According to Michael Partridge’s “Motorcycle Pioneers,” electric motorcycle development harkens back to the 19th century. During the days when moving mechanical vehicles were first being engineered, bicycle manufacturer Humber showed off an electric tandem bicycle at the 1896 Stanley Cycle Show in London. Like most internal combustion engine designs decades later, the motor sat between the bike’s wheels and ran via storage batteries. Over a century later, these battery-powered beasts are rechargeable, capable of achieving high speeds, and eat up sharp curves.
Today, the EV motorcycle market is large enough to label it ubiquitous. Makers from tiny Swedish startups like
