I rode a Zero enduro bike before and it was stellar but the range wasn't...off road in loose terrain and ridden like a dirt bike it got horrible range, he said if there is any wind at all on the hiway he would only get 80 km range..I've noticed that about EV drivers, posting online, I don't know any personally. They seem happy to accept breakdowns as part and parcel of being a sort of beta tester for the vehicles. Like all those ktm and other euro bike owners who think it's normal for their bike to fail from time to time and have to spend a week in the shop. I wonder about this, is it because they are just young and have no experience with the reliability we grew up with? Or is it some sort of psychological defense against those that think the EV is not a viable replacement for the conventional car. A sort of Ego protection mode they go into? Motorcycle sales make up a small but increasing fraction of consumer transport in many nations, especially Asia. But how many are EV?
July 2024 Global Electric Motorcycles Industry Reaches 10 Million Annual Sales
They usually show a picture like this
View attachment 1694574
But the vast majority are actually these.
View attachment 1694575
And they make good sense too, in the cities where the major sales are.
The global electric two-wheeler market, which includes both scooters and motorcycles
China remains the dominant player in the global electric two-wheeler market, accounting for more than 80% of the total sales.
India has emerged as the second-largest market, over 900,000 units sold.
Vietnam ranks third, with 250,000 units sold
But here in the West? *Crickets* They never took off.
ww.motorcyclesdata.com/2024/07/12/electric-motorcycles-market/
Speaking as a motorcycle enthusiast I can see why they never took off. Too inconvenient basically. I want to get on and ride, and if I'm low on Gas I'll throw some in before I go or stop at one of the many servos around on my travels. I couldn't count the times I headed down the highway for a short ride then just got caught up in the fun and ended up 150km away. "We'll stop at the Roadhouse past the Cunningham's Gap and fill up there" True Freedom!
It had a cassette style battery pack and he bought a second one so while one is charging he could plug the other in..
He could have bought an ICE 450 and put a lot of gas through it for what he paid for this Zero though....
I got why he bought it....he was touting to be a staunch supporter of green tech so had to put his money where his mouth was....
Before this change, he drove an old beat up Toyota van and smoked cigarettes like his life depended on it...I called him out when he bashed me for driving a big pick up truck and made him take a look in a mirror....the then quit smoking, bought a Prius and this Zero bike....that to me was determination and I respected that.
It was rated as the equivalent of an ICE 450