Is this the motorbike of the future?

By topgear, 06 June 2019

Given the increasing environmental, political and social pressures, it’s not surprising that it’s not just Car World that’s two-footed its way through the door into a newly electrified world – Planet Bike is also having an EV overhaul, too. Ducati has announced that it’s going all-electric and Harley Davidson is launching its first electrified bike – the Livewire – in a few months time. But what happens if you go all-in on the future of two-wheels? Well, you get something like the Arc Vector.

It’s a £90,000 (RM477,000) all-electric café racer built for rich eco-minded types who love their speed to come via two-wheels and in silence. First announced at last November’s EICMA show in Milan, after a period of crowdfunding, the nearly £100k neo-café racer will now enter full production at the end of 2020. In total, 399 units will be built to order in the first 18 months. So, if you want one, you better get your name down now. Or start saving. Actually, you should probably do both as it’s got lots of very trick bits on it.

Featuring Human Interface Technology (a special jacket and helmet give you a HUD built into the visor displaying speed, GPS, revs and with a rear-view camera as well as forming the bike’s key), a carbon monocoque and swing arm (like a MotoGP bike), trick hub-centre steering, power-dense battery cells, bespoke brakes (from Brembo), customisable Ohlins suspension and race-inspired BST wheels, it’s quite the shopping list. And thanks to the inherent use of very pretty and good materials (carbon, alloys, exposed copper detailing and aircraft-grade aluminium) the Vector’s total dry weight is just 220kg.

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Considering it’s full of nearly 1,000 power dense Samsung batteries (just like the ones in your laptop), that weight figure is impressive. Shove is provided by a 399-volt electric motor producing 133bhp and 148Nm That means it’s got the best power-to-weight ratio of any electric bike – 650bhp per tonne. Range? 270 miles. 0 to 97kph? Three seconds. Top speed? 201kph. And, with no clutch or gears to worry about, you just twist and go. And hang on tight. Looks ace, too.

So, is this a future of two-wheeling that you can get on board with? Or should petrol reign supreme?