The electric motorcycle revolution is here.
The transition to electric motorcycles from fossil fuel two-wheelers is already proving easier than the same process in the car world. While automotive engineers wrestle with improving battery technology to nudge two tons of steel, aluminum and rubber into moving, the bike builders are dealing with 500 lbs. or so and less demand for range. And the results are already stylish, fast and downright breath-catching. If buyers can get beyond the lost engine noise, they’ll find the physics of electric motors combine exciting acceleration and immediate torque to forge a fiercely exhilarating riding experience.
We’ve collected a quartet of the most exciting models coming online now. Get plugged in!
Zero Motorcycles SR/F
Zero was in on the electric motorcycle business early, beating most of its competition to market. The SR/F is its most specialized and powerful piece, with the addition of the Z-Force lithium ion power pack, integrated charger and available power tank. The resulting boost over Zero’s standard S model enables the Zero to achieve the longest range of any electric motorcycle listed here at average speed. Alternatively, if range isn’t a necessity and the rider wants to kick it in the teeth for a thrill, the SR/F will surpass a sustained 110 mph with the ride-by-wire throttle fully open.
Price: $18,995
Torque: 140 ft.-lb.
Curbside Weight: 485 lbs.
Range: 123 miles
Super SOCO TS1200R
Designed to be basic, quick, easily managed transportation in an attractive frame, the Super SOCO is the lightest (172 lbs.) and most affordable electric transport here, while its performance styling and range place it as a solid competitor for its more elaborate rivals. Offering a sport bike’s rider position, the TS1200R’s daintiness makes it very nimble and easy to ride. The rap against the previous versions of this design was its top speed of about 30 mph, limiting it to strictly urban short-distance use. This new Super cousin lifts that limit significantly to 100 mph, increasing its appeal.
Price: $3,378
Torque: 88 ft.-lb.
Weight: 172 lbs.
Range: 100 miles
BMW C Evolution
Head-on or from the sides, the C Evolution’s shape screams “scooter.” Its performance numbers, however, compete; you won’t find too many electric scooters capable of an officially limited 80 mph—and none weighing north of 600 lbs. You can thank its German build quality for that number, as the C Evolution uses 36 lithium-ion battery cells to generate a 0-to-30 mph of 2.8 seconds. If a buyer doesn’t mind the scooter aesthetics, this BMW will perform as well as any electric motorcycle on our ever-evolving roads.
Price: $10,595
Torque: 53 ft.-lb.
Weight: 606 lbs.
Range: 99 miles
Lightning LS-218 Superbike
Not a machine for the casual rider looking for an unassuming buzz bomb to knock around town, this LS-218 looks to the professional ranks for its performance touchstones. If the buyer spends a few thousand extra for this electric superbike’s high-speed gearing and its racing fairing, the LS-218 will do 218 mph. That’s faster than most gasoline-powered halo bikes and easily in excess of what any sane civilian rider should attempt. Still, for those speed-addicted track denizens looking for the quickest electric motorcycle currently available, that’s the niche the LS-218 rushes to fill.
Price: $38,888
Torque: 168 ft.-lb.
Weight: 495 lbs.
Range: 100 miles
Photography by: the brands
