10 Of The Best Electric Motorbikes For Commuting, Racing Or Adventure

More and more around the world, the electric motorbike is growing in popularity. With battery technology improving every year, as well as the price of fuel and the environmental impacts of typical motorcycles becoming increasingly important factors, it makes a lot of sense why electric motorbikes are flying out of dealerships in 2022.

In fact, while the electric motorcycle or electric scooter has been popular in parts of Asia and Europe for years already, Australia is now experiencing a surge of interest in electric vehicles too. Electric cars are already quite popular, but the real growth was seen in electric motorbikes, which saw an increase in registrations by 107% in 2021 (compared to 59% growth for cars). If you’ve ever considered an electric motorbike, there’s never been a better time to take the plunge.

Just as people are transitioning to electric motorcycles instead of internal combustion engine motorcycles, the same shift is occurring in the world of electric scooters too. Depending on what you need your electric vehicle for, an electric scooter could be even better than an electric motorbike for commuting in the city or just getting around town.

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Before we get into the details of what makes the best electric motorcycles, it’s worth considering a few things to make sure you’re getting the right type of electric bike for your needs. As with any type of vehicle, there is a huge range of different electric motorbikes, from off-road bikes and road racers to less powerful electric vehicles for commuting, all of which have their own pros and cons.

Things To Consider Before You Buy An Electric Motorbike:

Range

With all kinds of electric vehicles, the range they offer is very important. There’s nothing worse than running out of fuel or charge, and depending on the types of rides you need to do, the range can be a critical factor.

If you’re looking to commute a few kilometres each way from home to work each day, range won’t be as important as you’ll likely be quite close to a charging station wherever you are. However, if you need to get on a highway for your commute, or are expecting to ride an electric sports bike on the weekends for fun, having the longest range is a good idea. Depending on the bike, the range can differ from 30kms between charges up to 175kms+ before you need to charge again, so consider where and how you want to ride your electric motorbike before you get out your wallet.

Top speed

Top speed isn’t as important as range, because most of the time you’ll be restricted by speed limits on public roads anyway. However, if you like to go fast within the law and want the same kind of kick as you’re used to if you’ve previously ridden non-electric motorbikes, then power is something to think about.

Especially if you intend to ride your electric motorcycle on a highway, or need to cover larger distances than you might if you only rode in the city, then power and performance matter. Most of the best electric motorcycles that offer more power will typically deliver 100Hp and around 100Nm of torque.

Charging speed

One of the biggest differences in the day-to-day experience of using an electric vehicle is the fact that charging currently takes a lot longer than pulling up to the petrol station. Even the best electric motorbikes take between two and six hours for the battery to charge completely, so it’s worth considering where you will be able to charge your EV bike.

Ideally, you’ll have somewhere to charge your electric motorcycle at home, but if you don’t have off-street parking, then it’s important to know where your local charging stations are. In addition, if you have any fast charging stations that are conveniently located, they will reduce your charging time further.

Servicing & Spare Parts

Just like a car or normal motorbike, your electric motorcycle will need to be repaired and serviced every now and then. As the electric motorcycle market for Australian riders is still developing, not all manufacturers have retailers or authorised service centres locally, which can make it more challenging to get your bike fixed if anything goes wrong. Therefore, it’s worth investigating which brands have specific servicing infrastructure established, to ensure anything that needs repairing or servicing can be done as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Price

For most of us, price is one of the leading factors in any decision-making process. You don’t want to put yourself under any financial pressure, so take the proper time to research the best-value electric motorcycles for your needs. As you’d expect, a fast and powerful electric sports bike is going to set you back the most, whereas smaller and more modestly powerful electric scooters are generally more affordable.

Different terrain/uses

The question of where you want to ride your electric motorbike is central to the bike you end up buying. If you’re looking for a commuter, your decision will be more straightforward as the majority of electric motorcycles and electric scooters are designed exactly for that purpose. However, if you’re keen to get out into nature and ride off-road, you’ll need to seek out an electric motorbike that is built specifically for that terrain.

Design

There are a lot of different designs in the world of EV motorcycles, so it’s important to pick out a bike that you’ll look forward to riding every day. Because electric motorcycles don’t have a traditional engine or fuel tank, designers aren’t restricted in the same ways and gives the opportunity to create interesting and unusual-looking bikes. Bikes such as the Cake Kalk& and the Savic C-Series both have very different, but equally exciting designs, so looking at a wide range of different electric class bikes is a good idea.

Now that we’ve covered a few of the things to consider before you pull the trigger on an electric motorcycle or electric scooter, let’s get into ten of our favourites on the market right now.

10 Of The Best Electric Motorcycles On The Market:

Tarform Racer Edition

Fans of the cafe racer motorbike design will love what Tarform is building at the moment, with two options available in the Racer Edition and the Scrambler Edition. The brand operates under a strictly sustainable ethos, evident in the recycled aluminium, biodegradable leather and cutting-edge plant-based materials they use including bio-based resin to reduce the use of petrochemical as well as reinforced panelling made from flax seed.

The Tarform Racer Edition is the road riding offering from the brand, which boasts a 0-100kph time of 3.8 seconds, Bluetooth connectivity a maximum range of more than 190kms and a battery unit that can charge up to 80% in just 50 minutes. Its electric motor is contained with a compelling overall design, featuring a blacked-out and aerodynamically shaped body topped with a brushed chrome seat and fuel cell unit that looks refreshingly raw and minimalistic.

If you’re a fan of the classic cafe racer design and are looking for an electric motorcycle with more than a bit of kick to it, the Tarform Racer Edition is an option worth investigating.

Sondors Metacycle

The Sondors Metacycle is a great example of how electric motorcycles don’t need to follow the same design codes as standard motorcycles. Boasting a large cut-out section in the cast aluminium frame of the bike called an “exo-frame”, it delivers a pretty futuristic visual impression while also reportedly being safer and more comfortable to ride.

Beyond the cutting-edge design of the frame, which is cast in a single piece and requires zero welding, the power unit of the Metacycle is equally impressive as it contains a battery with 4000 Wh charging cells and a fast-charging system that gets the battery to 80% in about 2 hours. The motor inside is a PMAC Hub Motor that delivers 8 kW (11hp) of nominal power, reaching up to 14.5 kW (20hp) and getting you just under 130kms of range from a single charge.

The Sondors Metacycle is a great bike if you’re after something with a compelling design language, as well as delivering a decent amount of power as the rubber meets the road.

FONZ Arthur

Not everyone needs an electric motorbike with a top speed that’ll make your eyes water, especially if all you’re looking for is a quality electric vehicle to commute on. If that sounds like you, then the FONZ Arthur electric scooters could be for you.

Representing great value for what you’re getting, the FONZ Arthur takes design classic design cues from the likes of Vespa and translates them into an attractive and practical everyday electric scooter. Offering a range of around 100kms, it has a top speed of 85kph, 8kW of power and a deliberately designed low centre of gravity for improved stability and safety. FONZ estimates the Arthur to cost around $1 per week to run, with a solid charging capacity of between 60%-80% in just one hour.

If you want an electric scooter that looks great, is functional and efficient, as well as being cost-effective to run, then make sure you add the FONZ Arthur to your shortlist.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire

Harley-Davidson probably isn’t the first brand that comes to mind when you think of high-performance electric motorbikes, but that’s exactly what the LiveWire is. The LiveWire certainly isn’t the cheapest bike on this list, but it is jam-packed with exciting features and offers an excellent riding experience, as well as looking every bit the part you’d expect from a Harley-Davidson.

Designed to deliver an aggressive riding position, the LiveWire arrives with four different riding settings that are sport, road, range, and rain, each of which is specifically designed for those riding conditions. Depending on the ride mode you select, the power, throttle response and traction control are all adjusted for giving riders the safest and most enjoyable journey. If that level of specificity wasn’t enough, the Harley-Davidson LiveWire delivers a maximum range of 235km of city riding, while the battery is able to reach 80% charge in 40 minutes or 100% charge in an hour on a fast charger.

The LiveWire is a genuinely impressive electric motorcycle from every angle, offering impressive power, great range and speedy charging. However, it does hit the back pocket a little more aggressively than most with its RRP.

Energica EGO+ RS

If you love going fast and nothing but the best in performance sports bikes will do, then you’ll love the Energica EGO+ RS. First released back in 2013, the folks at Energica have been working hard for the best part of a decade to deliver incremental improvements that have resulted in the highest-performing electric motorcycle in the world.

With a truly hair-raising 0-100kph time of 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 243kph, the EGO+ RS is built for pace and racing performance. All of this industry-leading power is thanks to the high-energy lithium polymer battery, the Vehicle Control Unit and a serious Regina 15/44 525 O-Ring Chain, all of which combine to deliver unparalleled acceleration and control.

If you’ve got an insatiable need for speed in your taste for street bikes, then look no further than the Energica EGO+ RS.

KTM Free Ride EX-C

If commuting is less of your focus and all you’re thinking about is getting out onto the trails, then the KTM Free Ride EX-C might be the perfect electric motorbike for you. KTM has a solid reputation for manufacturing typical motocross bikes and equipment, but the automaker has recently turned its attention and expertise toward the electric segment of the market to deliver a fast and agile riding experience.

The KTM Free Ride EX-C contains a brushless 18kW synchronous motor inside its lightweight and high-quality chassis, which is built for the toughest of terrain. Selected for rough riding environments are the WP XPLOR 43 front fork and the adjustable WP XPLOR PDS rear shock that offer 250 mm and 260 mm of travel respectively, combined with the anodised aluminium rims and 2021 FORMULA brakes for a smooth ride.

While heading out to the trails on the weekend might not be a priority for everyone, the KTM Free Ride EX-C is certainly one to consider if you can’t think of a better way to spend your spare time.

Savic C-Series Alpha

There’s nothing quite like hearing a homegrown success story, and the Melbourne-based team behind Savic Motorcycles is exactly that. Founded in 2018 by Dennis Savic, an ex-Ford Australia optimisation engineer, the brand describes itself as “Australia’s first high-performance electric motorcycle manufacturer,” and currently offers two models in the C-Series – the Delta and the Alpha.

With a design that echoes the cafe racer style of years gone by, the C-Series Alpha is the premium offering out of the two in-production models, with a satisfying 0-100kph time of 3.5 seconds. The Alpha contains a power unit that spits out 60kW (80hp) with a range that extends beyond 200kms and 100% charging in around four and a half hours. It’s got solid performance, but the details are great too, including a push-button start for the electric motor, comfortable pillow seats and a range of customisable options to make the C-Series Alpha your own.

It’s a good thing to support local businesses, but it’s even better when the product is so compelling. Electric motorcycles might not be what you think of when you consider Australian manufacturing, but the Savic C-Series could play an important part in its future.

Zero Motorcycles FXE

The Zero Motorcycles FXE is a popular option among enthusiasts of electric motorcycles and it’s easy to understand why. Designed in partnership with award-winning firm Huge Design, the FXE is an articulate blend of technological performance and aesthetic balance that makes it one of the top bikes on the market.

The Zero Motorcycles FXE has a city riding range of around 160kms, a top speed of 132kph and cruising power of 15kW (21hp). Generating this power is the Z-Force Li-Ion intelligent integrated unit, which can be charged on a regular charger to 100% in a little under 10 hours, or one hour and 20 minutes for 95% charged on a fast charger.

While Zero Motorcycles only currently has one service agent in Australia, the brand is well respected internationally and the FXE is an exciting electric motorbike from the brand.

Cake Kalk&

Cake has something of a cult following as an electric motorcycle manufacturer, loved by enthusiasts for its minimalist and function-forward designs, solid power and variety of terrain that it can handle. In the world of electric motorbikes, the Cake Kalk& is also quite lightweight, making it an ideal bike for professional stunt and trick riders to use.

This clean-looking bike still has a solid top speed of more than 95kph, despite its curb weight of just 79kgs, as well as delivering a decent range of around 86kms. The electric motor puts out around 252Nm of instant electric torque, which is made possible thanks to the powerful battery with premium lithium cells that can be charged up to 80% in just two hours.

The Cake Kalk& arrives with no less than three different riding modes and three braking modes, giving you perfect control of the nimble bike to ride however you want. If you like the look of its Öhlins three-staged air spring suspension forks that offer 204mm of travel, you’ll love riding the Kalk& everywhere you need it to take you.

Evoke 6061

When speed and power are a priority, the Evoke 6061 is an excellent option to consider. The motorcycle has been designed with an aggressive cruiser shape for enjoying the city streets, while the technology housed within it makes it one of the industry-leading high-performance electric motorcycles.

The top speed of 230kph is possible thanks to the permanent magnet multi-wound synchronous motor that delivers 120kW of power, which also has impressive staying power with a range of 430kms while riding in the city. If that wasn’t enough, its 336.0V DC battery pack is able to charge to 80% in just 15 minutes, making it enormously practical and convenient as well.

Constructed from aerospace-grade aluminium, the Evoke 6061 should be on your list to consider if going fast is as important as fast charging and practicality.

Electric Motorbike – Frequently Asked Questions

Are electric motorbikes legal in Australia?

Electric motorbikes are legal to ride in Australia, however, you will need a motorbike licence to ride one on public roads.

What is the maximum speed of an electric motorcycle?

British company White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) has created an electric motorbike that is capable of speeds up to 402kph.

What is the cost of an electric motorbike?

Electric motorbikes can vary greatly in price, starting from a few thousand dollars while some of the most expensive electric motorcycles can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Do I need a licence for an electric motorbike?

Yes. To ride an electric motorbike on Australian public roads, you do require a motorbike license.