Opinion - Why electric motorcycles are failing.

[Richard230]

I had a odd experience yesterday at the local Ace Hardware store. I was about to get on my 2018 Zero S to go home when a fellow came up to me and told me that he really liked my bike. I replied that I was happy with it too and it made my trips here and there very easy since I could just jump on it and take off without needing to warm it up, plus it had enough range and top speed to be useful on the freeway. That was when it dawned on him that my Zero was electric. He had thought it was an ICE bike and just liked the styling. 

[EV promise]

Here in the UK the EV market and the infrastructure is improving all the time for car owners. Any car with 40kWh and above battery can travel where they want with no range or charging worries I would say. Charging my Brammo requires a 6 or 3kW level 2  post when away from home and these tend to be taken by Leaf's, Zoe's and Model 3's so I have to choose my locations. Also, can you imagine 4 Harley Livewire or Energica riders pulling up at a rapid charger and each waiting 20mins to charge around a single charger? Not going to happen!!  Along way to go yet.
Super Soco bikes are popular and my local council now provide these instead of ICE scooters for some trainee's. No Zero's or Energica's in my local area. Hundreds of cars though. The Evoke Urban bikes look great but, for now there only seems to be a  website, none for sale, no dealers but great price. $8500. Only 9kWh battery, so very similar to Brammo Empulse.

[Richard230]

A couple of years after I bought my 2012 Zero S, Alice's Restaurant would allow me to hook up my L1 cord to their 120V outlet behind their gas station. Then a few years later a group of Zero owners showed up during a ride with accessory L2 chargers and they all gang-hooked up to the gas station's 240 V outlet located at the side of the station. When they did that, it blew out the restaurant's old electrical system, shutting down the gas station and costing the restaurant a lot of money to repair their electrical facilities. The restaurant owners were not amused. That put an end to electric vehicle charging at the restaurant, including my L1 charging, when they put signs on all of the electric outlets saying no electric vehicle charging allowed. That is one way to choke the golden goose. I might add that this popular motorcycle hangout still has no public charging facilities within the two public parking lots located at either side of the state highway junction. Only a lonely H2 stations that remains unopened, unused and unloved.