Motorcycles have been providing riders with a great and an enjoyable mode of transportation; riding a motorcycle is amazing. Whether you like Harley Davidson style bikes, choppers, or sport bikes there is definitely a motorcycle for you if you are into riding. Motorcycles are known for their fast acceleration rates; some of the higher-end sport bikes make Ferrari’s look like a go-kart. There is a current movement where we are seeing more and more electric powered vehicles on the road, like the Tesla, and that trend is happening with motorcycles as well.
When looking back in history to see where the first electric motorcycles came to light, it’s hard to pin point an exact time, date, and place. Going all the way back to 1895 Ogden Bolton Jr. filed for a “electric powered bicycle” patent, and later that year another patent for an electric bike was filed by Hosea W. Libbey. Both of these men were from America. In 1896 in England, British motorcycle and bicycle company Humber displayed an electric powered bicycle at a bicycle show. These early bikes were extremely dated, obviously, and had poor performance due to the lack of technology and good batteries. Then in 1911 in an issue of Popular Mechanics a 3 speed electric motorcycle was mentioned. This bike had a range of about 75 miles and could reach speeds of about 35 mph.
It wasn’t until 1936 that two brothers in Brussels opened up an electric motorcycle company called Socovel and began producing some electric motorbikes. However WWII caused them to shift focus and create fuel powered bikes, as their electric bikes only saw moderate success. Electric motorcycles did not really improve too much until the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when Indian Motorcycle’s and Auranthic Crop, developed some better performing bikes. However they were still limited to low speeds and low ranges, and were primarily prototypes. Even in the late 1980’s and 1990’s electric motorcycles still had low top speeds and limited ranged.
As lithium ion batters became more advanced in the early 2000’s, electric motorcycles started to get a whole lot better. The Killacycle motorbike is a electric motorcycle that was built specifically with drag racing in mind. In 2007 the Killacycle set the quarter mile record of just 7.824 seconds and reached speeds of 168 miles per hour in just 8 seconds. Since electric powered vehicles have instant power-on-demand and don’t need to change gears they go much faster and accelerate faster than gas powered motorcycles.
Today’s electric motorcycles are becoming more popular. Companies like Brammo and Zero Motorcycles specialize in making electric motorcycles. Harley Davidson has also announced an electric motorcycle that while still in a prototype phase, will eventually be available for the general public. The Spanish motorcycle company Bultaco has announced they will release a mass produced electric bike which will be available in 2015. As electric powered vehicles become more popular, one can expect other motorcycle companies like Ducati, for example, to start producing electric bikes for the general public. The electric motorcycle provides an energy efficient and clean way of transportation, while satisfying the rider with the experience that only a motorcycle can give. As they become more popular, you can expect to see more on the road.
Photo by Neilson Barnard
