{"id":9072,"date":"2022-01-05T11:54:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T11:54:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advwisdom.com\/a\/5000-miles-for-20-meet-the-man-who-rode-an-electric-motorcycle-around-the-uk\/"},"modified":"2022-01-05T11:54:30","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T11:54:30","slug":"5000-miles-for-20-meet-the-man-who-rode-an-electric-motorcycle-around-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advwisdom.com\/a\/5000-miles-for-20-meet-the-man-who-rode-an-electric-motorcycle-around-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"5000 miles for \u00a3 20 – Meet the man who rode an electric motorcycle around the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Do you think you can drive 5,000 miles around the UK for less than \u00a3 20? What if I only give you \u00a3 18.69?<\/p>\n

That’s less than a typical round of drinks on a Friday night, and exactly how much two-wheeler and retired motorcycle racer Curt Langan spent on \u201crefueling\u201d while riding his electric motorcycle 5,000 miles across the UK.<\/p>\n

After choosing to replace the gasoline engine with an electric motor, Curt set out astride the Humber Bridge in September 2021 Zero S.<\/a>, with the plan to circumnavigate the UK in just 18 days.<\/p>\n

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Twenty-one days, 5,000 miles, and countless charges later, he returned triumphant with a damn good story to tell.<\/p>\n

We met with the electric adventurer to learn more and to ask the burning questions every biker wants to know about touring an electric motorcycle.<\/p>\n

Electrical dreams<\/h2>\n

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Adventure Bike Rider: Hi Curt, your trip sounds pretty epic. Did you have to add anything to the Zero to make it suitable for touring?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> The only changes I made to the bike were adding an optional cargo tank that allowed for roadside points to be charged. I also added a dual USB charger to the handlebar to charge my phone and Garmin.<\/p>\n

I also had to add an airpad to soften the seat a bit as it wasn’t entirely comfortable enough for the iron butt days I put on. I also broke my back four times during my racing career, which doesn’t help!<\/p>\n

ABR: What kilometers did you do every day?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> I generally covered 250 to 270 miles a day and covered 300 miles for a couple of days along the west coast of Scotland.<\/p>\n

ABR: How was the charging infrastructure? Was it different from region to region?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> The charging infrastructure is already pretty big and I’ve never really struggled to find a charging point anywhere in the UK.<\/p>\n

There are a lot more chargers in the southeast, but also a lot more electric vehicles. So when I showed up at a station, two or three of the four chargers were probably already busy.<\/p>\n

In contrast, there are fewer chargers on the west coast of Scotland, but I would always find a free one if needed. However, charging speeds can be different on these remote chargers, so I would charge enough on occasion to get to a faster one.<\/p>\n

“The charging cable was threaded through more mailboxes than you think”\"\"<\/h2>\n

Annual Interest:<\/strong> How different was traveling on an electric bike compared to traveling on a gasoline-powered bike?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> Riding an electric bike created some problems. Of course, I had to plan a little more when charging, my goal was to do two charging processes a day and then charge the bike overnight, so I had to be a little more picky about where to stay overnight.<\/p>\n

I’ve stayed in a mix of B & B’s, hotels, and plugged-in campsites, always trying to have an alternate charging method available in case my host didn’t want me to plug in overnight.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, 95% of them were more than happy that I could plug them into their power supply after I explained my mission. The charging cable was threaded through more mailboxes and windows than you can imagine.<\/p>\n

Some also went beyond that. Special greetings to The Jolly Drayman pub in Gravesend, who rode the bike to their restaurant overnight to recharge, and the Douglas Hotel in Castle Douglas, Scotland, who rode the bike to their ballroom to recharge.<\/p>\n

I also loved the lack of gears which turned out to be a godsend in places like Cornwall and Wales. I could just spin and go up and down the hills. And when it comes to inclines, engine braking and battery regeneration have improved range so I could spend even more time enjoying the road.<\/p>\n

As for the actual bike, the acceleration is just amazing. While some people doubt, I think that one morning in an electric saddle to experience this instant power for yourself would win many bikers to the world.<\/p>\n

Tour with an electric motorcycle\"E-motorcycle<\/h2>\n

Annual Interest:<\/strong> How did you plan your tank fillings? Was it usually a lunch break or a coffee?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> The stops were planned as close as possible to 120 miles away, which is roughly the range of the Zero when driving economically.<\/p>\n

I tried to select a stop that had an alternative available in case it was busy or not working. Some days I found it better to go in 80 mile blocks and charge for an hour when the charging stations would allow. The daily total mileage would be about the same, but it was a little more relaxed.<\/p>\n

In the more remote parts of Scotland, of course, it was better to stock up when you got the chance. As mentioned earlier, it’s best, if possible, to schedule a meal stop at the same time and kill two birds with one stone.<\/p>\n

Annual Interest:<\/strong> How much did you cost 5,000 miles on the Zero S?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> The total cost of electricity for the trip was \u00a3 18.69.<\/p>\n

The reason it was so cheap was to top up overnight at the property and then use Tesco’s amazing network in partnership with PodPoint. I cannot praise them enough, they are quick, reliable and available at all times.<\/p>\n

I would have chosen them even if there had been a cost. An added bonus was that you could usually get something to eat there too.<\/p>\n

And here is a tip. When planning your own road trip with an electric motorcycle, avoid chargers in parking lots as you are also responsible for parking fees.<\/p>\n

Travel across the UK<\/h2>\n

\"Charging<\/p>\n

ABR: What were some of the highlights of your ride?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> The main highlights of the trip were the entire south coast from Dover to Exeter. On some routes I could have driven along the Mediterranean coast.<\/p>\n

I also loved driving the coastal roads in Wales, in fact some of them were as hilly as the back roads I had explored in Cornwall which made for a great time in the saddle.<\/p>\n

I will also never forget the friendliness and helpfulness of the people I met on the way, riding an electric bike creates a lot of interest and a topic of conversation.<\/p>\n

Annual Interest:<\/strong> Were there any problems along the way?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> The weather was pretty brutal. I’ve had a torrential couple of days, but it wasn’t anything the Rukka gear couldn’t handle. On the other hand, because I drove a little slower and less aggressively in the wet, it improved the range of the Zero.<\/p>\n

A couple of times I came across very short range charging stations only to find them all occupied. Sometimes this might cost me an hour or 50 miles for the daily kilometers, which then threw my overnight stops out of sync.<\/p>\n

The main driving problem in Wales was when I got up with a flat tire on Sunday morning to find the nearest Halfords was 80 miles away. A bottle of gunge slowed the problem down but didn’t solve it, although it took me to Conway Bay where I could pick up a new tire.<\/p>\n

I planned to eat while it was charging and that worked very well in England and I worked my way through the Tesco menu (the charging points are some of the fastest and are free to use).<\/p>\n

The future?<\/h2>\n

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Annual Interest:<\/strong> Electric bikes are still in the early stages of development. So what do you think could be improved in terms of travel and touring in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> While electric motorcycles are relatively new, batteries are getting better all the time. Zero batteries for the next year have another upgrade that promises more range and faster charging times.<\/p>\n

With government support, the exponential expansion of the charging infrastructure will only help long-distance travel. You are already there to commute and as we have proven, with a little more planning, a long-distance tour is also possible.<\/p>\n

Annual Interest:<\/strong> What’s next, do you have any other electronic adventures in the works?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KL:<\/strong> For the future, I have a couple of bike rides in the pipeline where I will trade electrical energy for human energy, such as the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland.<\/p>\n

As for bicycles, next winter I am thinking of a trip from Santiago in Chile to Tierra del Fuego in Patagonia. Doing this trip on a Zero would be great.<\/p>\n

Zero electric motorcycles<\/h2>\n

Curt ended his trip on the Zero S that he had customized for the trip. To learn more about Zero electric motorcycles, go to his website<\/a> today.<\/p>\n

Or, check out our full review of the Zero DSR Black Forest, an electric adventure motorcycle designed for life on and off the road, on our website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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