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Electric motorcycles change not only the riding experience — in ways positive, negative and just plain different — but also the parameters of what a motorcycle can look like. For stylists, the electric drivetrain presents both new challenges and new opportunities.
Should batteries be disguised or emphasized? Should a vehicle with a new kind of drivetrain inevitably have futuristic styling or stick to traditional forms? Why do almost all electric motorcycles still have something that looks like a gas tank?
Two electric motorcycles shown recently in Europe, one a concept from a major manufacturer and one a planned production model from a startup, take opposite approaches to styling.
From Sweden we have Regent Motorcycles, a startup that plans to have its first production model, the Regent NO.1, for sale next year. The styling is retro in every way. Meanwhile, BMW has unveiled its Vision DC Roadster, which incorporates a few styling cues meant to pay homage to the company's long history of building boxer twins but is in no way trying to appear to be an internal-combustion motorcycle.
The Regent NO.1 unreservedly embraces the past, along with its entirely modern mode of propulsion. As Regent's web site states, "We set out to create a bike drawing on the best bike designs from the '60s and '70s. An era which, you simply have to agree, was the pinnacle of bike design."
I'm not convinced I have to agree, but I realize some will. The twin shocks, spoked wheels and a very traditional "gas tank" are throwbacks as much as the lump of a battery isn't.
The Regent has a 72V and 80 Ah battery that the company says will provide 11 horsepower continuous and 20 horsepower peak output. Range is specified at 150 kilometers (93 miles), but it's not clarified under what conditions. The bike will weigh 130 kilograms (287 pounds). The hub motor keeps the main body of the motorcycle looking light but raises the question of unsprung weight. Preorder price is 9,500 Euros (about $10,800 U.S.).
This bike is not about the specs, obviously. It will sell to those who appreciate the low-maintenance, around-town convenience of the electric drivetrain but still prefer traditional styling.
At the opposite end of the style spectrum is the BMW, which not only does not have a faux fuel tank, it has a void in that spot to make it clear. You don't need an explanation of styling from me to see that BMW never included the word "classic" when styling the Vision DC Roadster. Of course part of that is the freedom that comes from building a concept bike. It can be just about anything. A concept bike doesn't have to convince a critical mass of consumers to part with their money. It just has to draw attention.
I expect just about everyone reading this story will have a strong preference for one of these two designs — or at least a stronger "no" toward one than the other.
Motorcyclists seem to me to be a very traditional bunch, which explains lots of things, from why cruisers sell in big numbers to why most electric motorcycles still have "gas tanks." Electric motorcycles open up the possibility of all-new styles that emphasize different components, just as some internal-combustion bikes are built around the look a V-twin engine creates. For now, I expect to continue to see plenty of fake gas tanks, however, as electric motorcycle manufacturers ease a traditionalist audience into the new world.
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