Electric Motorcycles Were Made For The Daily Commute

Electric motorcycles haven’t yet reached the mainstream, with charge times, maintenance concerns, and range still obstacles for many riders. But even with these shortcomings, there’s a definite place for ebikes, even considering the need for further development. That place is on a commute. With a full charge, all of the bikes below will make the trip to the office with juice to spare (unless you’re an extreme commuter with triple-digit, one-way distances to cover), without costing you money for gas or a claustrophobic mental breakdown. The average American spends nearly half an hour, one-way, during their commute every day. That time would be a lot more enjoyable on a motorcycle. And with urban areas becoming more and more flush with charge stations, ensuring you’ll have the power to get home is easier than ever. You’ll contribute to the reduction of emissions, be able to weave more easily through congested traffic, and be the cool dude or dudette who walks into the office carrying a motorcycle helmet every day. What’s not to love?

Zero is one of the major players in the electric motorcycle space at the moment, and many of its models would suit a commute just fine. The newest SR/F, however, proved to be a perfect mount during a recent test in Southern California. The premium model with 6kW charger gets a nearly full charge from a Level 2 station in four hours from full depletion, and it held plenty of power after our 13-mile jaunt from home to office. You can select different ride modes to conserve battery life if you have a longer distance to cover, can plug in to a standard 110-volt power if needed to recharge, and have the torque of a machine twice its size at your fingertips.

If you want to get a thrill before you’re stuck at a desk all day, the Energica Eva EsseEsse9+ promises to get your heart rate up higher than three shots of espresso. It offers up to 148 pound-feet of torque and 109 continuous horsepower, four riding modes will have you dialed for different conditions, and in DC Fast Charge Mode you can expect an 80 percent charge in as little as 40 minutes. It also has some up-spec kit like Marzocchi fork, Bitubo rear shock, Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tires, and Brembo brakes. The upright ergos and easy ability to slap on some saddlebags make the EsseEsse9+ a potentially comfortable and convenient option.

It’s completely different than our first two entries, and will be completely different than our final two, but the Cake Kalk& is worth consideration if you have to navigate congested surface streets in highly populated urban areas. It weighs about 175 pounds with the battery, so will be absolutely featherlight in action, pumps out a top speed of 56 mph and is capable of getting you 53 miles in city traffic. What’s particularly nice about the Kalk& as a commuter is its innocuous stance, so finding a place to park it won’t be an issue, and its two-and-a-half hour charge time from a standard outlet. Storage options are limited, it’s true, but if you don’t mind carrying your daily goods on your back, the Kalk& will get you there and back again with a serious smile on your face.

In case you hadn’t heard, Harley-Davidson is now in the ebike game with its LiveWire. And it’s a commendable machine, with 105 hp and 86 pound-feet of torque, smooth handling, and remarkable agility. In the city, the LiveWire will get you up to 146 miles on a charge and with the onboard DC Fast Charger will get back to 80 percent in 40 minutes. It can connect to a Level 2 charger and will juice up more slowly, but if you’re able to leave it parked charging for the better part of your day, there will be plenty of power to get you home. We were thoroughly impressed with H-D’s first foray into the electric scene, especially with its potential as a thrilling commuter.

If you want your coworkers to know you rode in on an electric bike, the Fuell Fllow is for you. The Fllow has a range of up to 150 miles, comes with 50 liters of storage space built in, weighs 400 pounds, and offers a Supercharger/CCS system that will bring the bike back to life in less than 30 minutes. It has a range of safety features too, in case you’re feeling a little nervous being so exposed in rush-hour traffic. These include blind-spot detection, anti-collision, ABS, a rear-facing camera, and traction control. The Erik Buell-formed company is still taking preorders, so it’ll be a bit before we can confirm its commuting chops, but on paper this looks like a heck of a deal.