One of our eagle-eyed readers sent us this image, which shows a fully-faired Zero SR/F electric motorcycle out in the wild, near the headquarters of Zero Motorcycles.
The photo is our first piece of concrete proof that a fully-faired model of the electric sport bike is coming, though there have been rumors of the machine since before the official debut of the SR/F itself.
It looks like the Canadians are getting deeper into the electric vehicle space, as Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) has released more than a few electric concepts across its various product ranges.
Debuting the six concepts at the Club BRP 2020 event in Las Vegas, BRP’s offerings caught our eye for two very obvious reasons: the electric scooter and motorcycle concepts.
It looks like the folks at Energica have been busy for the 2020 model year, as we get some spy shots of their updated models, courtesy of our friends at the Italian Moto.it website.
The bikes were caught near Verona, which is about an hour north of Energica’s Modena headquarters, and though the Ego and EsseEsse9 that were spotted seem similar to previous models, there are some subtle differences that we can see.
It would seem that BMW Motorrad is the latest motorcycle marque to explore the idea of forced induction for motorcycles.
This means that the Bavarians will join the ranks of Kawasaki, which has already three supercharged H2 models on the market; as well as Honda and Suzuki, which have been toying with the idea of turbocharged two-wheelers on dealership floors.
Spotted by Ben Purvis at BikeSocial (he’s on a roll lately), the German brand has filed patents locally for an electric supercharger design, with drawings seemingly using the S1000RR as its basis (for whatever that is worth).
Interesting developments on the EV side of the motorcycle industry, as Energica & Dell’Orto have decided to team up on making electric drivetrain systems for small and mid-sized motorcycles.
The move does not mean that Energica is about to burgeon its lineup with smaller electric motorcycles, but instead it means that Energica will follow Dell’Orto’s lead as a product supplier for other OEMs.
While motorcycles sales in the United States continue to slip, sales in Europe continue to grow. I use that line almost every time I write about this subject – largely because it’s the truth.
The fact is that there is a fundamental difference about what is going on in the European markets versus what is going on here in the United States, and it shows in the sale data.
Reporting on the first half of the year so far, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) says that the European motorcycle market is up 9.1%, compared to the first-half of 2018.
Since it debuted in 2013, we have seen more than a few radical builds the included the Honda Grom. There is something about the unassuming street bike that begs for more, and there have been no shortage of willing people to realize those dreams.
We just recently talked about a sidecar kit for the Grom, which in our eyes would make it the perfect pit bike and grocery-getter. We hear that the Honda CBR300R is a direct bolt-in way for ludicrous power, and then we have today’s story…the ultimate electric Grom.
The result of what happens when you drop an Alta Redshift MX powertrain into the pint-sized Grom chassis, what you are witnessing is a 50hp electric tire-shredder that doubles as a motorcycle.
Episode 19 of the Brap Talk podcast is finally out for your two-wheeled audio pleasure, and apologies for its nearly three-week delay. One of the topics we cover, Carlin Dunne’s death at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, hit close to home for us.
Quite frankly, I think I put off editing this show for a while, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the personal emotions that arise when talking about his untimely departure from us.
Coming from the ashes of Confederate Motorcycles, the new Curtiss Motorcycles brand has shown another of its two-wheeled creations, this one also an electric model called “Hades” – after the Greek god of the underworld.
The creator of the Hades is none other than J.T. Nesbitt, who brings with him some of the same lines he made famous at Confederate. As you would expect then, the lines of the Hades are provocative, unconventional, and alluring.
Ever since Harley-Davidson told us that it would be bringing the electric-powered Livewire motorcycle to market, the Bar & Shield brand has been vague on details.
Surprisingly, as production was confirmed for the 2020 Harley-Davidson Livewire, detailed tech specs were still hard to come by, with Milwaukee choosing to talk more in experiential terms, rather than hard figures.
And even the night before the international press was set to ride the Livewire for the first time, Harley-Davidson wouldn’t talk spec sheets with us…until now.
From this we learn some critical numbers about the Harley-Davidson Livewire. 105hp / 86 lbs•ft of torque; 15.5 kWh (13.6 kWh nominal) of battery; 549 lbs of heft at the curb; and much, much more. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the technical details for you.
In what has to be the shortest commute for an international press launch, our hometown of Portland, Oregon is playing host to the first riding of the Harley-Davidson Livewire.
This is our first press launch with the Bar & Shield brand, and it is a big one at that. The Livewire is a mammoth shift for the motorcycle industry, as Harley-Davidson becomes the first major manufacturer to debut a full-sized electric motorcycle for the street.
The Livewire is a big deal for the American brand as well, as Harley-Davidson is pivoting its business model towards new horizons, new markets, new riders, and most importantly for today’s purpose: new drivetrains.
The Harley-Davidson Livewire is a halo product from Milwaukee, but it shows how far the marque is willing to go in order to ensure its future. The question before us now though, is the bike any good?