Evoke's Urban Electric Motorcycle Nicely Blends a Classic Design With High-Tech Abilities

Evoke Motorcycles was founded in 2018. Even though it’s headquartered in Hong Kong, it operates in over 18 countries. Its mission is to manufacture smart mobility vehicles with a focus on safety, fast charging, and sustainability. It’s trying to incorporate the perfect balance between hardware and software in its EVs. Of course, it’s easy to say, “Oh, this is just another cheap Chinese product,” but read on, and you might change your mind.

Evoke has two series on offer – 6061 and Urban. Having previously covered the 6061, an electric cruiser with impressive range, I wanted to move on to the Urban Series and see what it’s all about.

The Urban series has two models – the Classic and the S. They’re almost identical mechanically, but the Classic has a slightly different look and a better battery charger.

Before I go any further into detail, I’d like to point out that the company has made both models very affordable, with a price tag of $9,900 (€10,050) for the Classic and $9,500 (€9,650) for the S.

Let’s talk about looks! If you were to put the two versions side-by-side, some minor differences tell them apart. Their bodies are similarly styled, and even the fairings are the same. However, the S has an Italian-styled naked sport bike look with taller mirrors, while the Classic boasts a leather seat and a scrambler-styled LED headlight.

The body sits on a tubular steel chassis with a wheelbase of 1380 mm (54 inches). It features 17" wheels and uses a 3-brake setup to slow down – complete front and rear hydraulic disk brakes, regenerative braking that helps preserve energy, and a Combined Braking System (CBS).

The Urban bikes are powered by a brushless DC air-cooled 12V hub motor, which develops a peak torque of 116 Nm (86 ft-lbs.) and peak power of 20 kW (27 HP). It’s connected to a FOC 120 V Sine wave AC inverter developed in-house. The manufacturer claims the bikes have a top speed of 140 kph (87 mph) and can do 0-60 kph (0-37 mph) in 2.5 seconds. Moreover, given that the motor is direct drive, you can rely on it to be highly efficient and require no maintenance. The battery pack supposedly has a lifetime of 2000+ cycles before reaching a DoD (Depth of Discharge) of 80%.

Some people worry about running out of battery or long charging times, which keeps them from buying an EV. Well, you probably won’t have issues with the Urban series, as the bikes have an in-city range of 250 km (155 miles), and a 30% to 80% charge will take just 90 minutes for the Classic and 180 minutes for the S with the onboard 3.3 kW charger. There’s even a Home Charging mode, which lets you juice up the bikes from the standard home outlets, albeit it’ll take longer.

Let me tell you more about some of the tech features – the proprietary BMS (Battery Management System) and Evoke v2.0 ECU monitor information from over 100 sensors and will keep the two-wheeled machines efficient and safe. You can also connect to the ECU via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. A nice touch for the bikes is the Reverse Gear mode, which makes parking more convenient.

The Urban S is available in two colors – Wine Red and Midnight Black, while the Classic has three variants – Rogue Red, Oceanic Blue, and Galaxy Black. To drive sustainability, Evoke Motorcycles offers a 2nd life battery recycling program.

All in all, the Urban Series seems to be targeted toward commuters looking to reduce transport costs and still have a pleasant and safe journey. These high-tech and well-equipped bikes are ready to offer precisely that, and for a competitive price.