Charged and Behind Bars: Electric Motorbikes

Jeremy Clarkson once described electric vehicles as ‘appliances’ with the personality of a washing machine or refrigerator. He obviously never jumped on a Zero Motorcycle. Together with some avid riders, I experienced the thrill and joy of riding a full-sized electric motorcycle. I stress these are full-sized vehicles, not an electric scooter; you need a full motorcycle license (at least in NSW) to ride them. For the casual observer, these are indistinguishable from a regular petrol-powered bike.

Meet the riders

Julie has been riding for over 15 years, her current ride is a Kawasaki ZX10. She loves the freedom and joy that comes with riding motorcycles.
Star rode a Suzuki DRZ400 to the meet, she has two other bikes (always nice to have options). She has been riding for over 10 years and welcomes the freedom to get out and ability to ‘do your own thing’.

Get on your bike

Today we briefly experienced life on an electric bike in a quest to answer several age-old adages. Would the lack of clutch and gears impact the joy and skill of riding? What are the upsides? And, (having heard about the instant torque available on electric machines) how does this translate to riding?

The noise (or lack of noise) is a key difference, reported Julie. The vibration, and hum and thump of the petrol engine is long associated with riding motorcycles – and removing these key elements will take some getting used to. However, the lack of gears and the associated risk of stalling at the lights is a welcome benefit. Paradoxically, the quiet operation of the bike brings new benefits. City commuting is probably the best place for these machines. The instant torque helps for quick getaways in the traffic light grand prix.

The acceleration of the electric bike surprised Star, with both tested models matching or even surpassing some traditional sports bikes. She also liked the ability to customise the riding experience with the different engine modes available (sport, eco, standard, canyon) to suit different conditions and requirements.

I too was interested in the difference in performance, operation and usability of an electric motorcycle. My regular ride is a Yamaha FJR1300 (so I’m used to massive torque and great acceleration), both bikes I rode were impressive (in many ways) and easy to ride. The Zero SR offered a more relaxed and comfortable feel. Additionally, the SR has a near-perfect regen (engine braking battery regeneration) facility, allowing for easy cruising up to traffic lights with minimal use of brakes. As Star noted, the different engine modes provide different levels of regen to suit the circumstances.

The Zero FXE is akin to a dirt bike style in that it is very nimble with an upright seating position. Perhaps this bike was a little small for me but was perfect for the ladies. Again, this bike offered impressive acceleration with the 33-kW motor.

Is there a joy in riding electric motorcycles?

As we embrace the future, electric mobility is definitely part of the solution and Zero Motorcycles offers a ‘ready to ride’ option that is mature, lowers your carbon footprint and makes the commute less tedious (reducing operational requirements of gear changes).

Do they bring joy to riding? In my experience, absolutely. The comparison of these electric vehicles to household appliances is inaccurate and short-sighted. Sorry, Jeremy.

Bike specs

Bikes as tested

Thanks to Zero Motorcycles (Western Sydney) for providing the loan bikes and our reviewers (Star & Julie) and Troy & Careesa (who helped out) for their contribution