It’s now easier than ever to get your motorcycle license on an electric bike

This one is off topic for home energy upgrades, but here's what it's about: getting a motorcycle license just got easier for people who ride electric.

LiveWire's small electric motorcycle, the S4 Honcho Street, has been approved for use in Motorcycle Safety Foundation training programs. That matters because it lets new riders learn and test for their motorcycle license without first learning to use a clutch and gearbox, skills only needed for gas-powered bikes with manual transmissions. The Honcho is light, just 266 pounds, with a low seat height, and you simply twist the throttle to go, similar to a scooter or electric bike. It also has reduced-speed modes built in for the kind of parking-lot exercises used in training courses.

The bike will join the demo fleet used at MSF training events so instructors can try it out, though it is not yet clear which specific training programs or regions will start offering it as an option. The idea is to give people who already ride electric bikes a more natural path into motorcycling, since they can learn and get licensed on the same type of electric, clutch-free bike they actually plan to ride, rather than starting on an unfamiliar gas motorcycle.

There is nothing here about rebates, home energy costs, or upgrades for your house. It is simply a transportation industry development worth knowing about if you or someone in your household is curious about two-wheeled electric vehicles as an alternative to driving.