters and motorcycles is taking off worldwide with about a half a billion in use across the globe by 2016, estimates Pike Research.
For whatever shortfalls exist today with electric motorcycles, such as a max ranges that peak out between 60 - 100 miles and the lack of a gas engine growl, manufacturers are wasting no time compensating with designs and technology that could permanently impact both, motorcycling industry and culture.
Below is a sample of the latest electric motorcycles at various stages of development plus a $35K hybrid bicycle that must be seen to be believed: (Make | Model | Energy Storage | Horsepower | Top Speed | MSRP)
Mission Motors | Mission R | 14kWh | 141 HP | 160+ mph | N/A
BRD Motorcycles | Red Shift SM | 5.2kWh | 40 HP | N/A | N/A
Brammo | Empulse 10.0 | 10kWh | 54 HP | 100+ mph | $13,995
Orphiro | Orphiro | N/A | 75 mph | N/A | N/A
Zero Motorcycles| DS | 4.4kWh | 25 HP | 67 mph | $10,495
M55 | Terminus | N/A | N/A | 25 - 42 mph | $35,000
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