#electric

A veterinary superhero by day and engineering extraordinaire by night, when Dr. Alan Cross isn’t performing orthopedic surgery helping animals, he’s in his garage at home in Atlanta designing and engineering his next creation. Pictured here is what he calls the ExoDyne. This is what you get when you cross a motivated doctor with an engineering degree and a passion for motorsports! And that’s not to mention the metalworking and fabrication skills he’s learned on his own.

On three separate occasions we’ve had opportunities to ride Energica’s entries in the electric motorcycle market. Each time we’ve come away impressed with the bikes and their underlying technology. While an Ego or an Eva could be someone’s only motorcycle, given the right circumstances, the $35,000 entry price meant their market was largely well-heeled motorcyclists looking for something unique to add to their stable. An electric bike in this class of motorcycle faces additional challenges to the more mundane range and charging time issues that all electric vehicles must surmount.

The truly all-purpose do-everything electric motorcycle still hovers just out of range (due to lack of range), but for those fortunate enough to own more than one motorcycle, and a job with a non-ridiculous commute, an electric bike is a fantastic way to go. Plug it in when you clock in in the morning, plug it in again while you swizzle your martini when you arrive back at the estate. Ride right past gas stations and all the naysayers who bray that electricity production burns fuel too. In 2016, nearly 10% of California’s energy came from solar; the goal is 33% by 2020.

KTM is bringing its Freeride E-XC electric motorcycle to the U.S. in an initial pilot program. The E-XC enduro, along with its off-road-only X-SX sibling, have been available in Europe since 2015, and KTM is now ready to bring its electric motorcycle technology to North America.

Sometimes story ideas originate from the strangest of places. Back in November, 2016, Robert Abbasi, president of RTI Properties in Gardena, California, asked us if we could help him post a job listing at his company that was looking for a motorcycle courier. We happily obliged, not thinking much of it (and, as it turns out, it was through our post that Abbasi found the candidate he was looking for – Enrique Villegas and his Kawasaki KZ1000, a former police bike).

BMW revealed a new electric scooter concept illustrating the concepts of digital connectivity and future urban mobility. Dubbed the BMW Motorrad Concept Link, the concept scooter will be displayed at this weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at northern Italy’s Lake Como.

KTM fans in the U.S. might not be familiar with the Austrian brand’s electric motorcycles, but KTM has a line of electric off-road machines – the Freeride E-SM, E-SX, E-XC – available in other markets. KTM claims the performance of its e-bikes is similar to internal-combustion competitors.

Suzuki has filed a patent application for a two-wheel drive scooter. The patent, filed in October but published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, describes a scooter with a hub-mounted electric motor in the front wheel that assists the engine-driven rear wheel in providing propulsion.

Recently, at the 2017 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, Mugen unveiled the latest version of its Isle of Man TT-Zero racer, the Shinden Roku, the bike that’s heavily favored to take the top two spots on the podium this year with riders John McGuinness and Guy Martin. The Shinden Roku is an impressive bike in its own right, with claims of 160.9 hp and 154.9 lb-ft of torque, and a weight savings of more than four pounds compared to last year. However, as impressive as the Shinden Roku is, as far as sheer “Wow Factor” goes it’s got nothing on the other bike Mugen unveiled: The E-Rex electric motocrosser.

Team Mugen presented the latest version of its TT Zero-winning electric racebike at the 2017 Tokyo Motorcycle Show. John McGuinness, and Guy Martin will ride the Mugen Shinden Roku (“roku” meaning “six”) in this year’s race.

The new electric-powered Gratis X1 personal watercraft is now available to order through Free Form Factory’s website.

Ever hear of Evoke? Us neither, but according to reports, the Chinese e-bike maker has plans on introducing its Urban S model to America this July. While Evoke may be an unknown OEM, it claims that a partnership with Foxconn – famous as Apple’s iPhone manufacturer – is what’s allowing the company to expand, ramping up production from 120 bikes last year to an estimated 2,000 bikes this year.

Scooter fans looking for an alternative to the classic Vespa-style design have another option with the rebirth of a classic Czech brand as a British ex-pat is reviving the torpedo-shaped Čezeta.

A fixture in the Grand Prix paddock for more than 40 years, Francesco Pileri helped many of the sport’s legends get their start. Riders who have worked with Pileri include the likes of Angel Nieto, Fausto Gresini, Paolo Casoli, Loris Capirossi, and Alex Barros, just to name a few.

Today, U.K. resident Fred Murphy became the first Briton to benefit from his government’s new “Plug-In” subsidy for electric motorcycles. The grant was first introduced in January 2011, but only electric automobiles were eligible at the time. In 2015 the grant was extended to qualifying motorcycles, with details finalized in October 2016. The full requirements can be found here. In the U.S., electric motorcycles may be eligible for incentives and rebates depending on the state.