Do Electric Motorcycles Have A U.S. Future?

October 17, 2012 10:16 AM " Motorcycles, as any biker will tell you, are as much a device for recreation as they are a method of transport.

More so even than many cars, they’re bought for the thrill of the open road, the interaction between man and machine, and the freedom to go anywhere.

And that, says The New York Times, is just a handful of reasons as to why electric motorcycles may not have a future in the U.S.

While electric car sales have been relatively slow, electric bike sales have just about been a non-starter. Sales are estimated at fewer than 1,000 units in total, from almost 441,000 motorcycle sales last year in the U.S.

A wealth of inexpensive commuter bikes with good gas mileage, and sports bikes with high performance, have meant that electric motorcycles have been left to take whatever ground is left-not a great deal, in other words.

The electric motorcycle’s plight could be likened to the reason we have no diesel motorcycles to choose from.

Diesel is primarily the fuel of working vehicles or gas sippers. Nobody goes misty-eyed over romanticised diesel road trips and few drive diesels solely for recreational purposes "

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