2025 Savic Motorcycles C-Series Alpha Review: Aussie brand electrifies bike world
Is it possible to make an electric motorcycle that doesn’t suck, or at least one that a bike enthusiast (or Temporary Australians, as they are sometimes cruelly called) could actually enjoy? Up until now, the answer has been definitive and defiant NO.
It’s a lesson that Harley-Davidson quickly learned when it took its branding off the ill-conceived and awful LiveWire, just in time to stop a bunch of angry bikies roiling in to burn its factories to the ground.
Today, however, I am relieved to report that thanks to the work of an unlikely upstart Aussie company called Savic, the answer is a ringing “maybe”, with a side-serving of “kind of”.
READ MORE: 2025 Streetdog EV motorcycle Review: No bark and no bite, the name is about right
READ MORE: BMW CE 04 electric scooter review
READ MORE: Harley-Davidson LiveWire may be the future, but there’s something missing
I pulled my helmet out of moth balls and my brain out of self-preservation mode to take one for a ride.
2025 Savic Motorcycles C-Series Alpha price and equipment
How much can you be expected to pay for an EV with no doors, windows or any protection when it rains? Well, electric vehicles of any kind tend to be expensive and the Savic C-Series is no exception, with a sticker of $29,990 plus on roads.
In terms of equipment, you’re getting a motorcycle, albeit one that offers clever adjustability through software, which can be updated over the air like a modern car.
But you can forget boot space, charging ports or cup holders.
2025 Savic Motorcycles C-Series Alpha: What we think
What I think is that I should stay away from motorcycles of all kinds, particularly on beautiful sunny days, because I love them too much and desperately and instantly want to own one.
Would I buy an electric motorcycle, though, even one with proud Aussie know-how in every inch (okay, not the inches that make up the battery, they come from China)? Personally, probably not. And the main reason, honestly, is that old saw point; range.
The Savic offers 220km of theoretical range, so if you’re having a go, probably 160km. For me to take a weekend blast up my favourite road I’d be quite nervous about getting there and back. And I’ve never seen a charger up that way, and certainly not one I could plug a bike into.
So far, fast chargers and DC charging are out, but apparently that will change, so a lot of charging spots are not suitable).
This led me to ask who is buying the Savic range – and the good news is that many people are and the company, based in Melbourne, is very close to turning a profit and looking to expand globally – and how they use the bikes.
The answer is that the demographic splits into young adopters who really want to ride something green/electric, say 25 to 35, and then the 45 to 60 crowd that are possibly returning to riding after a break and want to try something different (and potentially less challenging).
In terms of use case, the Savic C-Series Alpha is mostly going to be used as a commuter bike, and it’s clearly not the choice for those who want to ride 800km over a weekend. But then a lot of people who buy one have other motorcycles for that, and this will be a curio, an addition to their collection, a talking point, and something very different.
It was also pointed out to me, by the lovely fellow who founded the Savic brand, Dennis Savic, that some people also find the experience of riding an electric motorcycle very Zen, calming and quiet. And that, perhaps, some people even like not having to worry about changing gears, and can enjoy the engine-braking-like bonuses of regen when you get off the throttle.
But therein lies my issue. I love manual cars, but I can live without the gearbox, but on a motorcycle, changing gears is so much more central a part of the experience – the rising revs, the sense of building excitement, the blipping on the way down and using those gears to downshift into a bend.
There’s a reason real motorcycles have never had automatic gearboxes, because it would be like eating without food – or being a vegan. And the same goes for noise. I can live with quiet cars, but silent bikes are far stranger and more antithetical.
To be fair, the Savic does pass a lot of tests, and is by far the best electric bike I’ve tried. It looks cool, which is very important, with a cafe racer style, lashings of carbon fibre and a single-sided swingarm. It looks the part.
It also gets up and boogies in a properly motorcycle way. The zero to 100 time is a claimed 3.5 seconds, but it feels much faster. My guess is it uses much of its 60kW and 200+Nm to punch you up to 80km/h, because the usable part of its power range is spectacular (and I only rode it inside city limits. Honestly, it gets from 40 to 80 faster than a calculator can, and it’s huge fun to ride. Despite its hefty 280kg weight, it doesn’t feel bulky, with a cleverly thought out centre of gravity and sharp handling.
Indeed, after getting used to the Savic, I found myself enjoying it a lot, far more than I’d expected. And then, unfortunately, someone rode past me in the opposite direction on a big, loud Ducati and the trance was broken. Noise, gears, explosions, a clutch, those are the things I want, and need, from a motorcycle, particularly if I’m going to pay $30K for one.
But then I am not the customer, and for people who do want a two-wheeled EV, the Savic Alpha is definitely worth a test ride.
2025 Savic Motorcycles C-Series Alpha: Verdict
As electric motorcycles go, this is number one, with a silent bullet.
SCORE: 4/5
2025 Savic Motorcycles C-Series Alpha specifications
Price: $29,900 (plus on-road costs)
Basics: EV , 1 seat, 0 doors, motorcycle
Range: 220km
Battery capacity: 16.2kWh lithium-ion
Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km|
Energy consumption: 18.1kWh/100km (ADR)
Motor: SM1 3-Phase AC IPM, 60kW/200+Nm.
AC charging: 1.8kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: N/A
0-100km/h: 3.5 seconds
