What to Consider When Buying an Electric Motorbike
An electric motorcycle is a serious investment, but one that has the potential to reduce your commuting costs to practically zero. But there are some things you should consider before you rush out and buy one, since not all battery-powered motorbikes are built with the same purpose in mind.
All battery-powered motorbikes are fun to drive, and they should all encourage you to develop your technical skills to become a better rider. However, some are geared more towards outright acceleration and performance, while others are better daily drivers with more emphasis on range, comfort, and features.
Let’s examine what you need to look out for when shopping for a motorcycle powered by electricity.
Is It Powerful Enough for You?
Just like combustion motorcycles, electric motorbikes come with a wide variety of performance characteristics and power outputs. These include everything from 50 cc-equivalents with an output of around 1 kW that whiz along at no more than 28 mph, tothe fastest electric motorcycleswhich top out well above 200 mph.
If you’re commuting to college or work in your hometown and won’t be traveling on high-speed roads, then a lower-powered electric motorbike will suit you just fine. However, if your daily ride to work includes an unrestricted section of the German autobahn, you’ll more likely want to ride something electric but with a high top speed.
How Far Do You Plan to Ride?
According to the highway statistics for 2021 published by theUS Department of Transportation, most Americans drive under 40 miles per day, so, in theory, an electric motorbike with a small battery and a limited range should be enough for anyone.
However, even though you may only travel short distances on a regular basis, having a small battery seriously limits your possibilities for travel. it’s possible to’t plan a transcontinental road trip if you need to stop every 50 miles and find a power outlet.
Theelectric motorcycles with the longest rangecan travel upwards of 200 miles on a single charge, which is a much more realistic proposition if you plan to use your motorcycle for road trips or generally for long-distance travel. Even then, you will be at the mercy ofoften spotty EV charging networksin some states.
Does It Have Suitable Security Features?
Motorbikes are extremely attractive to thieves, and electric motorbikes are even more so. This is partially because of their high purchase cost and partially because of the batteries, which are often intentionally easy to remove and can make up half the cost of the motorcycle.
Because of this, it’s essential that your electric motorcycle has at least a basic level of security features. These would include an alarm, immobilizer, andmotion detection sensorthat will alert you when someone is near your bike.
You should also check if these features are powered by the main battery or if they have an independent power source. It can be almost trivially easy to disconnect an electric bike’s battery to disable security features, then wheel the bike away.
Even if you’re satisfied that the security devices that you’re using are top-notch, you should still invest in a large, heavy chain and a ground anchor. This may be an old-fashioned solution, but it can still work very well.
What Type of Charger Does It Use?
There’s a lack of standardization with chargers for electric motorcycles. Just like there areseveral charging standards for electric vehicles that differ by region, motorcycles that run on electricity also come with several socket types and proprietary charging units for each manufacturer.
This won’t be a problem if you exclusively charge from your house’s main electricity supply with a standard plug, or if you take your charging unit everywhere with you. However, if you plan on charging your electric motorbike using public charging stations, or you’re planning a long road trip, make sure the charging stations along the way carry the correct connector for your bike.
Does It Have a Removable Battery?
Removable batteries are a feature of electric motorbikes and mean that rather than running a cable out of your house to charge them, you can just remove the battery, take it into your home, and plug it in.
This may sound convenient, but it’s not necessarily easy because removable electric motorcycle batteries are both heavy and bulky, so they are difficult to move around. Even so, having a removable battery is a great feature to have, and it can also work in your favor when you have to take the battery pack to be serviced, which you can do without having to move the entire bike.
Another thing to consider about removable batteries is security. While taking your battery out overnight means that thieves won’t be able to steal it, your other security devices will be disabled unless the bike has an additional non-removable battery specifically designed to power them.
Choose Your Electric Motorcycle Carefully
Electric vehicles are here to stay, and an electric motorbike is the best option for you if you prefer two wheels. While most bikes will be good enough for most people, it’s important to prioritize what matters most to you. You may find that having a removable battery is more essential to you than outright performance or range, so verify you buy with your head.
If you don’t get along with your electric motorcycle and want to sell it, there are a range of factors that affect the resale value of any EV that you may want to take note of.
Electric vehicles are a lot like regular cars in many ways, yet they are also different and these differences may affect their value come resale time.
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