In the hills above Santa Cruz, the yellow diamond sign with the thick, curved black arrow pointing left says “20 MPH.” I roll off the throttle and the 2016 Zero DSR washes off speed like it’s a big V-twin, but instead of the bark of an engine under compression I hear the whine of the […]

Staying Warm on the Road – Powerlet outlets and connectors are well known in the motorcycle industry. Using their electric liner as a base layer is a practical solution to the varying temperatures we encountered on a recent tour in Northeast Texas. The wireless remote makes it easy to adjust comfort level while the heat […]

200+ MPH Electric Motorcycle – The Pebble Beach Concours D’elegance is one of the world’s most famous and prestigious car (and motorcycle shows). In the days leading up to the event, high end auto and some motorcycle manufacturers flock to the area in an attempt to get their products in front of the discerning eyes […]

Polaris Goes Electric at the Isle of Man – Remember when Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire made waves last year as the Motor Company’s first foray into battery powered motorcycles? Well, not to be out done, Polaris bought out Brammo, a company already established in the EV market. Now we have the first fruit of the union […]

Here in the U.S. motorcycles are largely used for pleasure rather than for utilitarian transportation. Sure, there are a few people out there that swear they’ve never owned, and never will own, a car and who ride their bikes 365 days a year, but generally they do so out of personal preference and not necessity. […]

We’ve reported before about electric two wheelers attracting the attention of various police forces around the world, perhaps most notably the LAPD’s adoption of Zero MMX patrol bikes. BMW is now getting in on the action as they recently announced the delivery of 30 new C evolution electric scooters to the police department of Barcelona, […]

Here in North Carolina temperatures have been hovering in the mid-20s as I depart for my daily commute each morning (in January). That makes the 25-minute trek to the office quite chilly on a motorcycle, to say the least. That’s why I was excited to try out Firstgear’s Heated Jacket Liner hoping that it would […]

The newest addition to Polaris’ ever-expanding collection of brands is the electric motorcycle manufacturer Brammo. Polaris has been invested in Brammo since 2011, but this new deal seems to fully integrate Brammo into Polaris. This will include the design and production of electric motorcycles at Polaris’ Spirit Lake facility in Iowa, which is home to […]

Most motorcyclists have come to realize that electric bikes are destined to be a part of the future of motorcycling. Companies like Zero and Brammo have been selling battery-powered bikes for several years now, and consumers may believe that one of these bikes is their only option if they want to leave gasoline behind. There […]

When I first heard about battery-powered motorcycles several years ago, I was more than a bit skeptical. Automobiles, after all, receive far more R & D dollars than motorcycles, and practical electric cars are (debatably) just now reaching the market. I also figured that the weight penalty of heavy batteries would be even more pronounced […]

Zero has already made a name for itself as one of the major players in the electric motorcycle market, and it certainly doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere. The 2015 Zero lineup shows aggressive improvements to bikes that are already some of the best in their class. The 2015 Zeros now get up-spec Showa suspension […]

It seems like more electric bikes come on the market every week. Some are from major motorcycle companies and others are from start-ups hoping to capitalize on the future market potential of the environmentally friendly rides. But at least with current technology (no pun intended), electric power has two glaring drawbacks when compared with internal […]

The nature of electric vehicles can make them ideally suited for use in law enforcement. Their limited range and long recharging time (as compared to filling up with gas) aren’t as important for patrol vehicles since they’re never asked to travel long distances. Other EV traits like the need for very little maintenance, their extreme […]

With a sound that is decidedly un-potato-potato-like, Harley-Davidson has surprised the motorcycle world and legions of faithful with the first electric motorcycle by a major manufacturer.* Well, it’s not quite a production motorcycle yet, it’s more of a prototype or trial balloon; what Harley-Davidson is trying to do here is gauge whether or not the […]

Like it or not, electric bikes are here to stay. Whether they’ll eventually replace their fossil fuel powered brethren remains to be seen, but for now it seems like a new electron driven two-wheeler hits the market every few months. Watching this new technology as it grows and evolves is certainly exciting and the latest […]