ELECTRIC BIKES RIDE UP THE SALES CHART
It goes without saying that the past couple of years has been a very strange time. Almost all aspects of our lives have been affected by the global pandemic – yet sales of motorcycles have been strong.
Figures from the Motorcycle Industry Association show a 13% increase in the year to November 2021 compared to 2020, with 100,919 machines sold.
Unsurprisingly, electric bikes showed the biggest growth by far – up a massive 158% year-on-year.
November also marked something of a milestone as, for the first time, an all-electric bike brand featured in the top 10 sales for the month.
Super Soco sneaked in at No 10, outselling manufacturers such as Aprilia, Suzuki, Ducati and Harley-Davidson, with the company’s CPx model dominating sales in the smallest 0-50cc (or electric equivalent) category.
One less encouraging Covid-affected statistic is the number of people passing their motorbike test.
The figure for 2020/21 was just 16,000 – down from 36,000 in 2019/20 and 38,000 in 2018/19. But all the indicators are that the numbers will jump up again once things are back to normal.
The electric bike sales news came as Ducati tested its MotoE prototype on the track for the first time. The V21L was put through its paces at the Misano circuit in Italy by the firm’s test rider, Michele Pirro.
The bike will race in the FIM MotoE World Cup in the 2023 season – the electric class of MotoGP.
Ducati will become the sole supplier of bikes for the series from that season.
After his session, Pirro told Mirror Motorcycling: “The bike is light and already has good balance.
“The throttle connection in the first opening phase and the ergonomics are very similar to those of a MotoGP bike.
“If it weren’t for the silence and for the fact that in this test, we decided to limit the power output to just 70% of performance, I could easily have imagined that I was riding my bike.”
Ducati’s eMobility director, Roberto Cane, explained that refining the MotoE race bike would be crucial in the development of a road-going electric version.
He said the aim was to create an electric bike that would prove to be “sporty, light, exciting and able to satisfy all enthusiasts”.