Electric motorcycle accelerates faster than sales

Motorcycle riders appreciate the lure of the open road, the roar of the engine and the torque, acceleration and raw power beneath the saddle. Now, some Seattle-area motorcycle dealers are offering a new, high performance ride that might make you change the way you think about motorcycles.

Lately, 30 percent of the sales at Lynnwood Cycle Barn have been scooters, which are popular with commuters. Now general manager Garrett Johnson has decided to add all-electric ‘Zero’ motorcycles to his inventory of traditional ‘Triumph’ gas-powered cycles.

“Sometimes you want something smaller, a little more maneuverable, something a little more economical even to run in town for your daily commute,” said Johnson. “That’s what the electric bike is.”

He sees a shift in the way motorcycles are used around here. “That Euro-lifestyle [is] becoming more prominent, particularly in the Northwest when it comes to commuting, saving money,” said Johnson.

As with most new technology, early buyers are young, wealthy and regular users of the existing product.

“For the most part, the electric motorcycle purchasers are going to have other motorcycles, this isn’t their only vehicle, they’ll look for an electric, off-road motorcycle, for example to fill in a gap for something they don’t already have,” said clean technology analyst Dave Hurst, with Pike Research in Detroit.

The market for electric motorcycles and scooters remains tiny.

“What we’re expecting is that in 2012, in North America, it’ll be about 3,000 vehicles and roughly between one-half and two-thirds of that will be electric scooters and the rest will be electric motorcycles,” said Hurst.

At the Cycle Barn, G.M. Johnson has equally modest sales expectations. “If I sell 10 to 15 Zeros in 2012, I’ll be ecstatic,” he said.

Electric motorcycles have lots of advantages over gas-powered rides, including no clutch, one speed, overnight charging and low maintenance.

“You’ve got a battery pack in that bike that is service-free and good for 300,000 miles, there’s no oil changes, no coolant changes, no valve adjustment,” said Johnson. “Really you’re looking at the most basic maintenance, tires, brake pads. So extremely, extremely economical.”

The electric bikes have improved battery strength giving some of the models a driving range of 114 miles on one charge, improved from 55 miles last year. Recharging using a standard wall outlet takes as little as four hours for the least expensive electric bikes but about 8 hours for the larger models.

At Lynnwood Cycle Barn, Johnson is selling electric cycles for between $9,995 and $13,995. Gas powered bikes range in cost between $7,700 and $17,300. Like most products using new technology, he says it’ll take a lot of exposure and education before the electric rides become mainstream and sales take off.