Lands End To John O'Groats On An Electric Motorbike - What Could Go Wrong?

[@NewZeroland]

Awesome stuff! John's video sent me over here for even more Energica trip content. I loved the maps. It's crazy how far you guys rode. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and pushing the bikes to their limits to show what electric motorcycles are capable of!

[@andrewmorgan6775]

And for showing that the British charging network is getting better all the time. 😁👍

[@RWBHere]

What a difference five years makes! Well done, both of you. Thanks for sharing the experience. 🙂👍

[@robinbennett5994]

You should try an electrically heated waistcoat, it completely changed motorcycling for me. Keeping your body warm also keeps your circulation going, so your fingers and feet don't get nearly as cold either. People used to think I was mad for riding to work in the winter, but it was warmer than an ICE car where the heater takes 10 miles to warm up. Also, I'd be interested to see how much you spend on charging vs coffee!

[@andrewmorgan6775]

10 Miles? My passat took about 150 yards

[@sayresyDevino]

Thanks guys - your EV journey has renewed the love I have for my petrol bike.

[@user-rf9me7xm1w]

861 miles in 29 hours equates to an average speed of less than 30 mph. Is this the future of long distance travel ?

[@LeontheKiller11]

Yup, sad future

[@colinthornton1378]

Hope not

[@peterholzer4481]

They seem to have used mostly small rural roads. So that's not much slower than I would have expected with an ICE motorbike (my rule of thumb is 50 km/h average on rural roads, 100 km/h on motorways). Riding for 29 hours without any sleep is insane, though. I'd have definitely split this over two or even three days.

[@gasdive]

They weren't trying to cover ground fast. If you spend half an hour chatting it's a sign you're not going fast. They also charged slow on purpose. They also charged quite high, which slows you down. If you're going fast you'll only charge to about 60-70% and then bolt. It wouldn't be hard to shave 9 hours off that ride.

[@user-rf9me7xm1w]

@@gasdive Still less hanging around when using petrol !

[@nickieredshaw7835]

Wow nice trip well done thanks for the great update video take care and safe travels everyone

[@derekpirie9188]

Did Lands End to John O'Groats in 2018. The bottom half on a 1200 GS BMW and the top half by car, camping as I went. There were no chargers at John O'Groats then. Looking clean at both ends. Hope to make it over again some time. Greetings from, Durban, South Africa.

[@Brian-om2hh]

There are chargers at both ends now. Lands End and John O Groats.......

[@Ryy_Ryy]

Great Video! Im hoping to get an Energica this summer and do a similar trip around Michigan in the fall. Looking forward to it!

[@drdoolittle5724]

Totally BRILLIANT, deep respect to you both! They still make MEN obviously!

[@Jamesandkate]

The men weren't available so we both jumped in last minute - :-)

[@billybluetank86]

Well done for fulfilling the journey , BUT…..Just watching this gave me anxiety ….. total obsession about range and the next charging point hoping it’s not busy or broken,it strangles any sort of fun out riding a bike and the freedom it brings… not for me sorry

[@Luke---]

Having owned some sort of electric bike since 2013, I can tell you that feeling quickly disappears after a few weeks and you get used to it

[@RWBHere]

Ultimately, it's no different to not knowing whether the next petrol station is open/still in business/busy/expensive/out of fuel, with any road vehicle. There are so many EV recharging points around Britain nowadays that the concern is fading away rapidly. Bikers and drivers really should take the opportunity to have test drives/rides, or do what we did; hire a vehicle for a few days, so that they can make a balanced decision about whether to go electric now, or to wait until later, when it will become mandatory for any new vehicle. It seems to me that James was really showing us how much easier it is to travel by electric bike over long distances, in comparison to John's epic journey of only 5 years earlier. Essentially, you're never as far as 100 miles away from a useable source of electricity anywhere on the island of Great Britain. And the bikes have at least 100 miles of range, even over hilly terrain, and whilst being worked hard. Some petrol-fuelled bikes have a similar range. I owned one which would only manage about that distance, even when used in relatively flat areas of England.

[@davidwright1752]

I can imagine in 35 years time the laughter of the young one’s looking at the short range of the batteries. They in 35 years time will be on bikes will 1000 km range small battery packs.

[@dtz1000]

Doubt it as the amount of energy batteries can store is only improving by about 5 percent per year.

[@colinwiseman]

​@@dtz1000 the Evoke GT has 660km range (at best) today. I guess in 10 years time that could be 1000km at 5% increase a year...

[@Shinysideup]

Looks awesome Craig glad your enjoying your much needed break.

[@blackbeauty206]

Very good / great ENERGICA (?)good to see the groats again I’ll await the story Well done bravo

[@pnblondon1087]

Great achievement, great video - as far as it goes. But I would've liked to see a bit more information: the size of the batteries in kWhrs, the cruising speed you kept to, at least on the motorway sections, and also at least one example of the process of plugging in and setting the charging in motion. And how many different apps/credit cards/ whatever you had to use to do it. Finally, you didn't mention the date you did the deed. I presume it was in June 2022, with maximum daylight (which makes perfect sense) but I guess it might have been a bit earlier than that?

[@yt-paolo]

Great! This is like "The long way up" UK style, I like it! I'm sure Ewan McGregor will be watching this video :D

[@warrenr4]

Thank you for making this video. With respect, if this is the future of motorcycle touring, I’m so glad I did all my European tours on petrol bikes.

[@H4N5O1O]

the future of motorcycle touring to save the planet is NO twat doing such stupid trips. grow, live, work local.

[@jeremycanning8934]

Should have told us how long each charge time was plus from what percentage

[@anxiousappliance]

Electric jacket liners - warm and comfy. I used mine 2 nights ago and was reminded how much of a difference they make.

[@russthebiker]

a few questions, how much difference to range does using the lights make ? or are they permanently on, does the bike have heated grips, and how much energy do they use, and does external air temperature make any difference to power usage/ battery power ?

[@RWBHere]

In the absence of a reply from James: Lights are LED, so the battery drain will not be much. I cannot speak for the bike directly, but our EV's running lights are on for the whole time that the vehicle is turned on, and headlights are on at night, but we don't miss any range. Assuming 2½ hours between recharging sessions on a bike, and 10 Watts for the LED headlight, with a total of, let's say, 40 Watts for all lights and electronics, the systems will use 0.1 kWh in that time; a tiny fraction of the traction battery capacity. That battery recharges the 12 Volt battery which runs the lights and electronics. James claimed an economy of 10 miles per kWh, so the depletion of range by the lights, etc, using my assumption, equates to 1 mile of range being lost for every 2½ hours of running. I hope that this gives you a ballpark figure as an answer to one of your questions?

[@RWBHere]

External temperature affects all batteries, and they all have optimum operating temperature angles, so the answer to your last question is 'Yes'.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Brilliant James , or is it Jimmy ? ( John / Jonathan mashup ) 🤣🤣🤣🤣👏👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@Jamesandkate]

Thank you, pal.

[@Citroen-ami]

Another great video James ! Nice to see last Sunday at Gaydon 👍

[@torstentabel1789]

Great to see what you can do on electric bikes!! Keep the content coming!! Love it!!

[@jonathanmellish4439]

Quite brave for attempting this and I think lucky with no queuing. I guess you had up to date info regarding availability of chargers on route real time. I really think you ought have built in a nap stop though.

[@petermicklethwaite6281]

Good job you wasn't going on a weeks holiday. By the time you got there, it would be time to set off back home.

[@gordonmackenzie4512]

When you were just round the corner from me in Inverness, I was thinking NO, stop at Brora, don’t attempt Wick. You did !

[@RedBatteryHead]

great ride guys. I did see most in Johns Chanel. was wondering when you would post it. Energica for the win 🔋⚡💪

[@mikecohen2400]

Great ride, and good infrastructure, what did it cost to charge on the trip?

[@Jamesandkate]

I've absolutely no idea, but John, the chap I rode with did his version of the ride which included all the costs. Here's a link - kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfPeoOno8-Yhas

[@shockerzevworld5911]

Great ride. Best I’ve managed on my Energica Ego is about 850miles in one day riding in the states. Looking forward to more videos. 💪

[@n1ch0las51]

Great Video. Thanks

[@elliottkeen9933]

Amazing both

[@wobby1516]

Frankly I think your a bit mad riding for that many hours without sleep. Especially as your so much more vulnerable on a motorbike and you’ve the responsibility of a wife and child back home should anything have happened. Rant over, the bike seems a brilliant bit of kit.

[@paulclapton7803]

29hrs with out sleep , not clever , but injoyed the video

[@user-rf9me7xm1w]

@Lookup2Wakeup I wholeheartedly agree but that’s what you’ll have to do if you want to cover a long distance and that’s if all the charging points work.

[@emilytuffen977]

Yeah not sure why it needed to be done without sleep. Sleep is vital but it seems to be generally so misunderstood and it's importance underestimated. It's as bad or possibly worse than drink driving. Anyway we're all human and do silly things at times eh.

[@G58]

Despite the fact that in an earlier incarnation I dedicated a lot of time and effort to training myself to perform many different tasks, on a regular basis, including riding and driving whilst severely sleep deprived (as well as intoxicated with alcohol and drugs - don’t ask), I strongly agree with your point. The ONLY long term benefit from that training, was that when I later founded my advertising agency, I was easily able to work 18-30 hours in one go, when others could not, and complete jobs to impossible deadlines, and rake in serious money in the process. There is literally as much sense in this daft escapade as the bikes they are riding. We literally live in a world that is incapable of defining what a woman is, how can we expect the majority of people to recognise the Milwaukee electric toaster riding shills for what they are? never mind avoid mimicking them for social media hits…? Ridiculous on every possible level. And because of this level of complicity in the WEF great reset scams, we will soon be banned, either by legislation or fake environment policy inspired economic forces, from even travelling anywhere. But take heart folks, we will be allowed to pay to watch others who once did travel, or pretend to do so in fake virtual space - on apps run by freaky CIA intern billionaires…! Enough already with this nonsense. Peace

[@kevindarkstar]

Nothing is worth it, video is evidence if anything had happened that you were riding on no sleep, glad you had no issues, but seriously this is one of those 'seemed like a good idea at the time'

[@johnhill5806]

Brilliant and interesting video and looking at the range before each stop doesn't seem anymore than I would to fill with petrol as I would fill up every 80 to 90 miles but the waiting time in total would bother me 29hours for the whole trip a bit much in the saddle. Be interesting to see what the total cost was.

[@grahambrown42]

Did that journey on a bicycle 30 years ago, took a bit longer 😂

[@criticalcuda]

Well done guys

[@tretty]

Well Done, have you managed to work out the Cost?

[@Jamesandkate]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZfPeoOno8-Yhas watch this angle of the same trip, all costs are in there.

[@bdeithrick]

Lovin Guy Martins helmet.

[@iainrollitt-james4507]

It was great to see you up here in Orkney. I hope you had a good onward trip to Shetland. I’ve got my KTM 790 Adventure now. Happy days. Ride safe.

[@tonybarton3746]

Great vlog , where I live n the iow would be perfect, if only I could afford one 😊😊👍👍

[@Jamesandkate]

Too true, they're not cheap.

[@Danmarcussinclairtay]

Brilliant Video James. Amazing endrance. reminds me of when we took our daughter up to the Isle of Mull from London in a 40kwh Zoe with 22wk AC charging only. Its possible!

[@Jamesandkate]

That sounds awesome, did you VLOG it??

[@steveyoung8376]

I bought a vectrix high performance in 2007 and loved it, that started my journey into EV's

[@nicholashills6972]

Excellent, well done chaps.👍

[@peterhobart795]

Great ride but how much did it cost

[@edwardthomas6956]

Little actual fun at all presumably... Damnable upfront costs for the bikes and then presumably no spare electric power for heated grips or heated vests - I appreciate that electric vehicles might be fine for everyday medium to short distances

[@Jamesandkate]

There’s plenty of power for a heated vest or gloves, they use barely anything compared to what’s stored in the bike.

[@riichflame]

all these negative comments! People should shut the hell up and let this man enjoy his life! Good job bro! Damm people get on my nerves with their comments🔥

[@russelljbriscoe]

How much did the trip cost for the charging ?

[@Brian-om2hh]

If you're shooting through Cumbria, and heading over Shap on the M6 anytime James, be aware that there are now 2 chargers in Shap village, on the main car park adjacent to the toilets. They are run by Charge My Street, so you may need their app if you wish to use them. Their prices seem fairly reasonable.... Shap chippie - a further 300 yards down the road - is superb....and has won National awards.

[@jimbegin6554]

Did well, but you should have had forty winks at least! Interesting ride, thanks!

[@Jamesandkate]

Thanks. I did have a few power naps whilst charging

[@LossyLossnitzer]

I remember needing to get to Oxford from central Scotland to DJ and I needed to get there quickly. I had to fill up 5 times I think that would have been a joke in a electric car or bike I did it in less that 5 hours and got to DJ on time. What is charging like at 40C feel comfortable your bike would survive and not catch fire? Travelling to the top of Scotland is a great experience, I did it once to see an Annular eclipse

[@Phiyedough]

I'm from UK but living in Croatia so it is interesting for me to see what infrastructure exists for these vehicles. I still have reservations about the cost of battery replacements. It sounds a bit like having a petrol bike that needs a new engine every 10 years or so.

[@fizzguts]

Sigh why will tha batteries fail at exactly 10 years. 5 years back they were all going to fail in 4 years. Isn't time to give it a rest? The batteries are lasting will still have 80% usability in 20 years on current actual real world decay rates

[@bobbye8071]

Got bigger balls than me James. Well done both . Bobby

[@ericmagnusson1990]

Well done!

[@catielakemusic]

Well done guys. I've just subscribed to 'Jonathan's channel. 🤣

[@alanrobinson2229]

I slipped on my gravel driveway,moving my Energica Ego, SORN and out of MOT. Stunned to get repair bill for £8k!! Insurance refused claim. Is the bike worth anything for scrap?

[@mvetter]

Very enjoyable watch, and then the heartbreak of dropping the bike at the end. Definitely let out a sympathetic, "nooooooooooooo" at that moment. Cheers from California.

[@Jamesandkate]

Thank you.

[@kevinmatthews2620]

i driven up that way all up the A9 theres one particular stretch that is 65 miles between roundabouts, it is roughly 64 miles from brora to dunbeath, i stayed @ a caravan site there, and i used to do my weekly shopping at Tescos in Wick, if you stop @ Tescos in Wick and look out from where the Garage is across the fields and see the windturbines i worked on them during the construction phase :)

[@bernardcharlesworth9860]

Great job hope we get bike dedicated chargers soon.

[@BehonestBestitchedup]

Why set off in the middle of the night when it’s COLD? Interesting video.

[@jamesdean2706]

that's on my bucket list :)

[@WiltshireMan]

Great effort, still love my petrol bikes though

[@eamonstack4139]

Really fab trip and excellent bikes for touring. Fast charging is essential. Glad to be back on my 2008 Vectrix vx-1 it was stolen and damaged. Battery pack = 18 Leaf modules, range 180km. Thanks for excellent video.

[@peterjol]

I loved riding motorbikes but hated the noise...and it was always like heavenly relief to reach my destination and switch it off......an electric bike would be a dream for me.

[@frankmaxwell5193]

What's speed are ye going ?

[@Jamesandkate]

Average was 60, but on private roads it was 125.

[@lesjones7617]

how much did you spend on electricity?

[@bakeredwards]

I like bike riding to be a fun pass time, my old BMW does 170 miles before the fuel light, my mate has basically the same bike but with a smaller tank (g650 x country) and that can be a pain in the bum worrying about fuel around North Wales and filling up is far easier than charging around here.

[@Mean-bj8wp]

I could do the same journey on my 125 in half the time if I rode non stop and even with a night in a Premier Inn I could do it quicker and be fresh.

[@Jamesandkate]

TBH, I want something that’s quick, not a 125!

[@BibtheBoulder]

@@Jamesandkate But the 125 would be much quicker.....EV bikes are a joke, just like EV cars. You only have to look at the people who buy them.....

[@fizzguts]

So have you always just breathed through your mouth or is this something you took up recently along with window licking

[@TheEVside]

Epic mate good stuff, great bikes too

[@christianmarler21]

Great video! Would have been nice to have heated jacket/gloves! And a coffee machine! Where next ? Spain coast! Maybe treat yourself to a little sleep half way!!

[@Jamesandkate]

We will do something. Watch this space.

[@tonydoc903]

Was this the energica with the bigger battery and lighter motor. Also what was the cost in Changing compared to petrol. Good vid.🙌

[@flitsies]

So I have been hearing how people get parking tickets for charging because it takes too long to charge up so they end up with a parking ticket did you get any parking tickets while you charged?

[@Jamesandkate]

We had none.

[@flitsies]

@@Jamesandkate Well perhaps not yet as they can take up to 3 months to arrive, fingers crossed you didn't get any. But I must say they seem to like sticking tickets on motorcycles at any chance they, I saw one bike with 3 parking tickets on it just for parking in a space that is on the end of a bicycle parking box. It's not like anything is being blocked or hampered by the small motorcycle parked there, the way motorcycle are treated in the UK especially by the London boroughs is disgusting, shameful.

[@annekecornee]

I think the red frame with the gray body are the most beautiful colors for the Eva. Those Instavolt chargers are very convenient. What was your average speed on the non-motorways? The difference between the UK and Europe is that in Europe there are more AC chargers than DC chargers on places where you normally take a brake. That's why I chose the Zero.

[@mattilett1444]

Thanks for this, James. Would be interested to see a long term test to see what the tyre and brake wear is like, given their weight, to compare against current petrol models. Aside from the eye-watering purchase price, they (and most current electric bikes of this calibre) do seem very heavy. Hopefully, battery technology will deliver much lighter devices as time goes on.

[@Brian-om2hh]

It seems solid state may not be too far away now, as both BMW and Ford are trialling solid state batteries at the end of this year.... So maybe 2 years??

[@wendyharbon7290]

Did you real ride from Lands End to John O'Groats, without any sleep? What is the rules on riding motorcycles? Because there are clear rules about driving HGV's and PSV's, plus guidelines for driving cars over hours of driving, rest stops and sleeping too!

[@Brian-om2hh]

There are guidelines only, just as for cars Wendy. You use your own discretion.

[@philipbassett5129]

That was encouraging, I didn’t expect you to be doing a genuine 130 mile range. However, I have to ask, what speed were you doing on the motorway; it looked a lot less than 70?

[@simonruddy8265]

It would seem rather strange to me, but you've spent as much on coffee and food with all your stops, I don't believe all those extra costs are factored into electric charging costs!!!!!

[@RCModelling4U]

I was going to say the same. All of these EV tests include the driver/rider saying..and we just stopped for a coffee and a bite to eat. None of the tests are alongside a petrol engined vehicle, the owners of which never have to make detours etc. I would be pulling my hair out with all of the stops, detours, coffee, and eating, if I was riding my bike with an EV in tow I would have to extend my journey time to the same length as theirs. I would not be pleased.

[@daveyjones6465]

Plus the fact it took twice as long as it would have in a car

[@JIMWSMITH]

Excellent stuff james😀. Really enjoyed that.. what was your total travel time in the end to john o groats. And cost of electric ...

[@avidviewer1]

Great video. Thanks. What was the point of doing it in one go, without a break? Was it a charity fund raiser?

[@TheLegenDacster]

What an epic and informational ride. Bravo guys. Glad you made it safely.

[@frankstocker5475]

My KTM 890 is 165Kg 300km range with a 5min fuel up. I have one question about your trip. Why?

[@Jamesandkate]

The KTM is so slow though… I want acceleration that rips my eyeballs out, not something that feels like a CG125

[@michaelbruton3537]

Well done guy's Glad to see you had no charging issues at the choosen sites ( no queuing and a charge up without charging failures ) What was the battery capacity of the bikes ?

[@garymchiggins9598]

Was it luck or lack of electrical vehicles why there was no one in front of you charging

[@Jamesandkate]

Not sure tbh.

[@paulyflyer8154]

My main observation about owning an EV is the total obsession with power consumption and charging strategy, together with overwhelming range anxiety. The driving dynamics and the sheer pleasure of driving seem to fall by the wayside. Electric is so last year already to be honest, and hydrogen has to be the future now. And we still get those beautiful sounds!

[@faraway5828]

Range anxiety is something that mainly affects those who do not drive EV's. Having started EV life in the days of 80mile ranges, and still driven to Italy and back, I can promise that it's harder to find petrol on a Sunday in France than it is to find electrons

[@patrickmeylemans9627]

Nice vid but I would go nuts by the charging cycles. Will wait a bit to go electric for what is concerning a bike.

[@cyclometre]

A long range ride to you Poms is about equal to a weekend jaunt to us Aussies. I live in Sydney and to go and visit my son in Brisbane is a ride of over a thousand miles. Normally I do that in a day; try that on an electric bike with half hour stops every 300 miles! Do electric bikes do 300 miles on a charge?

[@tonysmith6398]

Nowhere near mate.

[@kinross24]

Well done James. We were at JoG yesterday. Staying at a nice waterfront cottage at Keiss. What’s your planned arrival at JoG? We ran our Ioniq 38 and id3 pro easily from Kinross, albeit on Saturday the weather was atrocious coming up, but with my Ioniq loaded with 3 adults and two big dogs and some luggage it still managed 4.8 m/kWh and id3 did 4m/kWh with two adults and rear fully load with luggage and seats down. Safe riding?

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

Want one maybe more cruiser than race 😁🌍👍💚

[@timscott3027]

Those energicas are amazing bikes, if I had a spare 20 grand i would love one. Maybe one day when I'm older and there are more available second hand.

[@callumrobin4228]

Great documentary of your journey, be interested how much it cost for all those stops to John O Groats, plus what the lowest range you dared go to whilst riding it?

[@jeremycanning8934]

LOL why didn't you adjust the suspension

[@islaws4589]

Looks amazing James! Boring question from a Leaf owner if I may I ask, did you manage to keep that 10miles/kWh for the rest of the trip?

[@mrdsn189]

Was this for fun or were you delivering it for a customer or…?

[@tonylynch8092]

What insurance and licence do you need to ride an Electric 🚲. BIKE thanks. ✌️ Peace from Ireland 🇮🇪.

[@dorsetengineering]

When are zero going to move away from their 100v design and add CCS to their platforms? Until then, Energica and HD are the only real players in town. I really feel it’s holding Zero back

[@Jamesandkate]

They need to our they'll fall to the wayside. The difference between the 2 manufacturers is widening very quickly.

[@garycassap-brown7829]

Hi James, I picked up my SRS from Edinburgh the other week after some work on it. Rode to Pitlochry on the way to highlands. Havevthe charge-tank fitted (12kw) charged 10-90% in 45 mins. Great ride albeit in what could only be described as biblical rain for the 1st half 🤣

[@garycassap-brown7829]

P.s. Forgot to say Great Video James, well done you & John, how was the ride back, did you push the range a bit more? It was interesting to see you guys pushing 100 miles comfortably each leg, well done.

[@tonysargent1699]

Are they hired bikes?

[@Jamesandkate]

John owns his, I was riding a press bike.

[@theunknownunknowns256]

James if you have time you might like to check out the New Zeroland KZbin channel. They got invited to test ride the Energica Experia.

[@alanwareham7391]

I think that electric bikes have a future in the years ahead and you’ve done a great video ,but at present you have to plan your route for you’re charging points and there’s the charging times plus the worry of is there a point free and how long will it take before it’s available does seem to take the freedom out of biking, but that’s not knocking you lads but just for comparison I’d like to see you do the same trip on a small /mid engine size bike

[@Brian-om2hh]

That's where ZapMap comes in Alan. ZapMap can let you know the location, availability, pricing, connector type, and the power of the charger, all in real time.

[@David_Gardener]

That planning and anxiety induced charging stops, is not my thing, what a pain. The actual reason I actually enjoy motorcycling is to get away from all that. I noticed locally that the more electric vehicles that are on the road, the (working) charging stations all require some waiting, that infrastructure is just way behind.

[@elelegidosf9707]

Electric propulsion doesn't work for bikes, especially not in the UK. Lots of charging stations don't have shelter, so in any season other than summer, and even sometimes in summer, you just stand around literally for hours in the rain. No thanks!

[@godzillas6301]

Cool . You can park it at mine in atherstone if it helps ( wink wink ) Not seen a long distance EV bike run before . Id wonder what in terms of feel you could say its like ? .

[@ponderguy7724]

Touring and stopping every ~70m, not really practical is it?

[@daveyjones6465]

This is double the time it takes in a car not overly impressive