In terms of design, and considering the current state of affordable, readily available (read: non-experimental) battery technology, a satisfactory EV motorcycle is a much bigger design challenge than any EV car.
The reason why is simple: Space.
Unless all you plan to use your motorbike for is a quick run to the shops/work/school and back, range anxiety is absolutely a thing. I've both lived with EV motorcycles and spent many years of my life doing both short and long commutes on motorbikes, so I'm definitely speaking from experience here, and not just theorizing.
As emissions restrictions tighten in countries around the world, there's naturally interest in EV conversions of ICE machines for some people. Thanks to the inherent spatial restrictions on bikes, you'll find far more interesting EV car and truck (and other four-wheeler) projects than motorcycles at this point in time.
That is, of course, if you haven't heard of High Field. It's a custom shop in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, that specializes in all things Harley-Davidson. They've been in operation for a couple of decades now, and are well respected in the local custom community.
In September 2024, with the help of the EV conversion experts at OZ Motors, it finished the prototype for what it hopes will become a new, readily available EV conversion kit for a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. Just a couple of months later, Harley-Davidson motorcycle designer Dais Nagao even stopped by to check the bike out and go for a ride.
It didn't happen overnight, of course. This project was a labor of love, and one that began with the dream of High Field founder Makoto Ueno, all the way back in 2018. He saw the writing on the wall and wanted to see if he could successfully integrate an appropriate electric drivetrain and battery solution into his beloved Harleys. Emissions rules in Japan are strict, and only getting stricter, so he wanted to get ahead of the curve.
Why couldn't Harley owners benefit, he reasoned?
Of course, there was resistance within his shop, because Harley fans are generally drawn to little things like their engines and their distinctive sound. Still, Ueno believed in his idea, so he began consulting with OZ Motors about the feasibility of this project. Sadly, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and passed away before his EV Harley dream could be realized.
Still, current High Field owner Yuko Ueno, who was Makoto's wife, carried on the mission. Together with the rest of her team and the folks at OZ, they eventually settled on a design that shrouded the electric motor to give a pleasing aesthetic appearance. To get a decent range, they mounted twin battery packs where hard saddlebags would be, and can reportedly get between 99 and 136-ish miles on a single charge.
Best of all, says Ueno, is the fact that this EV-converted Fat Boy is ridable in Japan by riders who only have mid-sized motorcycle licenses. The plan is to develop this into a readily available conversion kit that High Field can offer to interested Harley owners. While nothing has been finalized yet, the pricing also doesn't sound unreasonable at all. They're aiming for a retail price of between 500,000 and 1,000,000 yen, or about US $3,165 to $6,331.
So, would you give this EV Fat Boy a try if you had the chance? If you happen to be anywhere near High Field, it's not only on display at the shop right now; you can also take it for a test ride, says the shop.
For more information, or to plan your visit to High Field's shop, check the link above.
Source: Asahi Shimbun
