Should You Get An E-Motorcycle? Here’s Why You Should
Maintaining an e-motorcycle is easier and cheaper, which would offset the higher price compared to conventional motorcycles.
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As Malaysia moves toward sustainability and smart urban mobility, owning an electric motorcycle is becoming an increasingly popular choice.
The combination of cost savings, convenience, and eco-friendliness makes electric motorcycles an attractive alternative to traditional petrol-powered bikes.
On top of that, Malaysians who earn RM120,000 or less annually are entitled to rebates of up to RM2,400 for purchase of locally assembled electric motorcycles under the Electric Motorcycle Use Promotion Scheme dubbed MARiiCas.
Why are electric motorcycles better than conventional ones?
For those who are unfamiliar with electric motorcycles, you will be pleasantly surprised how well they perform and also how reliable they can be.
Here are a few factors that give them the upper hand against traditional, petrol bikes:
Instant torque and power
While gas-powered engines take longer to power up and reach peak torque, requiring the engine to be spinning at high rpm (revolutions per minute), electric motors can output their peak power and torque instantly from 0 rpm and maintain consistent power and torque through the entire rpm range too.
This simply means that electric motorcycles have better acceleration, which is useful when overtaking vehicles or climbing a hill, especially in heavy traffic.
Provides more comfort
Compared to conventional ones, electric motorcycles don’t vibrate or shake while riding or when stopped at a traffic light.
While there are many petrol engines that provide additional counter-balances that reduce vibrations, it also adds more complexities to the bike without totally eliminating vibration.
Additionally, you also don’t have to worry about burning yourself on the hot exhaust header.
Tuning and updates
One of the best parts about owning an electric motorcycle is it’s easier to customize the bike’s performance to suit your needs.
Some e-bikes have a built-in performance profile customizer where you can adjust the power and behaviour of the motor.
Compared to petrol-powered motorcycles, there are no carburetors to mess with, and no engine timing or injector profiles to adjust.
Most electric motorcycles also receive regular over-the-air (OTA) updates bringing new features, improved rideability, safety, and other goodies, similar to how you’d update your smartphone. That way, your bike can stay relevant for longer and continuously improve itself.
Convenient to run and maintain
With an electric motorcycle, you don’t have to worry about running out of fuel. You can easily use your own charging station in your house or garage to charge your bike’s batteries.
Also, since electric motorcycle batteries are much smaller than those in electric cars, they take a shorter time to charge, often three to five hours depending on the battery capacity.
Some electric motorcycles in Malaysia have compact, removable batteries that you can swap with a fresh battery at a battery swapping station.
Maintaining an electric motorcycle is generally easier and cheaper than a conventional one since there are fewer parts to maintain, and that can offset the higher price of electric motorcycles in Malaysia.
If you’re considering making the switch, here are some great options for electric motorcycles available on the market.
1. Sur-Ron Light Bee X
The Sur-Ron Light Bee X is a lightweight electric bike that has been available in Malaysia for several years now, and has been popular among dirt bike enthusiasts.
It can reach speeds of up to 75kmh with a maximum range of 100km (that’s about halfway from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh).
Combine those figures with a ground clearance of 270mm and climbing angle of over 45 degrees, the Light Bee X is a powerful, agile little bike that’s capable of lots of fun whether you’re riding on asphalt or off-road, where it really shines.
The 2.27kWh battery can be charged in three hours with fast charging. You can own this bike for the price of RM19,500.
2. Blueshark R1 / R1 Lite
The Blueshark R1 and R1 Lite are full-sized electric scooters that you can legally ride on the road with a valid B2 motorcycle licence.
These scooters can reach top speeds of 80kmh with a maximum range of 110km with their twin 1.44kWh batteries (2.88 kWh in total).
Two battery slots on the scooter houses its two removable batteries which you can easily charge anywhere, even in your living room, without bringing the whole bike with you.
Both models are equipped with a 10.4-inch full-color HD display dash, onboard video recorder, and the ArkRide proprietary operating system (OS) with Bluetooth connectivity, GPS navigation, media playback, and OTA updates.
The difference between the two is that the R1 Lite has a monochrome LCD display instead, and omits the ArkRide OS as well as the video recorder.
The price of the Blueshark R1 starts from RM9,390 while the R1 Lite is priced from 7,190.
3. Segway Dirt E-Bike X160 / X260
Segway has built a strong reputation for personal electric transportation, and their Dirt e-Bike X160 and X260 are prime examples of their commitment to bringing high-performance, eco-friendly electric bikes to adventure lovers.
The X160 is an entry-level model of Segway’s Dirt e-Bike series, offering an ideal mix of power, and practicality of off-road riding.
It has a lower top speed than the earlier e-bikes shown above at up to 48kmh. Its 18.2Ah battery takes about four to six hours to charge and can take you as far as 64km on a single charge.
Meanwhile, the X260 is a step up in terms of power, enhanced performance, and greater capability both on and off-road.
It can go up to 60kmh and has a 24Ah battery that can go as far as 80km on a single charge.
The X160 is priced at RM16,888 while the pricier X260 costs RM22,888, according to their website.
4. Ebixon TailG Bold and Torq
Locally assembled by Ni Hsin EV Tech (NHEV) since early 2023, the Ebixon TailG are a duo of electric scooters. Both TailG scooters have a more basic LCD instrument display compared to other bikes on this list along with a USB charging port to keep your phone charged on the road.
Of the two, the TailG Bold is the entry-level scooter suited for city commuting.
The Bold has a top speed of 65kmh and a maximum range of 120km on its two 1.58kWh batteries. You can get the TailG Bold for RM9,000.
Its higher-end sibling, the TailG Torq, is the bigger, more poewerful variant of the lineup, with bigger batteries and a more powerful motor, making it highway-capable.
It can reach speeds of up to 90kmh, powered by two 3.6kWh removable batteries with a maximun range of 200km.
The price of the TailG Torq starts at a whopping RM14,999.
5. BMW CE 04
Perhaps the most premium in this electric motorcycle lineup, the BMW CE 04 is well equipped in the tech department.
Sporting a 10.25-inch color display that can be connected to the BMW Motorrad Connected app, providing features like GPS with turn-by-turn navigation, as well as vehicle status.
It charges fairly quickly – in just four hours and 20 minutes – with a regular 2.3kW charger.
The CE 04 can reach speeds of 120kmh, and has a maximum range of 130km. The bike does not come cheap – as expected of a BMW – at RM59,900.
Whether you’re looking for a commuter or an off-road e-motorcycle, these are some of the best choices available on the market right now.
Although they’re not really priced for tight budgets, they’re actually much more affordable in the long run, seeing as how maintenance costs are lower compared to traditional petrol motorcycles.
What do you think about the electric motorcycles available in Malaysia right now?
Do you think it’s a good time to invest in one, or do you think that the current price and performance are still not as competitive as regular motorcycles?
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.
