I read a thought-provoking letter in a recent MCN (UK weekly motorcycling newpaper, for those living elsewhere). The writer raised the point that electric bikes are going to be quite disruptive when it comes to riding in groups; the larger the group, the worse it gets.
We’ve all been in a situation with our petrol machines where a stop is made at a garage and some people fill up while others mill about, perhaps because they have larger tanks, better economy or simply because their own tank was full when they set out and others weren’'t.
What, right now, is a 5-10 minute opportunity to stretch your legs and chat to each other will suddenly become at least a 20-30 minute stop. With a mix of petrol and electric bikes in the same group that’s going to get pretty divisive.
Even is everyone stops together, there’s still a much longer break for charging, and that assumes there are enough chargers available in the same place. Ok if there’s just a few riders perhaps, but in a larger group it’ll be a pain as people have to mooch about the locality looking for somewhere to plug-in their bike.
This isn’t supposed to be a case against the development of electric bikes but it does seem another challenge to the way some people’s social life.
