Is The Electric Motorcycle Evoke An Urban Classic?
We haven’t written about electric motorcycles much lately. Although, Energica revealed yet another e-motorcycle and Zero Motorcycles is refreshing its new 2018 lineup.
Check out our review of the 2017 Zero DS 13.0, from fellow writer Susanna Schick, and let’s now welcome the electric motorcycle Evoke Classic Urban.
Electric Motorcycle Evoke — the New Urban Classic?
Evoke Urban Classic is a Foxconn spinoff company that was established in 2014. And if you wonder how a Taiwanese company goes from making electronic devices to electric motorcycles, you’re not the only one.
One thing the LinkedIn profile explains is that Evoke uses much of its own proprietary system — an Evoke OS, Evoke ARC System (Automatic Response Center), and the Evoke PowerPack Evoke Smart Gear.
It makes sense for the Evoke to evoke a cafe racer look, and yes, pun intended. This classic look has been around for a few decades now. Although Ducati relaunched it in the 1990s, it wasn’t until Triumph and a few others revisited their past glory in the early 2000s that it took off again and caught on. Today, most major motorcycle makers have one sort or more of nostalgia on their lineup.
https://youtu.be/U4avF56rBPk
The Evoke Classic Urban Performance
On the technical side of things, the Evoke uses an onboard charger that takes 3 hours to charge to 80% on a Level 2 charger (240V). A full charge gives you 200 km (125 miles) of range. That range drops to 125 km (75 miles) on a highway.
Here’s the part that should raise eyebrows. The company decided to forgo the traditional layout of an electric motor using a chain or belt for its own designed brushless DC hub motor. We can hear purists scream here. What about the handling?
A 19kW electric motor puts out a maximum torque of 116.6 Nm (86 lb ft). Of course, the electric Evoke has regenerative braking and a maximum power output of 19 kW (25 HP). The top speed is 130 km/h (81 MPH).
The battery is a 7.8 kWh lithium-ion pack, but no news on who the manufacturer is. This gives the Evoke Classic Urban a 0 to 60 mph time of 6 seconds. The weight of the bike is 408 lb (185 kilos).
Remember the part about Foxconn starting off as an electronics company? As expected, you will find electronics in an electric motorcycle, and the company claims its lighting is handled by the latest in LED technology, giving the rider maximum visibility on the road. On the plus side, the LED headlight was designed with a classic cafe racer feel to it, something many motorcycle companies are going for these days.
The LCD display is touch controlled, but we do have to question its usefulness unless you wear touchscreen-capable gloves, a rarity in the motorcycle world still. Nonetheless, the screen lets you control it in an intuitive way and interact with this multi-touch, high-resolution digital display.
Can An Electric Motorcycle Be A Classic?
Perhaps that is the real question marketers should ask themselves as they try to woo a public eager to rekindle with a long-gone glorious past. We love the more modern and efficient drivetrains, and having a cool retro look included is definitely fun. Perhaps some of these electric motorcycles will someday become classics.
As you can see, the Evoke Classic Urban is no speed or performance demon but should work well as a first-time motorcycle. In the meantime, you can follow the company online on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
We’re certainly happy to see Foxconn introduce a classic look for an electric motorcycle and we can’t wait to try out the Evoke Urban Classic.
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