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[Richard230]

I kind of wonder what is the best way to promote electric motorcycles.  Obviously, Zero and Brammo don't really have the bucks to launch an advertizing campaign, like Honda did during the 1960's to get their products into the market.  The old saw used to be "win on Sunday and sell on Monday" (of course it is pretty hard to find a motorcycle shop open on Monday nowadays).  That seemed to work pretty well when there was a dirt track outside every town in the U.S. and races were held every weekend.  Now those tracks are gone and turned into shopping centers and races are few and far between, as well as not being reported in the news media or on TV, as they once were.

Probably the best bang for the buck is to offer various enthusiast magazines an opportunity to test the bikes, publish several pages about the new models and hope the review comes out positive (no mechanical or electrical failures). But with all of the new IC models coming on the market this year (whose manufacturers are big advertisers in the magazines), print reviews of electric motorcycles seem to be on the back-burner right now.

Another option is to get the general news media interested in electric motorcycles, but that is unlikely to happen until gas prices spike again.  I thought Terry (offthegrid) did an exemplary job of getting the word out at the grassroots level.  But he was in a rush to get from Florida to LA and never really had an opportunity to talk to the print, radio or TV press, which would have been more effective at spreading the word to the general public - at little or no cost to the manufacturers.

Obviously we all will bend someone's ear about the technology if approached by the public, but that one-on-one approach is just not enough to spread the word very far.

Every year my local high school has a technology fair and I have been using that forum to show off my electric motorcycles.  I put my Electric Motorsport GPR-S's on display in 2010 and 2011 and the Zero made it to the 2012 event.  I would bring brochures and dealer business cards to hand out.  Unfortunately, the show seems to be mostly a money-maker for the school.  It costs $25 to enter an exhibit and just about every exhibit is an IC automobile (1970's muscle cars and Fords from a local dealer), with a couple of H-D motorcycles thrown in by Dudley Perkins.  Oddly, the fair is not attended by any of the school's students, nor do they enter any exhibits. I never saw anyone pass by that was under 40 years old and the interest in any of the motorcycles on display seemed to be limited. The old cars got a lot more attention than anything else.  Another tech fair is coming up again in May, and I'll give it another try.  Maybe things will be different this year.   

Anyway, I keep thinking about how we can promote electric motorcycles to the general public.  It would be really nice if they were used as motorcycle trainers, but their cost is too high, compared with the 125cc and 250cc IC models being used in most training programs. 

My interest in this subject is mostly selfish.  I figure that the more people that buy electric motorcycles, the more likely it is that Brammo and Zero (and any other manufacturer that gets into the market) will stay in business. That will insure that after-sales support will continue, accessories will be available and the technology will advance - resulting in a greater variety of models to buy in the future.

So does anyone else have any ideas how we (or the manufacturers) can get this technology in front of the public and get them interested in it?

I thought the Zero marketing department a couple of years ago (when they never seemed to have a product on the market) was really doing a good job of getting out press releases almost every week (or so it seemed).  They currently have a great website, but I am not sure how well they get people to visit it.  And now to get off of my soapbox.

[Doctorbass]

Personally i think that the passion we have  certainly one of the biggest impact to the public.

i've been building, enjoying, developiing and sharing "madmax" electric bicycle since 7 years now and i think that personnaly i made a big impact on the interest and to make prople discover that.

In 2009 i made a speed record with my electric bike and that was at a TV show in Canada and some newspapers... and today i still get feedback about that from around the world.

I receive ALOT of emails from people all around the world saying that i've been an inspiration for them when they saw my powerfull ebikes on the internet and on TV.

At the begining i wanted to have people better know what are the real performances of electric motor so i made two incredible things with ebikes: I broke the american world record of 93km/h with 94.3kmh with my fastest electric bike and also i towed a  19200 pounds schoolbus with my other Torque monster ebike.

I often have some ebike parts dealer, and electric parts supply store near where i live  that say that they have alot of people asking for parts like i had on my ebikes.

I think i succeded to have a big impact and i am really proud to have inspired alot of people around teh world for their ebikes.

All that, just because my passion, the time i took to share it over the internet and the TV adn that i'm convinced about the big advantages of ebikes.

Now my new goald is to do the same with elecric motorcycle, begining here in Quebec, than, the Canada and finally maybe have a little impact over the planet.

Record, Drag racing, race all also have big impact.

Something else that i think have a big impact is giving conferences to young people at school. I had occasion to do that 5-6 times and i btang some of my ebikes with me  in the class.  These kids was all listening with big eyes and asking alot of questions at the end.  that was great!  The big impact about that is because this will certainly make them moew curious and attracted by EV when they will decide to buy their first scooter, car, or motorcycle, because they will remember!

Let's be patient! The world is great, EV will happen and SOLID!

DOc

[benswing]

I meet up with people every other weekend at Cars & Croissants events.  We have several EV's and my Zero S alongside Lamborghinis, Maseratis, etc.  Word of mouth is a great way to help the cause. 

Right now it's Earth Day season and our crew of electric vehicles are getting out to Eco-fairs & other events just about every weekend.  People who have a chance to talk with real owners are more likely to consider purchasing an electric vehicle. 

I agree that big ad campaigns are really the way to get the message out, but sharing your riding experience person to person can make a very real impact. 

There is a huge motorcycle superstore near me (MotorcycleMall.com) and I plan to hit a lot of their events this summer.

[WindRider]

I love motorcycles of all kinds so I often go to local motorcycle dealer sponsored events and just ride the Zero and park it in the front.   Bikers always gather to check it out and ask questions.

I found it a bit surprising that the most interesting thing for motorcyclists who have not ridden ebikes is that they want to HEAR it running.   Earlier this week I went to a local event hosted by Happy Trails (http://www.happy-trail.com) to show the Colorado BDR trail in the Happy Trails Adventure Theatre, they call it.   Fun event, lots of great people and a movie about the Colorado Backcountry trail that crosses Colorado all on Backroads.   

Outside there were big BMW GS, KLRs, KTMs, and all manner of ADV rides and riders and the Zero DS was parked right up front.   As I geared up to ride home a crowd gathered.   They wanted to hear it start up.   I explained what was happening as it booted up, the GRN light came on and then I "roared" off in silence.

It seems anti climatic to me, but there is definitely interest from other bikers in hearing an ebike start up and ride off in silence.

To help get the word out on eBikes I also started a long term thread over on the ADV forum which has already gotten over 6,000 views.   I intend to keep updating that as the bike goes past certain milestones.    I have encouraged other readers of this forum to post on that thread as well and have already gotten a few cross posts from Electric Motorcycle Forum members.   That thread is here at : http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=869280

I did catch some angst for posting in the Thumper section but there is no EV section.... other than that there has been a lot of interest and good general discussion.

I think that the best way to get the word out is just ride your bike everywhere and get it seen out on the road, along with exposure to other riders wherever motorcycles gather.   Long trips on EVs are also really interesting so finding ways to pull that off always grabs attention but it is still a challenge today.

[NoiseBoy]

I was going to echo WindRider's sentiments and say the best thing we can do as owners is get out on the bikes and be seen.  Somebody who has spoken to an owner is much more likely to go out and buy an ebike than someone who has merely seen a newspaper ad imo.

Something that might be useful though is a way to show people how little mileage they actually do in/on their ICE vehicles.  Maybe a GPS linked app that could demonstrate how the range of an electric vehicle is more than sufficient for their needs.  I.e. they travelled 60 miles then stopped for 8 hours where they could have charged etc.  I am always 3 questions, how far does it go? how fast does it go? and what does it sound like? and always in that order so range anxiety is still the main holdback for potential buyers (i don't believe that cost is an issue for many, especially over here where the £70,000 range rover sport is a common family car)

[Richard230]

I ride my Zero occasionally to Alice's Restaurant, where there are usually lots of motorcycles in the parking lot.  So far though, interest in my Zero S has been pretty limited.  Perhaps the Brammo Empulse will be of more interest to the sport bike crowd up there.   

One thing that I do is to post any article I can find about production electric motorcycles, such as the Zero and Brammo models on the BMW forum that I frequent, in the General Discussion topic forum.  I find that BMW motorcycle owners seem to have a fair amount of interest in the technology and I have received some positive comments and a number of "likes" as a result of the posts.  Interestingly, most of the enthusiasm seems to be from European BMW owners.   

[BSDThw]

My experience  most people don't realize the Zero as an electric bike, because the plastic parts around the battery box hide "every" thing.
I have removed it over winter time and last week a colleague who passed my bike every day the last year turned his had and looked quite puzzled at the bike. I was standing some meters away at the entrance (having an e-cigarette ) and watched it.
On the one side it is a good way to make an e-bike look as a standard bike for acceptance but on the other it is a pity not having an "outstanding" bike.
In traffic the other vehicles are loud and it will not really occur that we are silent, and when we accelerate we are so fast that people don't know what it was
 

[NoiseBoy]

Most people do notice at low speed, ive had a few occasions where pedestrians have stopped to watch me pull away from the lights or drivers (usually in vans) pull alongside to take a look.  Everyone notices on a quiet road when i go past whilst 'making progress above the limit' though.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I get a lot of notice and questions, at stop lights, from pedestrians, and at any motorcycle shop or dealer. So I get out there and answer the questions honestly and gladly. I take the bike to local motorcycle meetups. The questions generally run in this order: "Is that electric? How far can it go? How fast can it go? What maintenance is there?" which are pretty good in general, so people seem curious and appreciative. Hopefully I can kit out the bike a bit with panniers to make it appear more as an all-around useful commuter. the 2013 Zero is an awesome zero-maintenance commuter, and I too will feel more secure with it if others buy them, too.

[jazclrint]

I'd say racing is quite alive from the fact we have 3 rounds of MotoGP and one round of WSBK in the US this year.  I think the focus has gone from the local flat tracks and watching your buddy, to watching high level racing that we've never had access to before.  And elmotos are being talked about in the MotoGP pits, just no one is willing to admit publicly they think they are cool.  As lap times fall and the bikes develop even more it will be cool.  And if the cool people think its cool then you have something.  But that's just the racing fan side.

The magazines will write about them when they have something to write about in comparison to the gas bikes.  I think they have been much more vocal this year than the past 2 years with the coming of the 2013 bikes.  I also feel, though, that performance will speak louder than range.  If Brammo comes out with a liter bike that is simply faster than any other production liter bike on the track and is better on the street, and Zero comes out with an adventure bike that simply better than anything else on the street or beaten path, the rags will have to take notice.  Battery tech is going to slowly improve until we get the few leaps we need.  No sense in not having badass bikes in the mean time that are just waiting for better range.

Personally, I think everyone is doing everything that is possible to be done.  The manufactures, the race teams and series, us bloggers, and more importantly all you folks who build and/or own bikes and show up to your local events.  I think it is all building to a critical mass, but it is just going to take time, and everyone maintaining their efforts. 

[WindRider]

I think that until ebikes can compete with ICE bikes in terms of price the only thing that could really launch their popularity and sales would be higher gas prices.   

Most people do not venture off the main path unless there is a really compelling reason or a strong financial incentive.   

[skeezmour]

And that is where the rub is. If we hit price parity with gas bikes of similar power/range/weight the electric bike will be such a crazy good bargain due to lack of fueling costs/maintenance. It is hard to get that idea across to people.

 

[pinkyracer]

Harlan's doing a great job. We just met up at the shop, and 5 of us rode out to the Venice Vintage MC Wednesday ride. Not only did people get to see the bikes, but Harlan lets anyone who's interested take one of his demos for a spin. It was neat to see this guy on an FX for the first time wheelie-ing the hell out of it, while Harlan had a blast on his vintage Yamaha. That's what it takes, letting people discover firsthand how much fun they are. Zero's demos at the Laguna Seca MotoGP races are always booked solid through the weekend.

[Noleander]

I think promoting electric motorcycles would be easier if there were a club comprised of riding members, who come together to tackle specific problems (like the need for promoting EVs) and do fundraising for special purpose charities. I am in the beginning stages of starting such a club, I call it the E.M.C^2 (electric motorcycle club squared). I don't know if I can post a link here, but if anyone wants for info, pm me for info. A big event that I think would attract tons of good media coverage is a Sturgis ride. It would be quite a feat getting motorcycles that could make any kind of journey like that, but even if a small group of riders were to be able to accomplish it, through the use of range-extending trailers to be towed behind the bikes and quick charges, I'm sure it would make headlines and really help people get over the range anxiety idea.

[Richard230]

So today I entered my Zero in the local high school auto show.  Unfortunately, the fellow next to me got all the attention.  He seemed to be the hit of the show.  I had a couple of people ask me about my bike, but they wandered off when I became too talkative.  I did get rid of a couple of brochures to some kids that wandered by, though.

There was one other EV at the show.  It was a brand-new $90,000 three-wheel, front-wheel drive, reverse-trike, Epic Torq Roadster.  I was told that it was the first production car produced and the owner was looking for a dealer that could market the car in the Bay Area.  The owner said that he picked up the car yesterday and decided to enter it in the local show at the last minute.