Electric Motorcycles vs Fossil Fuelled Motorcycles, Which Is Faster and Why.

It’s an age-old question that dominates headlines and motorcycle-related forums: are electric motorcycles faster than fossil-fueled motorcycles?

Honestly, it’s a pretty tough question to answer, and we are sorry to spoil your fun, but there isn’t a definitive answer because simply put, it depends.

There are so many factors that go into these two different types of motorcycles, which means that in some situations, one is faster than the other, and in others, the roles are switched.

If you start to look deeper, you end up falling down the wormhole of, “What does it mean to be the fastest?” Because sure, an electric motorcycle may accelerate faster, but a fossil-fueled motorcycle would soon catch up and overtake the electric motorcycle due to a higher top speed. So which factors are we counting on to be the fastest?

What is the top speed of an electric motorcycle?

The top speed of an electric motorcycle is determined by factors such as the power output of its electric motor and how aerodynamic the motorcycle is. Normally, the race for top speed is won by fossil-fueled motorcycles, but some high-performance electric motorcycles can outperform fossil-fueled motorcycles.

Looking at facts and figures, the highest top speed for an electric motorcycle is 218 mph (350 km/h), set by the Lightning LS-218, whereas the highest top speed for a fossil-fueled motorcycle is much higher. We will use the example of the Kawasaki H2R, which saw a top speed of 249 mph (400 km/h) thanks to 5-time World Champion Kenan Sofuoğlu who was brave enough to test the limits of the motorcycle on a road bridge in Turkey in 2016.

Are electric motorcycles really that fast?

Overall, electric motorcycles can be just as fast as their fossil-fueled counterparts; if you were to pair two electric dirt bikes together of similar power output, the likelihood is that you would find the results to be very equal.

Our Future Moto Racing Team competes against a variety of fossil-fueled flat trackers, with our incredibly talented Alan Birtwistle consistently matching and beating his competitors on dirt.

How do electric motorcycles compare to fossil-fueled motorcycles?

Ducati recently pitted their new 2023 MotoE V21L machine against their own Ducati Desmosedici GP22 in a drag race. The Desmosedici can achieve 0–100 km/h in just 2 seconds and is arguably the fastest naturally aspirated motorcycle on the planet. It won the 2022 MotoGP World Championship with Francesco Bagnaia and stood atop the podium 12 out of a possible 20 times at the hands of three Ducati riders.

The V21L was able to hold its own for the first few seconds thanks to the lightning-fast reactions of Chaz Davies, but soon enough the Desmosedici of Michele Pirro was able to pull away once the true power of the Desmosedici was unleashed.

Because of the way the electric motor provides power, the acceleration of an electric motorcycle differs from that of a fossil-fueled motorcycle.

Why do electric motorcycles accelerate so fast?

Electric motors can use 100% of their torque at the twist of the throttle, allowing them to accelerate quickly which often gives them a significant advantage over fossil-fueled motorcycles. On the other hand, a fossil-fueled motorcycle would have a more gradual build-up of power and torque, which means that while it may start slower and reach 60 mph (100 km/h) in more time, it will soon catch up.

There are brands such as Damon that claim that their Electric HyperSport can reach speeds of up to 200 mph and 0-100 km/h in under three seconds, putting it firmly in contention with your top-of-the-range superbikes such as the Yamaha R1, Ducati V4 R, and Honda CBR 1000RR-R.

Ultimately, the performance of any given motorcycle, whether electric or fossil-fueled, depends on its specific design and components. Electric motorcycles are faster in some areas, while fossil fuels easily win in others.