In Canada, the idea of travelling across the country on an electric bike would, as little as a year ago, been met with laughter, even outright derision. But hold on to your hats, masters of taunts and ridicule.
Something very interesting has been happening across this massive country that may profoundly change your attitude towards the question posed above.
A couple of manufacturers are now producing touring motorcyles with a range greater than 160 miles at highway speeds. Notably, Energica is marketing a touring motorcycle with serious abilites for Touring, and, it’s an electric motorcycle.
Even more importantly, the bike can be recharged in 40 minutes on a CSS level II charger. Great, you say. But where will I find a CSS charger? Well, I thought you’d never ask.
In Canada, PetroCanada stations now have Level II CSS chargers across the country, every 250 kilometers. The range of the new Sport Touring motorcycle from Energica, the EsseEsse9, has a range of 160 miles.
To be able to ride for 21/2 hours, stop and have a coffee for 40 minutes, where there is also now an A&W coffee shop, and then continue for another 21/2 hours means that anyone can easily cover 500 miles per day. For this rider, that’s exactly what I usually both need and have the stamina for. The days of my 17 hours in the saddle covering 1,100 miles, are over. I have no interest in persuing a regimen of self-abuse under the guise of motorcycle touring. In total, as of today, there are over 22,000 rapid charging locations across Canada.
This coming year will be a year where alternate forms of powered motorcycles for those who want to tour by motorcycle, will become a reality. Dealerships for electrical motorcycles are expanding rapidly, as is battery technology and the range that a touring motorcycle can travel.
While it is unlikely that I’ll buy one, due to the fact that I just purchased a new Kawasaki Nina 1000sx, which I love by the way, I think it will be more than possible and reasonable to see electric motorcycle tourers on the roads across Canada and the USA starting this summer.
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