People arent going to pay a premium for less utility. Less range, less resale, more insurance cost , recharging or lack of recharging infrastructure. List goes on.
I grow up in the 80s and 90s and I'm a bit of a tinkerer. I'm not a mechanic, but I like to have the option, if something goes wrong, I might have the ability to fix it and don't need specialist equipment. This is something I don't like on EVs and even some modern cars. My motorbike is from 2004, my cars are from 2002 and 2010 - and I was contemplating to get a newer car - when i found out that you need a diagnostic/service tool just after battery replacement I decided to keep my 2010 car for much longer. This is how easy you can put me off from a fast car, the one I looked at was a Golf R. I personally probably will not ever own a car newer then 2018. EU government surveillance what is already built in, makes me not wanting one. if it comes to motorbike, I might get a 2nd one, something I can take offroad - basically mimic what I have in cars - one sports car and a 4WD SUV, need the same in bikes, the ADV can be slower but can take me off the roads into the woods.
But you're also paying more for new, interesting technology, a silent ride, a unique power curve, the convenience to charge at home. It's not going to be the same as a gas powered bike, and that's part of the appeal. The increased cost is definitely tough to swallow, but people are willing to pay 40k+ for Harleys, and 60k+ for limited edition motorcycles, even if that's not necessarily the best value, or the most practical
I agree with the comments above. Once battery tech catches up and prices come down things may be different. I bought and drive one of my "dream cars" (from my youth): 2005 Honda S2000. Love the car, love the reliability, love the low tech and ease of maintenance, etc. Thought of selling her a few times over the years but the cost of new car ownership, inability to do much maintanence on my own, super intrusive tech packaged as "safety features", and now the addition of more spyware means I'll be holding onto my little beauty. I would love an Energica for commuting my 20 mixed/curvy city and rural miles to work and have been casualy watching the company and tech waiting for reasonable battery range and prices but alas, here we are.
I almost bought a zero electric motorcycle this year. I decided to buy a gsxr instead and heres why. The fast charging package didnt come with the bike and was sold separately for alot of money. The ev chargers in my nearest town to use that fast charger were vandalized and unusable. I only learned about zero hiding unlockable features behind a paywall after i was interested in buying one and that was the nail in the coffin for me. Bought a used gsxr 750 instead and haven't looked back.
@@shastamite2 Doesn't matter; they've shown their true colors, and are on the permanent boycott list.
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To no one's surprise I might add. Electric motorcycles are by far the one of the most "niche made for rich people" products you can find. They are simply not made for the masses.
Niche yes, rich people no. I got a electric moto and it is by far the best and lowest cost commuter moto I ever had including scooters. My ZeroSR has saved med boogoo dollars compared to commuting with an ICE.
@@nokintendo9132 It's better to keep everything in Italy for the first part. Otherwise we would get a Moto Morini situation where all the premium bikes are built in Italy and the 650s being built in China
Addressing the electric naysayers: Competition is always better than absence of competition. And yes, competition in the electric bike space *does* affect the primarily gas-bike manufacturers. It puts pressure on them to innovate, to lower prices, etc. Plus, More Bikes On The Road > Less Bikes On The Road, always. Doesn't matter what kind.
Also, studies have come out saying, even with making and disposal of batteries in mind, battery vehicles are still better for the environment and cleanliness of the air. So wether they like it or not, it's gonna be a big part of the future. Also, everyone bashing innovations like this better only be riding horses, because more and more innovation is inevitable.
@@lexievv I agree with the first part of your statement, but conflating horses with the first cars is silly. The ICE car was an objective improvement over the horse. ICE vehicles vs Electric vehicles however is more of a sidegrade and runs into diminishing returns really fast on things that are "better."
Nobody cared about automatic bikes until all bikes made by EV companies turn out automatic. Whether that put pressure on Honda to make e-Clutch and Yamahas automatic MT-09 is allowing people with disabilities to ride again.
@@thespectator5259 I meant it more as in how people seem to be so against the evolution of the car to electric. It's expected that someday ice as we know it now would be replaced. EV's as they are now are still quite new. Given time they'll probably be better, safer, more efficient and have longer ranges and lifetimes than ICE.
@@lexievv Yeah yeah, the same studies that showed that cows are bad for the environment... Every study can be rigged to show whatever you want the end result to be. Unless you have read all the parameters that went into the study and exactly how it was conducted, that "study shows" is as good as used toilet paper.
The pre owned market is also not great for electric vehicles. If something happens to the batteries, the cost of replacing that is as good purchasing a new vehicle.
Maybe manufacturers teaming up to develop standardised modular batteries that can be replaced by the customer would help. Like AA batteries. Lots of different brands and qualities of them, but they fit millions of products. And those products sell.
Apparently, enough people have figured out that an electric vehicle charged using fossil fuel generated electricity isn't the "green" solution they first thought it was.
The appeal of electric bikes is the electric motors, acceleration, torque and smoothness. My Zx-14R is a blast, but ripping around the trails in silence on my V14 is a wild trip too.
depends on your area but for the most part yes. In WA we use a good amount of hydro power (65%). We use a good bit of natural gas plants but they're closing our last coat plant next year.
@@Vynzent SO, when a Suron costs more to buy than an entry level motorcycle, what exactly is the allure? Not having to pay for insurance, road tax, and registration all sound great. That is only temporary. Most states are leaning towards these requirements or banning them on the roads. Instant power and torque mean NOTHING unless you are doing wheelies. The problem as I see it is these companies marketing a loophole that won't last long.
I am a former Prius owner. I also have a 2008 Tuono 1000R. %100 electric vehicles have a place but that place seems to be "big city" or "part time". Charging stations infrastructure is not available in fun riding places. Hybrid vehicles have a place, much better extended range but the compromise is also a performance compromise. The only hybrid motorcycle I know of from Kawasaki is heavy and slow. Did you review it? The biggest thing with %100 electric vehicles is... is it really green? As far as I can tell, no. Batteries are not green. Power production is not green. Compounded generation + transmission + utilization efficiency is no better than hydrocarbon based ICE. That said, I'd love a pedal-able 1500-2000 watt "bicycle". I have a couple I see "around town". The higher watt bikes seem safer in traffic.
Electric motorcycle manufacturers are trying to compete in a dying market by expecting people with less and less disposable income to pay top dollar for a short range city commuter you can't go anywhere on that does absolutely nothing better than a twenty-five year old ICE motorcycle you could get for a tenth of the price(or a brand new one for half the price)? It's a complete shock that these guys are going out of business.
@@matthieulabasNot a single one of those things is going 300km if you open the throttle at all. They realistically have a range of 100km or less. Regardless, you can't take them anywhere without spending more time waiting for it to charge than you do riding it. "bUt MaH fAStCharGEr" Yeah, you have fun tracking down a fast charger anywhere that has any good roads. And if you do, you still have to wait an hour for the car that is already using it to finish. And one more "regardless"....You aren't taking those things on a thousand mile trip in less time than you could on the bus.
As a former owner of an Energica ego, can’t say I’m totally surprised. At the time I had a deposit with AF1 Racing for the Norton V4 (which never went anywhere, as Norton’s CEO was apparently embezzling and damn near killed the company) At any rate, I was still interested in a “premium” motorcycle .i made a pretty impulsive purchase, and went home with an Energica. The instant torque that everyone raves about with electric vehicles was good until about 65 or so miles per hour. The electric motor can only spin so fast, before it starts losing torque. Pulling from highway speeds, most liter bikes will gap it pretty badly. This is why the Porsche Taycan’s have a two speed transmission. Another issue was the seat height, I’m 5 foot 11 (probably closer to 6 foot with boots on) and I was quite literally on my tippy toes when stopped.. No big deal though right? Just lean it a little to one side and have 1 foot flat on the ground. Well, It was also weirdly top-heavy, On more than a few occasions, I really had to struggle get it back centered as not to tip over. Ever have one of those big heavy cruisers start tipping over on you? Yeah, it was like that. Finally, and really the biggest issue for me was the range anxiety. They quoted a 150 mile range. Maybe going downhill with a stiff breeze behind them. I’m in my 50s, and don’t push my bikes that hard, and I was able to get around 70 miles at best. Honestly, not that much fun, when 30 miles in, you have to start thinking about a destination with a charging station or heading home. Definitely limits where you’re comfortable riding. All that said, I’m not against electric motorcycles. It’s just that in their current form, I don’t think they’re good for much more than a commuter vehicle. And I don’t know many people who are going to spend $28,000 for a commuter motorcycle.
I'm guessing that you had one of the earlier models. I had a 2017 Ego and that was definitely really top heavy, but the 2022 Ribelle that I have feels significantly lighter, even at a standstill. I'd only get 75 miles on the highway with the 13.4kwh battery of the Ego, but I can get around 130 miles on the highway with the 21.5kwh battery in the Ribelle. They made a lot of major improvements over the years
The problem with electric bike companies folding is that there will never be the leap in battery and motor tech without them trying to push the boundaries.
Ya, i think you nailed it with price being the issue. As it sits, eB's cost ~$10k more than an ICE moto. That doubles the price of an entry level bike, for something with very limited range. If the price was similar people would buy them, even with the short range. Look at the grom community; those bikes are terrible on paper, but people like them. If you build it they will come.
The electric bikes have a very good specific use case for them- Disasters. Not kidding. If you have a solar panel you can charge them. So even if every gas station with 75 miles is closed you have transportation. I have looked at them for this very reason. A few years back the gas pipeline broke(or whatever) from I think Mississippi to NC . NC was just a few days from no gasoline or diesel at all anywhere. In that situation. The electric bike can rule. Good for a back up bike. But I don't see them EVER replacing ICE bikes.
The days of the internal combustion engine are limited. No matter how it works out, it ends up with us driving electric vehicles. There is a real niche for e-bikes in the part of the market where bikes smaller than 250 cc used to dominate. We're already starting to see that in places like India, China, and Brazil. E-bicycles are already popular in North America with some of them costing as much as a small car. (ouch!) But big electric motorcycles that attempt to challenge the performance leaders in the super-bike class in North America are just never going to be economically feasible. It's most likely that large motorcycles in general are going to vanish from the market place over a ten to twenty year time span, as they become unable to meet emissions and safety regulations.
Big sad, came close to buying a used esse esse9, but I do disagree on the whole ultra small Electric bike thing. What we really need is a proper middleweight equivalent, since that's what most people are buying - 70-100hp, 8-10k$, and the biggest battery you can fit for that price, cheap out on the tech and other components if you have to, to make it happen.
Other than price, you're describing the Zero SR/DSR. I have a '22 DSR, and it's everything I need in a bike and nothing I don't. 0-60 in under 4 seconds, no cell connection required, charges from the same outlet as a toaster, and has a huge glovebox. It meets 99% of my range needs, any further and I'd rather drive anyway or take my WR250R.
As a practical man with a Zero SR/F, this. A middleweight focused on commuting would sell. I don't need ride modes, fully adjustable suspension, ABS/TCS - every bell and whistle I see is a reminder I could have gotten a cheaper bike. It has some fancy alloy wheels with proper sport rubber, and can sustain 120MPH - does fuck all for me because I have to go 55MPH to get the range I need. A proper EV commuter motorcycle designed with these cost constraints in mind would sell. One example of this would be to have drum brakes: most of my braking is regen, and I only ever use my brakes to stop from 15MPH because that's when regen cuts out. The big advantage discs have is to dissipate the heat for sustained braking performance over time. EV's don't need sustained braking because they rely on regen for the bulk of braking under normal use; friction brakes would be used in emergencies. Drums are cheaper, and because the shoes are enclosed and protected from the elements, they'll last longer too.
@@jerm1027 My biggest problem with Zero is that all their bikes feel like tech-bros tried to reinvent the motorcycle. They just don't make me feel anything, it's even worse than with BMW, also that whole connectivity/microtransaction store bs needs to go away. But then than that (and the price) the Zero S makes a lot of sense
Man thanks so much for this unbiased and heart felt video! I've owned 3 Energicas and I'm truly sad that we don't have any high performance electrics anymore. Zero has plenty of affordable commuters.. there's Super Soco, Super73, Sur-ron, all those cheap city bikes to choose from.. but nothing to satisfy the sportbike community. Energica filled that market. I hope someone buys them and continues to make highend electrics, because you're right that Damon will never do it.
Eh, super expensive to purchase. Heavy. The fear of having a dealer near to work on it, or out of warranty costs…. Then the kicker.. Motorcyclists like to travel and just get lost. It’s really hard to do that in most of the country where you can’t charge electric bikes. Overall, the cons far outweigh the pros
Casual rider here back into riding as of a year ago. I had no interest in electric bikes when I started shopping. You can’t charge that price for a bike that is so limited. I need my bike to do everything because I can’t afford a stable of bikes. A king’s ransom for a bike that is relatively slow and can’t get out on a weekend trip is a complete non-starter.
We need someone to make feet-first motorcycles cool again... by making them go 200mph on the road... then slowly convert to electric because feet-first was always the correct choice for electric.
A bunch of people just lost their jobs 2 months out from Christmas, which is a sad day no matter which side of the electric motorcycle fence you sit on. And from the sound of it they're exactly like us, fellow motorcycle enthusiasts. Here in Australia we've already run the electric motorcycle experiment & the results are in. People want cheap electric bikes. Only one electric motorcycle manufacturer has appeared in our top 10 manufacturers sales figures & they did it while only offering 2 models, a motorcycle & a scooter. Both had a roughly 100 km (60 mile) range & a top speed of roughly 100 km/h (60mph) & a price of under $7000 AUD ($4660 USD) out the door including taxes & registration. The adrenaline junkie, speed freak & power enthusiast market is pretty small, and it gets much smaller when there's no soundtrack to go with the power. Conversely, the convenient commuting for the cheapest price possible market is practically infinite, so it's no wonder that an electric motorcycle manufacturer that only offers that comes out in the top 10.
This is where American idiotic regulations come in, between taxes and fees here stateside that $4k motorcycle would be >6 OTD when you factor in dealer fees (which are universal), taxes, DMV fees, and because they're a cheap, beginner-friendly bike the insurance will be ludicrously high- assuming you can even register it, because a lot of E-bikes that are in that price range are non-plated (illegal for use on roadways). So then you're at the point of "do I buy the cheap E-bike, or do I buy the cheap petrol bike that I don't have to charge, that I don't have to generally deal with beyond the maintenance I know about, and that can get me down the highways?", nevermind that a LOT of commutes here will burn the entire battery on most smaller E-bikes.
@@IAnolastname The brand I'm referring to, Super Soco, only makes road legal bikes, with ABS, all the lights & comes fully registered in the state you buy it in, but your point on price is absolutely valid. Last month I picked up a brand new 2023 Svartpilen 401 for under $7000 AUD ($4660 USD) out the door including taxes & registration from a dealer thanks to Husky's run out sale. At practically the same price point I don't know any motorcycle enthusiast who would choose the Super Soco over the Husqvarna.
Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle spinout Livewire continues to lose money on its own bikes. The company reported on Thursday that it lost $22.7 million in the third quarter and sold just 99 electric motorcycles. Livewire continues to generate more revenue from sales of its electric balance bikes for kids. Those brought in $3.2 million in Q3 versus just $1.2 million from the motorcycles.
@@philipparana9225 We don't have LiveWire here in Australia. They've been missing since HD spun them out as a separate company. We do have the X350 & X500 though, so............
Here is a good faith statement: an electric motorcycle that doesn’t go far enough for a commute to work and back home a single time is never going to sell well.
Electric bikes (and cars) just won't work in America. We have long roads and distances and no charging stations. The charging stations are critical because you can't get to the good roads and it's too far to the next town. We'd have to have about 50x the charging stations and a LOT more power plants to ever be practical. The other thing is the price. Why would you choose a bike that has crap range and cost more than a (for instance) a ZX10? It works in Europe because they have shorter commutes and rides and a LOT more charging infastructure. It'll never work here, we just won't do it. More people that went electric have buyer's remorse than intend to stick with it. America just won't do it.
What it boils down to is, the people who want electric motorcycles will buy one. The people who don't, won't. If EV motorcycle companies go out of business if not enough people are buying them.
World-wide Electric vehicle manufacturers are in decline. They are becoming so unpopular used car dealers are refusing them as a trade in as they dont move off their lot. They all have a simple problem, a power system based on expensive rare earth materials that when it fails to charge it is cheaper to biff the whole vehicle in the bin.
I am extremely sorry for the employees losing their jobs, especially at this time of year. It happened to me once, I know how bad that is. That said, I will never buy an electric vehicle of any sort. I’m a motorcyclist, a bicyclist, and my only 4 wheel vehicle is my 2023 Miata RF Club with manual transmission. For myself, I see absolutely no upside to electric vehicles.
Electric bikes (and cars) need to be smaller and simpler. The best way to get one like that currently is to build one yourself. That's not a recipe for mass-market adoption
I still believe that the best form of powertrain for the immediate future is Hybrids. This works great in cars, trucks, buses, and trains where the added weight of a second power source is often negligible compared to the weight of the vehicle, but this unfortunately isn't the case with most motorcycles. While I could see something like a Honda Goldwing with a hybrid setup using an electric motor combined with a smaller 6 or even 4 cylinder boxer engine being successful, most motorcycles will need to choose between either internal combustion or electric, and for the time being there just isn't proper infrastructure for electric motorcycles to be truly successful as anything other than a toy for someone with another form of primary transportation. I hope the folks at Energica can come back from this someday, as they made awesome bikes, they were just too expensive and a few years ahead of their time.
The problem is one, actually 2, no sorry 3: price, range, weight. To stay competitive in the market you need to address them. Until we don't move to solid state batteries electric motorcycles Will lack behind
A lot of folks think everyone else wants the exact same thing out of a motorcycle that they do. There are so many different reasons to get a motorcycle other than having a ton of range to go explore. That being said, battery technology truly just isn't there for an ADV styled electric motorcycle yet. I think cheaper commuting electric motorcycles (Land Moto/Ryvid) make the most sense right now with the battery technology that is available. Once/if solid state or some other tech comes into play, that is when ICE is going to have some major competition in all categories. The power, torque, and low maintenance will be unmatched...unless you really need to hear that engine roar as many of us enjoy haha. - Shane
Zero is likely to be the next casualty. This technology does not transfer well to two wheels, and frankly, I would never buy an electric scoot due to its inherent range limitations. Going green is a laudable goal, but battery based electric vehicles are incredibly costly and inefficient to run. There are better ways to go green...
Even though I am a bit sad Energica is gone as they did produce interesting motorcycles, it does prove people don't really want electric bikes, and many of these companies can barely give them away. Not to mention the whole thing is being sold on a green lie, most electric vehicles are charged by coal power plants, their lithium batteries are produced using immense amounts of fresh water and the pollution produced by the production of the lithium and other metals going into these batteries is horrific, the waste of energy in fast charging is very high, the batteries have to be replaced every 5 years or less (even more pollution and environmental damage), at around half the price of a new vehicle, then there are the nightmarish fires and poisonous gas produced when the batteries short circuit, not to mention the moment you drive that vehicle of the lot it largely loses all its value as no one wants to buy used EVs. With the current technology, EVs are a dead end.
Battery costs have to drop significantly enough to undercut combustion engines to entice massive adoption. Cheaper/less parts, no gas, low maintenance = GIMMIE
I guess, if you don't care about the environment or the child slave labor in Africa sure. We can afford the cheaper parts and the deaths of innocent children. Just google Lithium mines Then google child labor in lithium and cobalt mines. After looking at just those 2 things you feel it is an acceptable loss for convenience then ok. Go for it. That's not even considering the increased electric costs and the pollution increase from them. Gas is a hundred times cleaner and their is not child abuse involved.
@ibewscott69 this is straight up bullsh!t propaganda lies. EVs are carbon positive after an initial chunk of mileage. Depending on battery and vehicle that's anywhere from 15k to 50k. Yes lithium mining us problematic but I'm guessing you have a phone and tools and toys that all have it.
@GoTeam____ What part do you think is propaganda lies? You can look each point up and see it on video and in pictures. Also, electric doesn't create itself. California, the biggest consumer of ev, is starting to have blackouts. The power plants can't keep up with the demand. So more carbon producing power plants need to be built. And yeah I do have phones and other lithium batteries. But never underestimate the greed of corporations to fill the demand at any cost. This so happens to be human lives. All so we can feel good and have luxury battery items. Hey, I don't think batteries are a bad idea. I just think we can be responsible. Don't allow child labor and I can cede any point you make. I really don't care about the other if the world is polluted or not. I will be dead when it becomes a problem. At the fast pace we are heading toward WW3, humanity will be reduced if not eliminated. So ev it up! I'm good with it. I will just reduce as much as possible my participation in lithium use or the massive batteries required for ev to operate. I hope a cleaner battery can be discovered. I'm an electrician, and your use of them will provide me with job building new power plants. It's through the roof right now. We can't build them fast enough. Nuke being an option that is mostly off the table, carbon is the only option. Gas by car or power plant is going to be used. Good luck! Hope we can decide wisely.
@@GoTeam____ this! EV’s and lithium mining isn’t going anywhere so there’s that reality. I just feel the barrier to EV adoption is simply pricing. Wanna boost the economy? Cheaper vehicles = a lot of expendable income to boost economy. Our biggest debt after mortgages are transporation and maintenance costs.
The daemon electric bike concept looks absolutely stunning to me and if what they claim is real ut will be an absolute animal. But they're cheapest option is still more expensive than top of the line Japanese bikes
I very much want an electric motorcycle, but I need a minimum of 150 miles of real world range for the summer cruising I like to do. I also really want an EV truck, but my main use case is towing and there's just nothing out there with anything like a reasonable range when towing.
@@spitescorner Yeah, honestly, I think EV motorcycles won't be a real contender until the next generation or two of battery formulations go into mass production. Specifically need to finally get away from the ridiculously expensive lithium, manganese and cobalt, but we're not quite there yet. Once the price of materials drops and energy density gets high enough, then we've got something for ICE manufacturers to lose sleep over.
The problem with electric motorcycles is that they are very expensive and offer very little miles range is that simple, is just not their time yet. Also most motorcycle raiders ride for the freedom of it and to put miles on them, I dont want to have range anxiety thinking at some point I will have to interrupt my adventure to charge it for a couple of hours...
I actually got to test ride one of their bikes earlier this year. I was absolutely blown away from the performance and it put the biggest smile on my face when I stabbed the throttle. They're incredible machines but as you noted the price is just too much for most folks which is the problem most electric motorcycles have. I personally think in their current form, electric motorcycles are great for urban environments, but the infrastructure and battery technology as a whole needs to catch up. On another note to your comment on HD... yes I think they are definitely not making affordable bikes on purpose. They want to position themselves as the "luxury" motorcycle brand.
There are two fundamental problems with building a cheaper electric motorbike (single bike garage here, just one Eva Ribelle RS), the first being scale and the second being aerodynamics. The first is a massive problem, Energica made less bikes per year across their entire range than BMW sells GS's per month in the UK alone and EoS affects everything from your ability to get a deal on parts supply to what kind of manufacturing techniques you can use. The second absolutely kills cheaper for anything other than city hacks because a van or pickup has a CD of about .4, a GP bike at full tuck is about .6, above about 30mph the energy required to maintain or increase speed is dominated by aero which means that once you're making a bike for the open road it doesn't matter if you're building a 600 equivalent, a litre equivalent, or an all out hyper machine ... you need the same battery. I am definitely sad to see Energica go, not least because my chargeport locking actuator broke and now I'm gonna have to bodge something! I had been thinking of trading in for a new model but now I think I'll keep it as a forever bike even if that means breaking my one bike garage rule or even -shudder- owning a project bike.
Unfortunately, it’s a combination of a lack of communication infrastructure for electric bikes, unstandardized batteries, and the price and impracticality for most people. I live in west Texas, and even though I live only one hour away from family the high winds in the area all but guarantee I’ll never make it on one battery. Combine that lack of range with the cost of entry, and it makes no sense to buy an electric bike over a much cheaper bike and eat the $8 cost on fuel for a round trip. If infrastructure improves, batteries get standardized, range increases, and prices come down there’s no practical case for anyone that doesn’t live in a major city. And even if that were to happen I fail to see how a gas-powered scooter or small-displacement motorcycle will lose the practical argument. Maybe in maintenance costs?
I'm as big a fan of loud and characterful ICE engines as anyone. But I can't stand these fuckers that whine incessantly about EVs. Our hobby isn't more important than saving the climate.
The EVOKE 6061-GT Cruiser looks promising, heavy but top speed is 140MPH and a range up to 410miles. And their AMPX moto trail bike looks good, and the Urban Classic looks like an affordable option too.
I agree that there needs to be more affordable small electric motorcycles. They just seem more practical. But if they’re going to make more expensive ones then they need to be equipped with fast chargers. The ability to stop and charge up in 10-20 mins then keep it moving would help them make more sense to people with range anxiety and low patience
People WANT electric bikes, if they were worth it people would be buying them and these companies wouldn't be going out of business. If they were viable, if you could make money selling them, God knows the venture capitalists would be falling all over themselves to invest in these manufacturers. The entire industry is dying in the West. Every manufacturer is pulling up stakes and moving to China and India because the only way to make money selling motorcycles is to make the cheapest lowest CC bikes you can manage and then sell them to the only markets that are buying bikes; China, India, and Indonesia. If you expect to sell $25,000 vehicles that you can't take a date to a nice restaurant on if it is drizzling outside then $25,000 better not be an insurmountable amount of money to save for someone under 40 years old.
Unfortunate that they are going under. I do think electric bikes are kinda silly. When a gas powered Honda is getting 50+ mpg, what’s the point? But less bikes are never a good thing.
Bummed to hear they shut down. I look forward to the next bike I buy being an electric bike. Stoked to see our Las Vegas Eurocycle is carrying Livewire now. Riding electric bikes is a blast and I can't wait to own one!
"The only thing Italians can do other than go bankrupt is go racing". The truth hurts... Spite is right - value proposition entry point is where the sales are at. Speaking of not terribly long range and not fast, I could go for an electric scooter for bopping around town. Hop on it for short trips to go to the gym, get groceries, etc. Plug it in like a phone to charge it on a simple 120 volt outlet when done. The scooter would be a two wheeled appliance and good for that utilitarian short hop purpose. It would need a bit of integrated storage capacity but range doesn't have to be great, 25 miles would do. The scooter doesn't need to be freeway capable but I want it to be able to go 55 MPH so it isn't a sitting duck in surface street traffic, and of course the cost would have to be a good value proposition. In contrast to the electric scooter I could see buying, motorcycles are irrational objects of passion, and electric simply doesn't cut it as I can't get passionate about an electric bike. For me bikes are "without limits" if that makes sense. They are too fast, a little too loud and they can go as far as I wanna go. That sense of freedom is what makes bikes a huge part of my life. One of my bikes is a Rottweiler tuned Husky 701 Enduro with a Yosh can. That bike makes little practical sense but when I ride it, I feel like I can go anywhere on it, and of course ride a few fat brappy wheelies along the way. The 701 is so much pure unadulterated fun 😆
I hope those let go can find employment with other companies within the electric motorcycle industry. Im hoping some go to Ryvid. That company has an interesting affordable electric motorcycle with swappable batteries.
Stupid? No. Useless? No. Not ready for mass adoption? Yup. They need a little more work. Bikes and cars are soo close to where they really need to be. Trucks? No way in hell. The current approach is not it.
I think the problem with electric motorcycles, is the over saturation of the market mixed with the low demand of them. I also this is mainly due to the price point as you said. If electric has a future, it needs to start small. I would propose electric scooters as a good launch point. They don’t need to be fast, and they can house decent sized batteries. As an added bonus I would propose big cities like Chicago and NYC to allow lane splitting for electric and small motorcycles/scooters.
The Energica Eva Ribelle costs 30.000€ You're right dude they need to sell a couple of bikes that are pretty quick low priced and Look good so they can win some fans of the company
I'd agree about the entry point price. I am looking at getting my first bike and I started looking at electric because I liked the idea of it but for the cost of their entry point I could get a good beginner bike and the great gear.
It's OK, another group will buy the company off the vulture venture group and hopefully the new owners will be enthusiasts and the company can go back to making awesome motorcycles.
Honestly, best way to get into it is either diy conversion or import a chinese electric (which are basically just diy conversions) Tons of fun to ride and easy to work on...but you do have to be a tinkerer
Tens of thousands of elementary and middle school kids riding ebikes to school are potential future emoto buyers. They're less likely to buy a ice motorcycle.
LOVE LOVE LOVE my HD Livewire. Did a 2-weeks european trip on a SS9 and except the gearbox noise, the bike was really good. This is really sad that Energica is going down. I hope someone will restart it.
It’s a shame yes, but when you have e-bikes sometimes as fast with more range than a e-motorcycle but so much cheaper, they will always struggle to sell e-motorcycle.
For me the issue with electric vehicles is always the range. Could I go further than 250-350 miles with an electric car I would consider one. I mean Ford are basically giving away the Mustang Mach E right now with big discounts, 100k warranties and even now free install of a charger at your home. I just need technology to get me to a range closer to 500 miles.
I think it’s a cost to performance thing. Even if you had a entry-level/affordable electric bike there would be tons of gas bikes on the market that would be the same price but with better performance, granted performance you may not need in day-to-day use but it’s convenient to have it if and when that use pops up.
That's very unfortunate. As a Tesla Model S and a Triumph Thruxton R owner, I can see the advantages of both approaches. Electric bikes will one day be the standard but like electric cars (and lawn mowers), it will take more time and more innovation.
Energica have been blinded by their idea (vision?) of being the Ferrari of electric motorcycles, they didn't listen to what the market wanted. It would have made a lot of sense to make entry level bikes and I saw many EV riders asking for this. By not listening to customers they also failed to convince new investors. At this point I can only see their IP to be purchased by another company.
Sad news for the industry and all the folks that worked their tails off at Energica. On another note though I read a pretty cool article about an electric bike company in India that is making a fairly sporty bike with a low barrier to entry, Ultraviolette. The bike looks promising and seems to be more of an average consumer friendly price.
I think that its time these companies accept that if chemical power transfer is ever to be a viable transportation option they are going to have to dope their batteries with something that they don't want to have in the environment. Otherwise after working with UPSs for sometime I don't think that we are near ready for them.
SPITE if you say “don’t google that” people WILL google that. The only reason I won’t google it is because I already know what it is. And yes, that is a very unfortunate name.
It’s a sad day to lose Energica. I’m riding an SR/F now and was looking at Experia as my next bike. To your point about entry level, I agree in concept, but I think it’s a hard niche to fill. You have e-bikes covering the low end of that range with more urban versatility than a motorcycle that you can’t haul up a flight of stairs, and the top end of the entry market is covered with used higher end models due to fast depreciation of EV bikes. Thus I am riding a Zero 2020 SR/F instead of a 2024 S. Interesting that Energica bikes really held their value. Older models were always out of my range. Not that the used market touched their cash-flow…
I will have to take your word for it. Only experience is with Zero. Had a 2015 S and loaner Fxe. Front end of my S felt weird. Could not investigate to fix traded it.
I want a electric motorcycle as soon as the range is there. I want a quiet evening ride to see wildlife but it has to go 200 miles on a charge at express way speed.
I'd love a video about why you think Harley intentionally doesn't sell an entry-level bike. Does it have something to do with them creating a "club" for wealthy people?
Bummed. The problem is the price period. If Ego was 8,9,10 grand they would have sold every one they could make. Anything over twelve is simply going to be hard sell no matter what it is . I would say at least for the foreseeable future. I just bought a 2001 TLR for 2 and put 3 grand into it . That is what everyone is competing with right now all the bikes they sold over the last twenty years .
Every tool has its place… I have a Zero S that I love taking to work every day. It cost me $13000, so I wish it was half as much. I’m a middle aged professional so I could afford it. I would have purchased a cheap Sur Ron, but I live in the suburbs and the speed limit is around 50mph everywhere I go. Plus, I spend a little time on the freeway and a Sur Ron can’t go on the freeway. If they could find a way to lower the price of the motorcycle I bought, I could see many other people buying one because it makes driving to work fun! I really don’t need to do much for maintenance and I just plug it in every night and it is ready for me the next day. It is the perfect tool for the job, but it is too expensive for most people to use to just get them to work. Now, I kind of want to go on long rides… The perfect tool for that is a Gold Wing. A Gold Wing can’t replace my Zero, just like my Zero can’t do what a Gold Wing does. You need to buy the right tool for the job.
If the E1 had about 7 more HP while keeping the current range. I would buy one as soon as I could get a good down payment together. There is a 2-mile stretch of road that ride on to get to civilization. People drive faster than the posted 50mph speed around 65mph. I would like to hit that speed without using the temporary turbo mode that is only available for 20 seconds or so. With my current lifestyle, I would never ride it more than 20 miles round trip.
Really sad to see them go, Rode a EsseEsse9 RS, and it was some of the most fun I had on a motorcycle. Power delivery was incredible, with a decent range. I get why Motorcycle companies only do enthusiast level bikes, as they are what get people excited about motorcycles, but they need to find a way to bring that excitement down to the smaller price tags as well.
I would like to see an electric bagger, more room for batteries, weight is less of an issue...I ride 120-150 miles per day, more than half of that is 70-75mph, I don't need or want a ton of power, I just want range.
The big companies definitely need to start making affordable entry point electric motorcycles. That one company Super Soco has a nice bike with the TC series but they aren't even sold in the USA. There's a dealer that does sell a couple of their bikes but they're older versions and sold more pricey. Makes more sense to get a cheap gas bike. Maeving has a great bike for like... 8k but at that point definitely get a gas bike.
