After Getting Used to Electric Motorbikes, Returning to Gasoline Feels Hot, Vibrating and Noisy

Micah Toll, a writer for Electrek, usually rides electric motorbikes. During a trip lasting several weeks across several Philippine islands, he and his wife instead used small gasoline motorbikes, creating a practical comparison between the two types.

The clearest advantage of gasoline was refuelling. Alongside regular petrol stations, small roadside shops in many areas sold gasoline in bottles. Riders could pay a modest amount, fill up quickly and continue, even when travelling far from urban centres. Electric motorbikes can theoretically charge wherever there is an electrical outlet, but a power supply is not always the same as a convenient socket for a visitor.

The differences became more noticeable after long periods on the road. Toll felt the vibration of the small single-cylinder engine through the handlebars, seat and footrests. After several hours, his hands, arms and body continued to tingle for several minutes after he got off the bike. Electric motors generally produce less vibration because they do not burn fuel or move pistons.

Heat was another contrast. Bottles of water stored beneath the seat became warm because the storage compartment sat close to the engine. The hot exhaust also required attention, particularly when his wife got on or off the bike. These issues rarely arise on electric motorbikes, which have no combustion engine or exhaust system.

Toll considered the Yamaha he rented a good motorbike, but he still preferred the Gogoro electric motorbike waiting at home. The source also points to engine noise as another major difference, with the gasoline motor drowning out sounds such as wind and birds.