The launch of the Energica Experia, with it's focus on touring, has made me reflect on whether electric bikes can tour. I've been riding for a fair few years and ridden quite extensively around the UK and Europe, and several forays into north Africa. I used to predominantly tour solo, or occaisionally in a group, whereas now I try to take a pillion whenever I can. Ideally I'd like to continue doing this, but on an electric bike.
I've seen enough YouTube videos where petrolheads take an electric bike out for a test ride, love the experience, but then roll out the clichés; electric bikes are too expensive and they don't go far enough. I've discussed the cost of electric bikes before, so I won't go over old ground again here. But is range the killer factor in touring with an electric bike?
There's been the same evolution of the discussion of range in the electric car world. The original 2010 Nissan Leaf had a real world range of 70 miles, and for some folks that was enough. These days it appears a range of 200 to 300 miles is considered sufficient, and now the discussion is about charging speed. After all, 200 miles at the UK's fastest speed limit is about 3 hours of driving, or London to York along the whole length of the M1, which is pretty much as far as you should go without taking a break. So the focus for electric cars is now on charging speed. If after 3 hours of high speed driving your car can be recharged in the time it takes you to stretch your legs, visit the toilet, and have a bite to eat, then in effect it has infinite range. Which is why Tesla, Kia, Porsche and co. are promoting their 800V, 350kW capable charging systems, with 20 minute charging times to 80% state of charge.
So back in the electric bike world, does an electric touring bike need to have a 200 mile range and a 20 minute recharge time? Maybe. Maybe not. Because not everyone's tour involves riding 1000 miles in a day. I'm pretty sure that Nathan Millward would class riding from Sydney to London as a "tour", and he did it on a Honda CT110 over 9 months. No thousand mile days on his tour. But if you do want to go further, and you're determined, then you can. Steven Day's latest ride was almost 6,000 miles across North America in about 4 and a half days, on an Energica Eva Ribelle. If cracking out the miles is what you care about, it can be done on an electric bike.
But that's not for me. 100 mile range and an 80% charge in under an hour is sufficient for me. Of course I wouldn't turn my nose up at more miles and faster charging, and these things will come in time, but they're not currently a barrier to touring for me. This is because as I've got older what makes my rides enjoyable has changed, and it only comes down to a handful of things:
I limit my daily mileage to about 200 miles (320 km), spread across the day. That's two or three hours of riding either side of a lunch stop. Especially if I'm touring somewhere hot, a longish lunch gets me out of the midday sun and fuels me up for the afternoon. And when I'm with a pillion I won't ride more than an hour without a short break to stretch our legs. The discipline of keeping the riding distance fairly modest means I spend more time planning the route, looking for great roads, viewpoints, and sights to see, which in turn makes the ride better all around.
I avoid planning a big final day on the motorway to get home. I hate that feeling of waking up on the final day, knowing that it's the last and I've got a boring motorway slog ahead of me, that's a real downer on the end of what was probably a great tour. So instead I plan that slog (if I absolutely have to) as part of the outward leg on the the first day, and for the last day factor in a sight to see relatively near home. That keeps me in a touring mood right up until the end of the trip.
I love planning a tour, poring over maps (both Google and paper), reading other biker's blogs and watching YouTube videos. So I set off knowing pretty much where I'm going and how long it'll take to get there. But I also refine my planning along the way, and if there's an interesting side road I'll take it. I tend to book only the next day's accommodation in advance. I've probably missed out on some stonking deals by not booking 6 months in advance, but the payback is the flexibility to change route and schedule on a whim, which is worth the cost.
I service my bike before a big trip, and replace any consumables that would likely not last the distance. Before I leave I confirm I've got the tools to perform routine checks and adjustments, such as tyre pressures and belt tension, and I know what adjustments to make. I don't want to waste a precious day or two of a trip getting the bike fixed because I ran the tyres flat or wore out the brake pads. And I keep some duct tape, insulating tape and zip ties under the seat in case of the unexpected. Almost anything can be secured with these in order to limp to a proper repair.
