their freedom to hop on a motorcycle and ride until they are ready to stop .

Ibrahim explains that his customers , “ don ’ t know where they ’ re going , they just want to go and not worry . If you could have electric catering to that , I think it would be more adopted and people would grasp it more . [ The LiveWire ] is a great product , there ’ s nothing wrong with it . It ’ s just the outside forces . The infrastructure has to be there , and the community has to accept it . They could put out the best product in the world , but you can only do so much to get people through the doors that want to buy electric .”

Tammy Evans Dillon agrees that the acceptance of electric , today and in the future , depends on region . Evans Dillon is the owner of M & E Honda , located in Bedford , Indiana , an area that she explains is one of the later adopters of new concepts and products . Despite this , she is excited for the potential future of electric powersports .

“ I suspect it ’ s going to start on the coast , and the closer to the middle of the country you are , there will be less early adopters ,” she says . “ But I believe over time , it will grow . We ’ re going to be a little slower in this part of the country to catch on than others , and that ’ s okay as long as we still have inventory of other things to sell .”

While region will play one role in the adoption of electrification , technological challenges are another issue that dealers recognize hinders the success of the segment . Dealers discuss multiple areas of improvement that they believe are necessary before the electric segment takes off . The most common concerns include cost , battery range , charge time , availability of charging stations , long-term serviceability , durability of product , battery recycling procedures and fees , rate of depreciation , and consumer education .

“ Since we are based in a very rural area , the two factors that severely limit interest are range and charge time ,” says Dustin James , owner of Outlaw Motor Sports in Enterprise , Oregon . “ With long distances from any town or electrical grid , we need at least a 300−mile range and reasonable charge times , one hour max , before we will see people engaging .

“ I see how much shorter the service life is and cost of upkeep is with the heavy addition of electrical parts on new units ,” he continues . “ No longer will a customer be able to invest in a unit and expect 20 plus years of service out of it as the electric vehicle will self-obsolete much quicker than that . I dislike the illusion that is being painted that the EV is more environmentally friendly , as the footprint of use is less but the production and disposal cycle are much more harmful than that of a typical internal combustion engine .”

David Hurtado of The Scooter Lounge in Provo , Utah notes that customers would likely consider electric more often if pricing , features and performance were more competitive . Of course , this will come with time , but Hurtado says , “ As things are currently , the lower cost of fuel will not compensate for the higher initial purchase price . And eventually the cost of replacement batteries will more than eat up any maintenance savings .” Despite these concerns , he is optimistic that electric scooters will become a more dominant segment .

Ed Cook , owner of AF1 Racing in Austin , Texas , shared his concern about battery range , charging stations and pricing . “[ There are ] tons of stories out there about how hard it is to public charge a non-Tesla ,” he says . “ No EV bike uses the Tesla chargers . Only the very expensive Energica ’ s can Level 3 fast charge ( 30−45 minutes ). It takes 3−12

The Mantis electric dirt bike appeals to a new demographic such as women and youths and retails for less than $ 5,000 . Photo courtesy of Rawrr .

hours of charging for all other models . For electric to become more mainstream , the tech needs an update ,” he continues , “ and the prices need to come down so commuting short distances makes sense . They are not for everyone or every use , but if your usage lines up , they are very great to own .”

He also explains that the delay of electric excelling as a segment is due , in part , to the prejudice customers hold towards electric vehicles . One of Cook ’ s customers , for example , was committed to buying an electric motorcycle until he shared the news with his friends . After they gave him a hard time for not buying “ a real bike ,” he switched to an ICE motorcycle .

But if consumers are educated about certain electric products , they may be impressed . Billy Campbell , owner of Hawg Powersports in Savannah , Georgia , believes that the lack of consumer education about electric product is a significant issue . This , and the current battery range of most electric products , are partially why he expects it to take about 10 years before electric motorcycles and powersports will develop into a significant segment .

Most respondents believe electric will become a major segment in the next 10 years , and others predict it will be sooner . Twentysix percent believe that , in 10 years , it will be a major segment . Thirty-five percent believe that in 10 years it will become a major segment depending on U . S . region . And 39 percent believe electric will not become a major segment . Some dealers state they expect electric to become a major segment in five to 10 years , one specifying that 10 – 15 % of powersports will likely be electric in the next 10 years . Another dealer believes it will take more than

a decade to become a major segment .

“ I never see EV being more than 50 % of the powersports market unless it is forced by legislation ,” says Dustin James . “ But again , it is a great answer for certain areas , applications and people .”

JT Motorsports in Fredrick , Maryland , only sells specialized e-bicycles in the electric segment . “ I feel our customers are not powersports customers for the most part , and powersports stores are not the right retail environment for e-bicycle customers ,” says owner , Jim Palmer . But he is looking forward to the future of electric motorcycles and expects there will be a viable business in electric in three to five years as technology improves range and costs are lowered .

Like Palmer , Andy Leisner , CEO of Rawrr eMoto , expects to see electric accepted as a major segment in powersports in a similar timeframe . He also agrees that customers seeking electric products may be more commonly a new demographic to the industry .

Rawrr was founded by Vincent Chen in Southern California several years ago after he saw the emerging category of electric lightweight off-road motorcycles . The U . S . corporation , with its investors , created a factory in China that produces the Rawrr Mantis electric dirt bike . Early this year , as the company approached its first sales , Chen hired an executive team and Leisner was brought on as the CEO .

Leisner explains that electrifying existing powersports segments may be more challenging than tapping into new demographics . And he says the Mantis electric dirt bike does just that ; it appeals to new demographics , such as women and youths new to the industry .

“ Dealers respond favorably to the lightweight

electric off-road segment the Mantis sits in . It brings a new , young customer into their dealership while also providing a product that existing off-road customers want to buy , not as a replacement for their regular dirt bike , but as a complimentary purchase ,” he says . “ Because most of our customers are new to motorcycling , price is very important . Our flagship motorcycle is under $ 5,000 . Battery life is somewhat of a concern , but this segment of motorcycle is never ridden far .”

Which is why electric motorcycles are practical for the off-road segment . He explains that on-road motorcycles are a challenge to electrify because they are less aerodynamic than some cars and produce a lot of drag , especially at high speeds on the highway , draining batteries that are already hindered by weight limits .

Off-road is different . “ You ’ re not going fast , you ’ re not pushing a lot of air and you ’ re on and off the throttle ,” Leisner says . “ It ’ s a perfect environment for electric , which is quiet and can go places gas powered bikes can ’ t .”

Owning a Zero Motorcycle himself , Leisner is optimistic about the future of electric on-road motorcycles . “ Electric motorcycles like street bikes are fun in their own way ,” he says . “ An electric motorcycle distills motorcycling to its purest form .” And he explains the lack of shifting and sound produce a peaceful ride . “ It will take some changes in battery chemistry and battery technology , which are coming soon , so I think in about two years electric highway motorcycles will be able to carry enough energy capacity without being overweight .”