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May 27, 2023

Battery Bike / Evoke Claims 6061 GT Electric Tourer Has Range Up To 400 Miles

The Evoke 6061 GT, the top of the 6061 series. Photo: Evoke Electric motorcycles

The Evoke 6061 GT, the top of the 6061 series. Photo: Evoke

Electric motorcycles currently face two big difficulties: Battery charge limitations (both range and recharge times), and expense. However, Beijing-based Evoke says its top-tier electric touring motorcycle will solve that first problem. The 6061 GT tourer reportedly has 400-mile in-city range, and as high as 280 miles of mixed-use between urban riding and open roads.

You might remember having seen such bold claims from Evoke before, when it unveiled the original 6061 power cruiser pre-COVID. But like everyone else, Evoke was affected by COVID-19, having to shut down production for a while due to issues with the supply chain. In the past few months, Evoke seems to have sorted those issues out and is expanding both its lineup and its global distribution network.

The 6061 GT is the latest evolution of the 6061 platform, and its claimed battery charge range is significantly better than the original. With 400 miles of urban range, 205 miles of highway range and 280 miles of mixed use, the 6061 GT is supposed to go farther on a charge than any other readily-available electric motorcycle, even the Energica Experia. When it's time to recharge, Evoke says the air-cooled 300-volt battery pack, with 29.8 kWh capacity (largest on the market, Evoke claims), can be recharged to 80 percent in 30 minutes from a CCS-enabled 50kW DC charging station. It can also recharge at a much slower rate from 110V or 220V AC systems.

Evoke says its proprietary battery and motor management system is what enables it to stretch its range beyond its competitors.

Most riders won't complain about a 30-minute break every 200-250 miles. However, there are some obvious drawbacks here—suitable charging stations don't exactly sit on every corner, especially away from urban centers. And that claimed 205 miles of highway range will decrease if you’re flogging the bike viciously. The ambient temperature will also make a difference.

However, this is a machine that you could conceivably use to do a 500-mile day with minimal delays for recharging.

In case you wondered, Evoke claims the permanent magnet multi-wound synchronous motor makes the equivalent of 120 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque. ABS is standard, and the regen braking system can be adjusted to your liking. Up front, there's a dual-disc brake with 310 mm rotors mated to four-piston calipers; in back, a 265 mm disc with two-piston caliper. The GT weighs a whopping 320 kg. That's the price of having such a large battery.

Evoke's website goes into significant detail on the bike's technical features, but be warned: There are some errors in grammar and other mistakes. Does a janky-looking website mean these bikes are junk? Not necessarily. But it does mean that you aren't buying a Honda, to put it lightly, so proceed with caution. And speaking of buying, the Evoke 6061 GT currently has an MSRP of $24,995 USD. While battery bike manufacturers continue to slowly sort of the problems of range and charging, they still haven't solved the problem of affordable all-rounder electric motorcycles for the masses. It will be hard to convince people to drop $25G on a complicated motorcycle if the manufacturer can't even figure out how to upload high-rez photos to its website.