The New Face of Electric Motorcycles

Monday, August 12, 2013 | Jon Foster

It seems that while the electric car market has received noticeable attention over the past decade, the electric motorcycle market has received almost none. However, that is all about to change thanks to a brand new bike hitting the streets this year. Introducing the Mission RS, the most advanced, and technologically sophisticated, electric motorcycle on the market.

Custom designed and manufactured by Mission Motorcycles to be the best production bike on the market, the RS, has by all accounts exceeded those expectations. According to Mark Seeger, president of Mission Motorcycles, “We started with a blank slate and set out to create the best motorcycle we possibly could.” And what they produced is beyond phenomenal.

The RS boasts a 160phb AC induction motor that generates a 120lb-ft of torque and can be tweaked to produce a staggering 220phb with over 160lb-ft of torque. Powering the motors is a 15kWh battery capable of propelling the RS from 0-60 in just 3 seconds, and providing a 230-mile range when driving in the city, and a 120-mile range on the highway. In addition, the RS has a limited top speed of 150mph, but could likely go faster as battery technology improves.

Even more impressive is the battery capacity, despite the range only being between 100-200 miles, the RS can be fully charged in about an hour, and better yet, doesn’t require complicated recharging gadgets. Simply find a normal outlet, pull up a chair, and charge your motorcycle. This is quite impressive considering how confusing other charging processes can be. Now, you can actually pull up to your friend’s house, charge your bike with an extension cord, and actually have it charged before the party is even over.

In addition, the RS sports a one-of-a-kind full digitalized user interface, which on top of integrated Bluetooth, GPS, Internet connectivity, and a built-in heads-up display, also has a mounted HD camera to record your runs on the bike. Better yet, with an electric powertrain that only has one moving part, owners only have to do maintenance on the brakes, tires, and suspension. And, if it does break down, Mission Motorcycles sends a technician to you, wherever you are, and fixes your motorcycles for free.

To be clear, the Mission RS is the prototype of the Mission “R” line, and as a result, will be built in very limited numbers, only 40 to be specific. However, if the predecessor is this good, we can only imagine that the Mission R will be even more impressive. Nevertheless, if you want a zero-emission motorcycle that you can charge in an hour, and outperforms almost every other motorcycle on the road, then the RS is the bike for you. If not you can always wait for the more affordable R to be released.