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[DonTom]

Even with all electronics safety features on new models, it would be too much torque, too much speed, too much weight to learn motorcycling.

Learn the bike in eco mode. That makes the bike very low toque & low speed, but doesn't help with the weight.

-Don-  Casa Grande, AZ (RV)

[HoodRichOG]

Even with all electronics safety features on new models, it would be too much torque, too much speed, too much weight to learn motorcycling.

Learn he bike in eco mode. That makes the bike very low toque & low speed, but doesn't help with the weight.

-Don-  Casa Grande, AZ (RV)

That's like using the slow mode on a Turbo Busa.

It doesn't make it a friendly bike to learn on at all.

[Anubis-R]

Learn he bike in eco mode. That makes the bike very low toque & low speed, but doesn't help with the weight.

-Don-  Casa Grande, AZ (RV)

If I had it as my first bike, i won't have been able to keep it in eco or rain... for sure
As your first bike, you will be tempted to test the sport mode once you think you are used to your bike... that's evil temptation ^^ but not safe at all because in reality, you think you're ready but you're not...

this bike is pure evil for a motorcycle noob ^^

[Fran K]

Learn he bike in eco mode. That makes the bike very low toque & low speed, but doesn't help with the weight.

-Don-  Casa Grande, AZ (RV)

If I had it as my first bike, i won't have been able to keep it in eco or rain... for sure
As your first bike, you will be tempted to test the sport mode once you think you are used to your bike... that's evil temptation ^^ but not safe at all because in reality, you think you're ready but you're not...

this bike is pure evil for a motorcycle noob ^^

Some bikes will tend to make the operator twist the throttle more than others.  And I am not specifically talking about newer riders.  The lack of sound I think makes electric motorcycles safer.

One thing I read on here that sticks in my mind is close to this "you may be able to buy it but being able to afford it is another matter".  Maybe they were thinking in currency or gold equivalent but I think of bodily injury.

[BigPoppa]

One thing I read on here that sticks in my mind is close to this "you may be able to buy it but being able to afford it is another matter".  Maybe they were thinking in currency or gold equivalent but I think of bodily injury.

I never thought about it that way but you’re 100% correct, there is definitely the physical cost in the event of an accident.

Without knowing the maturity level of the OP, I think most of us can only provide general advice for a general audience. At the end of the day, I say the OP knows themselves best and whether they have the riding maturity (even as a beginner) to restrain themselves on an electric motorcycle (not just an Energica) long enough to properly learn it’s nuances and enjoy a long riding career.

[Crissa]

The final word on what the best bike to ride as a beginner is: One you'll ride.

Everyone else has covered the 'can you fit' 'can you lift' 'are you worried about it' bits.

For me, not having that fuel worry or waste worry means I can have more fun.  Of course, the Energicas specifically are much too expensive and a tad heavy for me

-Crissa

PS:  anyone who says electrics have too much torque for a newbie has never actually paid attention to them.  Like Dom said, you can turn down the torque with a flick of the thumb.  Can't do that on an ICE bike reliably.

[dryhte]

[...]

PS:  anyone who says electrics have too much torque for a newbie has never actually paid attention to them.  Like Dom said, you can turn down the torque with a flick of the thumb.  Can't do that on an ICE bike reliably.

That's true, you can turn them down and ride in rain mode all the time in the hands of a mature and restrained person, they are totally safe.

On the other hand, nobody in their right mind would recommend a 1000cc bike to a new rider, or a 600cc sports bike for that matter.

I would argue that the Zero S or DS are safe enough for a new rider, the Energicas are probably a bit much (though the Esseesse9 is in fact quite gentle, in my experience).

I still consider myself a rather new rider, with only about 5 years and 50k km of experience (on Honda's CB500x and Suzuki's DL650, mostly).

[yhafting]

I'm a beginner.  I purchased a City Slicker for commuting to the train station a few months ago and it's been a blast.  I also just passed the MSF beginner course and plan to purchase a more powerful bike (capable of going highway speeds) in a few months.  As a personal thing, I'm looking at electric bikes only.

After a bunch of googling, I landed on pretty much Zero SR or Energica Ego/Ribelle.  However, I feel the Energica offers a lot more as a bike without being that much more expensive....so I'd rather skip straight to an Energica bike.  The power of these bikes don't scare me because I'm aware of my limits and plan to take things very slowly.  However, I've read that the Energica bikes are in general very heavy and I'm afraid it will make handling/turning tricky.

Given how novice I am, how stupid would I be to purchase an energica bike as my first serious bike?  Is the handling/turning as difficult as my mind is making it out to be?  If you believe Energica as a first serious bike is immensely bad, I would be super grateful for advice on other electric bikes and why

Personally i bought an SR (2015) before taking my license. It worked fairly well, but i have had one accident due to wheel spin. Learning to resist the urge to go faster all the time is important. My wheel spin accident had nothing to do with that, and was all about stress, and could have been prevented with traction control- (i will not going further into it here).

The thing that was great with an SR was that you could dial down the power when practicing. While learning that was important. Going without gears and clutch leaves you much more time thinking. Right now i'm struggling with quality issues with my SR, and thus i'm looking forward to the day i will be able to trade up for something more reliable.

Whether you drop your first bike or not, you will learn that the bike cost more than you did expect at first. Buying an expensive bike will cost more- even if it is more reliable. The most dangerous part when riding is probably between 1 and 2 years after you get your first big bike (i believe i have read some statistics on that but i can at least attest that for my own sake), because your speed will increase along with your confidence. Finding the right spot to calm down will be important. 

I would recommend testing the bike before buying, if that is possible. Going on a sportbike such as the ego if that does not suit you will be a huge mistake. What bike is right depend on your size and weight. Finding that the bike is set up wrong (to high/ low seat, peg position etc) and regretting is more costly on a heavy bike- especially if you have dropped it. However if the bike is right,  and the attitude is right, i am sure it is possible to make it right. Personally id advice to get either a lighter bike than the SR (or even the new S) or get traction control. Even the Zero S has enough torque to get you in serious trouble.

On my part, i'm dreaming of an esse 9, but i have to purchase a bigger house first (family man), then start saving (sigh), but the new bikes get better every year, so i can't wait until i am ready. For my part i have realized much more about what i want from a bike after going with Zero for four years. It is mostly a better seat, faster charging and traction control, other than that i am quite happy as it is. The point is more likely that your first bike will likely not be the last you will buy. And it will likely not be the most expensive either. Good Luck!