Have you been to an airshow that included a glider aerial demonstration? The glider turned out to be some of the highlights of the shows I attended due to the sound of silent flight. Think about bending into and out of curves in silence on a motorcycle.
Mission Motors unveiled Mission One, an electric performance motorcycle last week as most of you know by now. These are exciting & historic times in terms of energy, the "transitional" generation.
The "glider affect" and smooth torque of an electric motorcyle offer dramatically different riding sensations, but the electric bike package prompts questions about the future styling limitations, which could affect the overall ownership. Many motorcycle consumers will be wanting more out of their motorcycle ownership if the allure of mechanical bits on display no longer exists. How far will electric motors need to evolve, aesthetically, before they have sales successes in the cruiser or naked, cafe bike segments? Does the change to electric power also change the entire vehicle package such that motorcyclists will have to accept some amount of body panel?
There is an undeniable "vanity" factor to owning a streetbike. If every bike contains a chunk of body panels, electrics could usher in an era of blandness equivalent to the demise of the common automobile that occurred in the early 80's. Cars for the common budget haven't been the same since on the outside.What will the various styles of electric motorcycles look like and how will the electric motor's aesthetics dictate the former?
Riding the bike above on a remote mountain road (with earplugs to amplify the silence) "sounds" like it would be a very cool escape, especially with that smooth torque; but I fear a big part of the motorcycle experience after the ride will be lost.
Suggested song (from the 80's no less):
