#electric

Okay, I admit it. I’m a gadget guy, and quite frequently, those around me have to suffer through endless conversations about the latest shiny technology that has caught my eye. (Just ask my long-suffering wife, whose patience in my current home automation project is wearing quite thin.) So, you shouldn’t be surprised that, at every weekly production meeting for the past couple months, I’ve tried to schedule a review of the new Power Hub1 from Innovv. Why is it so special? Well, it allows for switched power to be distributed to up to five accessories from one location – which translates into just one switched connection to be spliced into a bike’s wiring harness.

Read the comments section of any electric motorcycle we test and you’re bound to hear the haters. You know, the ones who say, “I hate electric bikes because they don’t make any noise.”

“The Vespa Elettrica will, first and foremost, be a true Vespa, bringing the very latest in electric technology to a vehicle that will retain all the features that have been vital to its success. The style, agility, ease of use and riding pleasure will be the same as the Vespa we have always known, with the addition of technological and innovative connectivity solutions. A perfect mix of excitement, technology, and environmental friendliness that only Vespa can create. Like it has always done in its first seventy years of history.”

Some of you may not be familiar with SSR motorcycles, but with 200 dealerships across America, the company is steadily establishing itself within the industry. At AIMExpo 2016, Tom Roderick visited the SSR booth, where he saw first hand some of the cool new models the company will be releasing soon, including the Buccaneer Cafe and Buccaneer Classic. Both are powered by 250cc, air-cooled V-Twins with stylish designs and attractive price tags. Other models include the scrambler-style XF250-DT and custom-looking XF250 Snake Eyes. Both are powered by a 250cc Single. Rounding out the range are the Lazer 6 moped and SEEV-800 electric scooter.

This week’s Church feature is an interesting look back at the 2008 Vectrix Electric Scooter. It’s interesting because electric vehicle technology has come a long way since Yossef Schvetz rode the Vectrix. For one, NiMH batteries have given way to lithium-ion. What hasn’t changed is the reaction first-timers like Schvetz get when they turn the e-throttle for an electric for the first time. Instant, massive acceleration blows people away each time. Read on to see the rest of Yossef’s thoughts about what is becoming the propulsion method of the future.

By virtue of having a motor and a tube on the right that you twist to move forward, we’re calling the Kuberg Freerider an electric motorcycle. And because it’s new and different, we also made a post about the entire line of Kuberg electric bikes, which includes three children’s models in addition to this, the adult-sized Freerider.

BMW announced an updated version of its C Evolution electric scooter, claiming a 60% increase in range. And more notably for American consumers, BMW confirmed the C Evolution scooter will finally be available in the U.S.A.

I hate to break this to you, regular Motorcycle.com reader, but you might be the wrong audience for the GenZe 2.0 electric scooter. How do I know? Well, if you’re here then you appreciate the speed, the sound, and the power (both mechanical and personal) motorcycling provides. The triple threat is an addictive combination to stir the emotions. The GenZe 2.0 doesn’t have any of that.

As a parent, few things bring you more joy than sharing a passion with your children. So goes the story of Michal Kubanek, Founder and CEO of Kuberg electric motorcycles. A passionate motorcycle enthusiast, Kubanek wanted his kids to experience the joy of riding a dirt bike, but instead of simply buying a children’s bike like a Yamaha PW50, Kubanek built his own using electricity instead of gasoline. Hence the Kuberg line of electric motorcycles was born. Based in the Czech Republic, Kuberg currently offers four different models of e-dirtbike.

Does the type motorcycle you ride indicate the presidential candidate for whom you’re voting?

One-hundred and six pound-feet of torque is an addictive drug if you can get your hands on it, and it’s even better when it’s available to you almost instantly. Thankfully for us this dream has been a reality since 2014, in the form of the Zero SR. It accelerates like few other bikes can thanks to its 660-amp motor controller and higher-temp magnets. Couple that with new-for-2015 bits like Showa suspension, Pirelli tires, and Bosch ABS, and you have the makings for our Best Electric Motorcycle of 2015.

Remember that time, two years ago in 2014, when we put an electric bike up against an ICE motorcycle… and the electric won? The two protagonists in that matchup were the Zero FX, modified for supermoto use by our friend Harlan Flagg, proprietor of Hollywood Electrics, and the Suzuki DR-Z400SM. At that time Zero had yet to officially have a supermoto version of its FX in the lineup, but other than the obvious change in wheels, brakes, and tires, the FX was otherwise a stock bike.

Yeah, we know this is Motorcycle.com, but sometimes when cool, outlandish vehicles come across our radar screens we just have to share. You might remember the Lazareth Wazuma name if you’ve been reading these pages for a long time. Back in 2013 Lazareth revealed the Wazuma V8, powered by none other than a 3.0-liter Ferrari V8.

There’s no disputing the Energica Eva is fast. With a claimed torque output of 125.4 lb-ft., Energica’s Eva makes the mighty KTM Super Duke R seem anemic (95.7 lb-ft. at 8,100 rpm). A rider twisting the Eva’s throttle to its stop finds himself on the other side of a wrinkle in time in a gearchange-less rush of quiet acceleration. Repeated often it could reverse the aging process. Or not, but it’s fun to try.

Victory revealed a new electric sportbike prototype featuring an all-new battery module from Brammo. Described as a test bed for the company’s future powertrains, the new Victory RR will make its racing debut in the TT Zero class in the 2016 Isle of Man TT beginning May 28.