The new Nissan LEAF is all set to make waves in the world of sportbike machinery, after taking up a place as one of the best sportbike machines on the market today. The customization process is one that Nissan is looking to adopt in full for the Nissan LEAF series. The custom-made Nightshift Leafy Savage, for example, has its name derived from its two main donors: a 2021 Suzuki Swift and a Nissan Leaf. That’s right, this sportbike motorcycle is essentially a hybrid hatchback and a high-performance cruiser. If you’re looking to buy a new electric car you should shop right here on Top New Motorcycles.
When you buy a Nissan LEAF you are getting yourself a machine that has the potential to be a lot more than just a commuter car. Nissan is hoping to take the automotive industry by storm with this new line of performance automobiles. Nissan claims that its new LEAF will deliver power, handling, and acceleration equivalent to a powerful sports car – in a class of its own. But does the Nissan LEAF live up to these lofty expectations? A test drive is certainly in order to find out. For our first evaluation we will look at the Nissan LEAF’s driving range, comparing it to the other sportbike machines currently on the market.
The first thing we will consider when testing the Nissan LEAF is its riding position. Can a sportbike have a comfortable seating position? Is the seat long enough to cover the back of your thighs comfortably? Can a large enough backrest be obtained to comfortably accommodate both the size of the rider and the extra weight that come with a sportbike? This is something we will address in a second article.
In our first review, we looked at the Nissan LEAF’s handling capabilities, finding that the design and suspension on the Nissan LEAF gave it a light touch on smooth roads. Although the bike did not feel as agile or responsive as some of the other machines we tested, it seemed more stable and forgiving when cornering. For street use, the Nissan Leaf’s handling system seems to work quite well. However, on the open road, its ride seems a little on the soft side. There is a mild amount of torque, but the Leaf feels a bit less eager to engage when going fast, despite having higher initial speed. Overall, for a daily usage the Nissan LEAF performed admirably, but was not as fantastic as some of the other Tesla models we tested.
Despite its small size, the Nissan LEAF packs a lot of safety features. On paper, Nissan claims to feature the most technologically advanced crash protection and best crash safety record for a modern motorcycle. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, the safety features on the Nissan LEAF are not up to scratch. The main complaint with the Nissan LEAF is that it does not feature a crash survival bumper, meaning that an impact with the front of your bike will not necessarily kill you in a collision – although it will certainly paralyze you.
Nissan claims that they have worked hard with their manufacturing partner, Motivo, to improve the safety of the Nissan LEAF. In response to our test driving of the Nissan LEAF, they provided us with a vapor jet steering assist, an airbag, and side-curtain air bags, but these only addressed the higher level of safety which came from the six sigma crash test ratings which Motivo also provides. These features do not appear to be of much use when you are only using your car to get down the local supermarket shopping mall escalator, and appear to fall short in the event of an actual crash.
Nissan LEAFs battery has always been problematic in terms of size and weight relative to other modern cars. In spite of this, the latest generation Nissan LEAF batteries are proving to be the perfect combination of power and weight efficiency. Although the final payload of Nissan LEAF varies by model, most models offer a standard 600 kilowatt-hour capacity. In addition, many models in Nissan’s range now feature a second battery, which is capable of being added to the main battery if required for extra power, although this second battery is not always used. As we said before, Nissan has worked hard with their powertrain partners to improve the efficiency of the Nissan LEAF, and in fact the battery pack itself has now dropped in weight by one-fifth, making it easier to add to the main battery if necessary. The result is that Nissan LEAF batteries are now as light as other modern cars which feature gasoline engines, despite featuring a smaller engine for a reduced footprint.
Nissan’s decision to include a second battery pack on the Nissan LEAF is undoubtedly a clever idea, but it does mean that users of the Nissan LEAF now need to consider buying a replacement battery pack of their own. This is especially important if they plan to buy a second hand Nissan LEAF. For those who plan to replace their current Nissan LEAF with a used version, or even buy a used electric motorcycle, it might be worth considering looking for a dealership that specializes in used electric motorcycles to help you find a spare Nissan LEAF battery. When you’re ready to shop for a new electric car shop right here on Top New Motorcycles. We have great pricing and we also have worldwide shipping.
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