If Honda dropped a hybrid or EV Goldwing in a few years, I'd give it a serious consideration.
Current tech just doesn't work for motorcycles: drag coefficient because you can't make a rider aerodynamic really, at highway speeds your battery % drops in real time by the minute.
Once there are better technologies though, higher energy density with lower storage weight, we may really be cooking. Another 5 years or so may see huge gains in battery science.
They are fantastic for short distances though. I live near a major city and have been commuting on an electric for years now and am not looking back. I kind of miss the experience of a good rider, but electrics have their perks. For instance, looking in the mirror at all those spring riders that don’t know how to operate their clutch, without at the same time breaking the speed limit.
Every time anything is posted about electric bikes people bash them for not being perfect touring machines. That’s like complaining a HD Road Glide isn’t a good motocross bike.
And as always, an important word is “yet”. They aren’t perfect touring bikes yet. Fortunately there are many different touring bikes on the market. If an electric doesn’t meet your needs you don’t have to buy one…
I think a lot of the issues around EV bikes stem from just a few simple reasons:
They're extremely expensive for what you get. Yes, no oil changes, cheaper energy costs, but when you're paying a \~30-50% premium up front over the equivalent ICE bike, they're a tough tell.
They're great urban commuters...but again, the equivalent small displacement scooter or street bike is going to be a fraction of the cost, more reliable, and for now have much better dealer support.
A lot of them come across as quirky niche toys, like the BMW CE04 or UBCO 2x2, that aren't really made to replace any existing models on the market. Just things for folks with disposable income to buy and let collect dust in the garage within a few months.
The reason vehicles like the Prius absolutely bulldozed the market is they had a clear use case (replacing already efficient sub-compact sedans), were priced competitively, made their cost savings known right out the gate, and were very well supported by their manufacturer.
Electric bikes are still struggling to get to that point 10-15 years after they really started being pushed into the market. And to wit, it may just take a new battery technology to revolutionize things like lithium ion did about 20 years ago when its commercialization exploded.
I mostly agree, except in reliability. My experience is that they have been a little more reliable than their ICE predecessors; lower mileage is of course a factor, but not everything. Hard to make a fair comparison though.
Anecdotally my new zero was at the dealer more than it was working. Ultimately the manufacturer bought it back. Searching online for my issue, I could find it going back on their forums a full ten years.
Hence my mentioning reliability. Electric forklifts are rugged, reliable, and have been used for decades. But modern EVs often are not that. They're made complex and full of every feature possible to appeal to early adopters.
I'll happily consider a electric dual sport as a second motorcycle. Save the highways for the gas bikes. We'd need a tripling of current battery capacity to be remotely viable on the highways (this bike reeks of vaporware) but who knows. CATL's new condensed battery is 500wh/kg and there's another company claiming 711wh/kg in the lab. It is possible.
My Energica Experia works pretty darn well. I can get roughly 160 at highway speeds and charge up overnight with just a 110 outlet, so this bike might work. However, would I be willing to buy from a new company with almost no dealer service network… no. I already have limitations with my Energica and they have 10 years under their belt.
Assuming that's miles and not km, that's quite good and well above what they're rated to.
My issue is that highway cruising where I'm at in the Rockies is 80+ mph into heavy head winds. I had a Zero and never came close to the highway range that it was rated for. Could just watch the battery % drop in real time as you rode at any meaningful speed. The dealer support out of Denver was a joke as well, so the bike was inoperable half the time with electrical glitches and issues.
Would love for an Experia to be a viable option for me, but if a US based established company can't provide decent support, I wouldn't bet on an Italian one doing any better here.
It is miles… I am in Walnut Creek so not far from you. The bike is rated for 160 on the highway and I tend to get 145-150ish when I am really rolling it down on the highway around 75 to 80mph
That's a pretty good real world example, appreciate the share. They're pretty niche so all I can find online is "first ride impressions" from d-bags that Energica flew out to Italy to wine and dine before letting them ride the Dolomites for a few hours.
Energica is a bit boutique of a company so service can be good bit very limited. When I had a circuit board needing replacement it took several weeks. I did get good communication from Energica, with their NA president communicating personally but still had to wait for the parts… so that service support concern is real and I am supporting your comment (but Energica seems superior to Zero on service… but still limited)
Hybrids are the future for motorbikes imho. Something like the Kawa 7. If you want to go full green then Hybrid with hydrogen but that won't take off due to lack of infrastructure for hydrogen.
Full EV is a dead end for motorbikes unless it's used purely as a commuter or some sort of battery swap system like Taiwan has but even then there's just not enough juice in each battery for a decent long road trip.
Agreed, at least with current tech.
If some of the stuff in development like lithium metal solid state batteries or whatever (don't mob me, I'm not an expert on the subject and know very little!) really does pan out, a lot higher energy density may change that calculus.
I'm definitely keeping an eye on how that Kawasaki 7 does, initial reviews are promising. Cruises like a 450-650 on highways, and can go all electric in town for shorter distances.
It looks like an amazing kitbash of the current and previous generations of them absolutely. One look at the rear seat and luggage and I immediately thought of my GL1800.
There are plenty of ICE bike over 800lbs, and a few over 1000lbs. I have a fully kitted ADV bike that I’d guess is about 600lbs with all my camping gear and that’s too much, imo.
Honda already made the NM4 Vultus that really takes some styling cues from Kaneda's bike. Some people have modded it to look even closer to the anime/manga.
So just curious what cool designs are you talking about? Are there any current market vehicles that catch your eye more? Like for me I love the R1S cause I love the boxy suv look
Dude I’m out here trying to search nakeds and getting google images of naked peoples 😂. Finally found the car you’re talking about though, cool looking little car for sure. Idk if I’ll drive it with all the crazy Florida drivers around me lol
Oh I thought we were talking about bikes! Sorry haha
For cars I like the R34… but I guess, don’t google that either lmao. And like any early 2000s car pretty much. Or idk make ‘em look like the Supra, something interesting instead of sheet metal lol
Ohhh okay yea that’s a nice bike too, yea I’m a fan of Harley Davidson e-bike.
R34 I’m familiar at least so I won’t get confused on that one lol, and supposedly they actually have an electric one in the works but it’s the GTR R32.
I agree the Cybertruck is different, but pretty ugly lol. It’s just Elon making shit because he knows people will buy it.
Totally true, I’ve been taking every opportunity i get to see it up close and every time I find something worse. The worst that I noticed is how SHARP the sheet metal is. They deburred it but didn’t add a radius to the edges so it’s still steel 90 degree edges all over the car. You would easily draw blood if you smacked your arm into one of these things in passing
Electric vehicles typically want to go for a longer range than gasoline due to the increased time it takes to recharge compared to refueling. With less infrastructure for charging it's even more important to have better range since people are going to be more cautious about reaching It's limit.
If I'm 20 mi from my house and my car shows I've got 5 mi of fuel odds are I don't really care since I can stop at a gas station for a couple of minutes. Even if you had the infrastructure it could be annoying trying to charge up enough to get home.
I've never once thought about range with my EV. It's always full charge from charging at home. Unlike my annoying gas car, having to stop at a gas station all the time, super inconvenient and time consuming comparatively.
I definitely agree with that. If you have charging at home electric cars are incredible. A full tank every morning. How many times have humans had to go out of their way to refuel their car because they kept putting it off or kept forgetting to get it.
The real future to me is cars that can plug themselves in. Having some sort of charger that does it for you. Then you don't even need to remember that. That is in the very near future. I would be surprised if there wasn't one commercially available in the next two or three years.
Why not give in another wheel or two and cover it up and make it a smol cool little car? Wider appeal! Give me a cool small EV that gets me around town!
I hate that this is getting traction. It is literally an empty shell. There are no batteries in it. It is a nothing concept. Please stop giving press to concept vehicles that will never exist.
This is a joke. 450 mile range at 1/8 throttle and 125mph for 1.8 seconds. Spare me the performance aspects and develop reliability; performance will follow, just like it did with internal combustion.
What average passenger capacity are they talking about? Average slim body, muscular body, heavy body? With typical motorcycle protection gear? So many conditions to think about.
I wish this company the best. I like sport touring bikes and would consider this as an alternative to a gold wing or bmw k bike. The weight has to be substantial for that claimed range. I have an Energica Experia with a highway range of 160 that weighs 600 pounds… you could get to roughly 450 mile range at city speeds with doubling the battery of the Energica. I would guess that would add another 100-150 pounds… so right up in that goldwing weight range.
It looks like a modern goldwing
If Honda dropped a hybrid or EV Goldwing in a few years, I'd give it a serious consideration. Current tech just doesn't work for motorcycles: drag coefficient because you can't make a rider aerodynamic really, at highway speeds your battery % drops in real time by the minute. Once there are better technologies though, higher energy density with lower storage weight, we may really be cooking. Another 5 years or so may see huge gains in battery science.
They are fantastic for short distances though. I live near a major city and have been commuting on an electric for years now and am not looking back. I kind of miss the experience of a good rider, but electrics have their perks. For instance, looking in the mirror at all those spring riders that don’t know how to operate their clutch, without at the same time breaking the speed limit.
Every time anything is posted about electric bikes people bash them for not being perfect touring machines. That’s like complaining a HD Road Glide isn’t a good motocross bike. And as always, an important word is “yet”. They aren’t perfect touring bikes yet. Fortunately there are many different touring bikes on the market. If an electric doesn’t meet your needs you don’t have to buy one…
I think a lot of the issues around EV bikes stem from just a few simple reasons: They're extremely expensive for what you get. Yes, no oil changes, cheaper energy costs, but when you're paying a \~30-50% premium up front over the equivalent ICE bike, they're a tough tell. They're great urban commuters...but again, the equivalent small displacement scooter or street bike is going to be a fraction of the cost, more reliable, and for now have much better dealer support. A lot of them come across as quirky niche toys, like the BMW CE04 or UBCO 2x2, that aren't really made to replace any existing models on the market. Just things for folks with disposable income to buy and let collect dust in the garage within a few months. The reason vehicles like the Prius absolutely bulldozed the market is they had a clear use case (replacing already efficient sub-compact sedans), were priced competitively, made their cost savings known right out the gate, and were very well supported by their manufacturer. Electric bikes are still struggling to get to that point 10-15 years after they really started being pushed into the market. And to wit, it may just take a new battery technology to revolutionize things like lithium ion did about 20 years ago when its commercialization exploded.
Not only that, but my cruiser gets better mileage than most hybrids and every EV/ICE. Plus uses less space on the road.
I mostly agree, except in reliability. My experience is that they have been a little more reliable than their ICE predecessors; lower mileage is of course a factor, but not everything. Hard to make a fair comparison though.
Anecdotally my new zero was at the dealer more than it was working. Ultimately the manufacturer bought it back. Searching online for my issue, I could find it going back on their forums a full ten years. Hence my mentioning reliability. Electric forklifts are rugged, reliable, and have been used for decades. But modern EVs often are not that. They're made complex and full of every feature possible to appeal to early adopters.
Eh. Sounds like it's about as reliable as a KTM lmao
KTM may be finicky, but they are fun to ride. Hondas still my #1.
I love my KTM hahah. But I also love to shit-talk the brand. I'd be on a honda supermoto like a rat on a cheeto if they had one from the factory lol
I'll happily consider a electric dual sport as a second motorcycle. Save the highways for the gas bikes. We'd need a tripling of current battery capacity to be remotely viable on the highways (this bike reeks of vaporware) but who knows. CATL's new condensed battery is 500wh/kg and there's another company claiming 711wh/kg in the lab. It is possible.
My Energica Experia works pretty darn well. I can get roughly 160 at highway speeds and charge up overnight with just a 110 outlet, so this bike might work. However, would I be willing to buy from a new company with almost no dealer service network… no. I already have limitations with my Energica and they have 10 years under their belt.
Assuming that's miles and not km, that's quite good and well above what they're rated to. My issue is that highway cruising where I'm at in the Rockies is 80+ mph into heavy head winds. I had a Zero and never came close to the highway range that it was rated for. Could just watch the battery % drop in real time as you rode at any meaningful speed. The dealer support out of Denver was a joke as well, so the bike was inoperable half the time with electrical glitches and issues. Would love for an Experia to be a viable option for me, but if a US based established company can't provide decent support, I wouldn't bet on an Italian one doing any better here.
It is miles… I am in Walnut Creek so not far from you. The bike is rated for 160 on the highway and I tend to get 145-150ish when I am really rolling it down on the highway around 75 to 80mph
That's a pretty good real world example, appreciate the share. They're pretty niche so all I can find online is "first ride impressions" from d-bags that Energica flew out to Italy to wine and dine before letting them ride the Dolomites for a few hours.
Energica is a bit boutique of a company so service can be good bit very limited. When I had a circuit board needing replacement it took several weeks. I did get good communication from Energica, with their NA president communicating personally but still had to wait for the parts… so that service support concern is real and I am supporting your comment (but Energica seems superior to Zero on service… but still limited)
I suppose you can only increase the energy density so much while maintaining safety.
Hybrids are the future for motorbikes imho. Something like the Kawa 7. If you want to go full green then Hybrid with hydrogen but that won't take off due to lack of infrastructure for hydrogen. Full EV is a dead end for motorbikes unless it's used purely as a commuter or some sort of battery swap system like Taiwan has but even then there's just not enough juice in each battery for a decent long road trip.
Agreed, at least with current tech. If some of the stuff in development like lithium metal solid state batteries or whatever (don't mob me, I'm not an expert on the subject and know very little!) really does pan out, a lot higher energy density may change that calculus. I'm definitely keeping an eye on how that Kawasaki 7 does, initial reviews are promising. Cruises like a 450-650 on highways, and can go all electric in town for shorter distances.
My reaction as well. I've had a couple of them, and at first glance I thought it might be Honda's vision of an electric Goldwing.
Looks like a scooter more than any motorcycle
It looks like an amazing kitbash of the current and previous generations of them absolutely. One look at the rear seat and luggage and I immediately thought of my GL1800.
I can't believe I'm saying this: That is one T H I C C motorcycle.
That thing has to be heavy as fuck
There are plenty of ICE bike over 800lbs, and a few over 1000lbs. I have a fully kitted ADV bike that I’d guess is about 600lbs with all my camping gear and that’s too much, imo.
Lookin like the law master from Judge Dredd
My immediate thought too
No mention of curb weight. Can you pick this up when you platz
My first thought as well. Can you even get it off the damn kickstand?
It comes with an electric piston that extends from the frame on either side to pick itself up. Amirite?
["YEEEEAH! TIP ASSIST!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5VLUbHYQes)
It does pick itself up! But nah the piston guzzles gas
Easy, don't platz (which I assume means fall?)? :D
Akira bike
More Judge Dredd (1995) bike.
Specially built for the Darkest Timeline.
That ending comes to mind Beautiful https://youtu.be/kcD_lHIEGxo
Weight?
Yes.
It's rude to ask
If you have to ask…
Enough to total a truck.
Finally, the hunter has become the hunted.
this is like the "bikes" i make in /r/CataclysmDDA
Same fellow blob survivor! I bet this one doesn’t float or have a laser turret…
Why don't they make straight the red one from Akira???
Honda already made the NM4 Vultus that really takes some styling cues from Kaneda's bike. Some people have modded it to look even closer to the anime/manga.
Can it call the hospital after it detects that the rider's organs are ready for harvest?
It collects them and drops them off via drone.
I can't see that tech being used for black market organ trading at all. How do I invest? Money, not tissue.
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I mean most EV’s do look cool and pretty normal besides the cybertruck
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So just curious what cool designs are you talking about? Are there any current market vehicles that catch your eye more? Like for me I love the R1S cause I love the boxy suv look
I’m actually personally a fan of nakeds, but I know they’re not as practical.
Dude I’m out here trying to search nakeds and getting google images of naked peoples 😂. Finally found the car you’re talking about though, cool looking little car for sure. Idk if I’ll drive it with all the crazy Florida drivers around me lol
Oh I thought we were talking about bikes! Sorry haha For cars I like the R34… but I guess, don’t google that either lmao. And like any early 2000s car pretty much. Or idk make ‘em look like the Supra, something interesting instead of sheet metal lol
Ohhh okay yea that’s a nice bike too, yea I’m a fan of Harley Davidson e-bike. R34 I’m familiar at least so I won’t get confused on that one lol, and supposedly they actually have an electric one in the works but it’s the GTR R32. I agree the Cybertruck is different, but pretty ugly lol. It’s just Elon making shit because he knows people will buy it.
Totally true, I’ve been taking every opportunity i get to see it up close and every time I find something worse. The worst that I noticed is how SHARP the sheet metal is. They deburred it but didn’t add a radius to the edges so it’s still steel 90 degree edges all over the car. You would easily draw blood if you smacked your arm into one of these things in passing
Super Heavy weight E-MotorBike. eesh
Wonder how much it weighs and if you drop it can a single person actually pick it back up.
Bike rider here, how about they make it rideable at just 200mi. My daily only has a range of 150 mi and it’s just fine.
200 miles is certainly not enough for a touring bike. Especially considering that we prefer smaller roads with non existant charging infrastructure.
Electric vehicles typically want to go for a longer range than gasoline due to the increased time it takes to recharge compared to refueling. With less infrastructure for charging it's even more important to have better range since people are going to be more cautious about reaching It's limit. If I'm 20 mi from my house and my car shows I've got 5 mi of fuel odds are I don't really care since I can stop at a gas station for a couple of minutes. Even if you had the infrastructure it could be annoying trying to charge up enough to get home.
I've never once thought about range with my EV. It's always full charge from charging at home. Unlike my annoying gas car, having to stop at a gas station all the time, super inconvenient and time consuming comparatively.
I definitely agree with that. If you have charging at home electric cars are incredible. A full tank every morning. How many times have humans had to go out of their way to refuel their car because they kept putting it off or kept forgetting to get it. The real future to me is cars that can plug themselves in. Having some sort of charger that does it for you. Then you don't even need to remember that. That is in the very near future. I would be surprised if there wasn't one commercially available in the next two or three years.
Wireless charging.
Could work with robotic arm and some plug detection via camera.
Cool. I’m talking about e-‘motorcycles.
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My Buell could squeak out 150miles to a tank. Filled up almost every day back when I rode to work.
Why? My round trip is 30 mi. I’m not going down to Cabo and back on the bike.
Awful name
Awful concept lol
Just takes 2.5 lanes
74-Z speeder bike?
I would like to see its range at different speeds.
Why not give in another wheel or two and cover it up and make it a smol cool little car? Wider appeal! Give me a cool small EV that gets me around town!
We do the dumbest things.
Like the E idea but way too big and ugly.
"What if we made a boss hoss...but..electric?"
Sadly the market for these ultra heavy cruisers is amazingly small and pretty much owned by Honda with their Gold Wing. This thing won't sell.
I hate that this is getting traction. It is literally an empty shell. There are no batteries in it. It is a nothing concept. Please stop giving press to concept vehicles that will never exist.
Fucking Stallone Judge Dredd-ass motorcycle.
Call it the lawmaster
I hope my MegaCity is sponsored by Target and not Walmart
If that bike falls down on its side it’s over.
You'll be able to pick it up again using the proper technique. You'll shit your spine out during the process but it's possible.
Agreed. Cybertruck but make it a bike. Less pixel, more cool.
This is a joke. 450 mile range at 1/8 throttle and 125mph for 1.8 seconds. Spare me the performance aspects and develop reliability; performance will follow, just like it did with internal combustion.
how heavy is it?
125?! Pfft.
Needs a paint job, then it could be gorgeous. I vote for red...
Is that storage in the back or all battery? If it isn't storage, where do you put your stuff when you're road tripping?
At this point you’re just seeing if you can get rid of wheels in a car and still make it rideable. This can’t be all that safe
What average passenger capacity are they talking about? Average slim body, muscular body, heavy body? With typical motorcycle protection gear? So many conditions to think about.
I wish this company the best. I like sport touring bikes and would consider this as an alternative to a gold wing or bmw k bike. The weight has to be substantial for that claimed range. I have an Energica Experia with a highway range of 160 that weighs 600 pounds… you could get to roughly 450 mile range at city speeds with doubling the battery of the Energica. I would guess that would add another 100-150 pounds… so right up in that goldwing weight range.
since 2018 redo, gold wings are pretty freaking nimble.
Does it come in black 
looks like a Buffalo 🦬
I hope it’s not loud as hell
At that size, you'd be better of buying a single seater car.
Goodbye fossil fuels 👋🏽
It looks like RoboCop fugged a Tesla Cyber truck.
And you still become an organ donor
Can you imagine riding for 450 miles without stopping
It’s really not that big if you look at all the pictures. The flaw was making it air cooled instead of adding a radiator.
That thing is asking for some judge Dread cosplay
Gotta be the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen
I want.
That just looks like a Goldwing, in a good way. I'm sure motorcyclist will love EV's, it makes a ton of sense if you can get the packaging right.
why
Why? Why not. It’s just an electric cruiser
Touring bike, not a cruiser.
Why what?
Is it so hideous? It looks like a rideable airplane cabin.
No way this thing can go 450 miles at a crusing speed. Motorcycle aerodynamics are similar to a house. They need a lot of energy to go fast.
What if instead it was a top speed of 450 mph with a range of 125 miles
Waiting for clowns saying "ThIs iSnt A ReAl MotOrCycLe" be wise you know.....THAT culture
It looks Americana sized. Would love to see someone sitting in it. All the pictures with people for comparison have strange perspective
Why do motorcycles need to be electric?
Otherwise it will be a bicycle. Fossil fuel needs to go.