Advent of EVs leading to the fall of petrol two-wheelers

The electric infrastructure also seems to be getting ready for a growth spurt.

BHPian drt_rdr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Motorcycle men of Team-BHP, the EVs are coming. You have seen the Chinese scooters bite at the ankles of the ICE giants. You have seen Ather and Ola heralding a new age as they attempt to claim a piece of the territory with forseeable success. You have heard the silent cacophony of the Ultraviolette F77 on a war footing. And the news has come around that the Tork T6X has awoken from slumber, hungry too.

Though the bigger bikes can fend them off and have more time left on this world yet, the smaller ICE bikes\scooters, especially utilitarian commuters, may possibly die over the next couple of years (i.e. they might stop being a sensible buy unless you're a petrol junkie).

I am already being swayed by their propaganda: the relative silence of EVs and the promise of an age of peace (and cheap fuel costs through solar panels, and cheap maintenance costs through lesser moving parts). The electric infrastructure also seems to be getting ready for a growth spurt.

I've been holding on to the thought of waiting for the right bike to buy. But with the aggressors almost at my doorstep, I may not be able to dilly dally much longer if I'm to spend as much quality time as I can with petrol.

Since big bikes are beyond me, both in terms of finances involved and ability and interest to use the horses, I plan to go and get myself at least one bike in the 250cc to possibly 400cc range this year as the last hurrah on my part in the ICE age, post which I may consider partially jumping ship once the registration on my over-a-decade-old 150cc bikes expires. By that time, both the electric vehicles themselves and the infra will have matured sufficiently.

So, even as a man who loves his clutch lever dearly, I expect my last IC engine bike will come sometime this year, and I'll likely hold on to it for the next decade. No telling what comes after that.

When do you expect your last one to come? Soon? A few years or more left? Has it already been made? Or never, and you think Splendors will Shine forever and I'm just a gloom-and-doomer? Share your reasons for it as well.

Not a troll post. Serious question. Do share your thoughts.

Here's what BHPian GutsyGibbon had to say on the matter:

For all things commuting or for trips within the city, EVs will certainly take over. I use my motorcycle purely for leisure. I don't really have a destination or an efficiency target when I ride my motorcycle. There really is no charging network for motorcycles. For me, there is not much use of an e-motorcycle that can go 100 miles. I would not buy it even if it goes 300 miles on a single charge.

Even on Christmas Eve, in the middle of the Arizona desert, I find a supercharger station where I am the only person charging, the Tesla charging network is that much accessible. This is when there are Teslas all over the place in AZ. The only way my motorcycle will be electric is when someone gets into an agreement to make use of the Tesla supercharger network.

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say on the matter:

My last one is already here, so, all I got to do is keep riding it until one or more of the below happens:

• I can ride no more
• Accessibility to fuel stations are getting limited/restricted
• Govt forcefully seizes fossil-fueled vehicles
• The practicality of owning an EV motorcycle surpasses fossil-fueled motorcycle

Do I miss the clutch? Hell yes! But change is the norm, change is the only thing that's constant in this Universe; even the distance between Earth & Sun is increasing every day, so is our Milkyway Galaxy receding, after all, riding an EV motorcycle without clutch & sound is not even the size of an atom compared to all these.

If you may kindly excuse now, let me go & have a ride now, please

Here's what BHPian ebonho had to say on the matter:

Maybe it was a mass premonition 5 years ago of things to come, but that is why many hardcore riders became cyclists (equally hardcore).

The only charging I need to take care of now is my food, water, and battery packs for my phone, lights, and Garmin.

And the world is then my oyster, albeit at a slower pace.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.