Retired multi-time World champ Max Biaggi took a lap of the Mugello track yesterday prior to the MotoGP event aboard the Energica Ego Corsa, the electric motorcycle being developed for competition next year during the Enel MotoE World Cup. Below is a press release from Energica, followed by a video of Max’s lap.
Energica Ego Corsa was taken for a spin yesterday around the turns and elevation changes of the Mugello Circuit in what was the race day of the Italian Grand Prix – round six of the 2018 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship.
In front of a multicolored and vocal ocean of fans covering every inch of the grandstands and hills surrounding the track, six-time world champion Max Biaggi jumped aboard the track-ready, all-electric superbike machine by Energica for a fun and meaningful demo lap of the legendary Italian venue.
“It has been a fantastic lap, like a throwback in time! To be doing the demo lap in front of a hundred thousand fans in those colourful grandstands brought me back to the times when I was fighting for victories in MotoGP. Even back then the riders’ fan clubs were located at specific corners of the track – mine was at the Casanova-Savelli!” said Max Biaggi. The lap was great and I really enjoyed it. It was almost a relief when I left the pit-lane and headed out onto the straight down to the first turn. I was coming from a full year of not being on any type of motorcycle due to the accident I had in July last year. Overall it was a really great experience and maybe something to repeat one day?”
The road to the 2019 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup will have its next stop in a fortnight’s time at Catalunya’s Circuit de Montmeló, where an updated version of the MotoE™ prototype by Energica will also be tested.
Sounds worse than a Honda VFR with gear driven cams. If you like the sound of fingernails across a blackboard or a dentist’s drill then this might be your bike.
ahhh – I just close my eyes, listen to the evocative sounds, and drift back to the memories of my root canal.
I’ll wait till the electrics get wider rear tyres. Minimum 5.5″.
Can’t take road bikes with tyres thinner than that seriously.
Get over it. Electric bikes will take over at some point in the future. You get a motor with a completely flat torque curve, no emissions, no transmission needed, no motor vibration, and no noise. We’ll be able to build road and dirt tracks close to residential areas because the surrounding residents won’t be complaining about the noise. Accept the future.
“no emissions”
Try _remote_ emissions.
“No noise” — did you hear the video attached to the article? Ugh! Here is a challenge to the maker: try to make it sound worse. I’m not sure you could.
I will never own an electric motorcycle. Maybe an electric bicycle but never a MC. They have no soul and that continuous whining drives me up a wall. And never mind the poor range, heavy weight, ridiculous cost. I know these aspects will improve but it’s not for me. Electrics on a two wheeler would make a nice short range commuter scooter.
Dig.
Now that sounds like continous whining.
To all the neigh-sayers; Wait and see the lap times for the electric bikes at the TT later today. There are some proper sized riders there, as well as elevation changes like you wouldn’t believe. 120mph average for the best of them over the 37 miles.
With all due respect, I’m not waiting for crap. Till proven otherwise, the vendor and sponsors hide lap times because they are crap, period. If you know of any other reason the lap times are hidden, please say so.
Good lap times maximizes race profits and success.
Bad lap times = minimum race interest, net negative ROI.
Is this clear enough?
Meh.
For now, e-bike racing should be done on smaller tracks.
What does Max weigh, a buck twenty? Maybe the smaller the rider, the bigger the advantage in this particular series, ala 125/250cc. We might see no VR46-type giants in this series. It’s amazing to see how much Rossi towers over the other 2 racers on the podium.
I heard no apparent gear changes. Do not even e-passenger vehicles have at least a low-high range, even with a CVT?
I presume the series promoter and bike makers do not publish e-lap times because they pale next to even the 250 race bikes.
How does this thing compare with petrol bikes in speed, acceleration, and times
Do you think race organizers, vendors, riders, and race teams all conspire to hide lap times because the lap times are good, or they suck?
Electric power is cool for getting groceries and getting to work. I’m not sure that racing will ever be as popular in the electric era though. The racing is often very close, but I still prefer the beautiful sounds of a well tuned petrol engine VS the R2D2 sounds of electric.
I really want to love Formula E but the whole take a pit stop, and jump in a totally different car to finish the race, is lame.
Agreed on the lack of sound. Rock concerts and racing are loud because it’s exciting (they could always mandate mufflers…).
I think the Formula-E driver/car change is a little bit of a loser, too. Would be cool if they did heat 1 & 2, with a break between, and scored it like motocross. It’d do away with the car-swap and make for two shorter, more exciting races that retained the viewers for an overall longer period.
No longer happening after this year. Rules change next year. It was required due to limitations and cost up until now. Batteries and drive train changes for next year will make the racing more interesting and closer to ICE racing.
Only attended a few 500cc GPs and one MotoGP. I stood 75 feet from the start line at 2014 MotoGP. At the start, with 20 some riders approaching WFO throttle, the sound was literally hair raising.
I stood a few feet astride an Asian male stranger, both of us middle aged or better. After the last stragglers left the line at COTA, we involuntarily faced each other in minor shock, mouthing in unison, “Can you believe that?”
Comparing COTA to Laguna Seca is like comparing a gourmet meal to a stale peanut butter sandwich (COTA is gourmet).
I got to admit I liked the e-bike’s high pitched whine as the motor climbed up to speed.
Jim,
I wonder if that sound is the actual sound of the motor or if it’s tacked on electronically.
I believe some of the early electric bikes had a fake internal combustion engine sound added in just to give the sensation that something’s going on between the rider’s legs. Otherwise the ride is nearly silent except for wind noise.
Gears will make noise no matter the power source. Motorcycles usually (always?) use straight cut gears that whine quite a lot. Usually you just can’t hear that as the engine is so loud. Every electric bike still has a primary and secondary gearing.
As far as electric motorcycles go, I’ve only seen the Zeros in person, but the motor is directly driving the sprocket. You hear some motor whine until that is overcome by the tire and wind noise, which happens pretty quickly
I know the Brammo had a tranny, and HD intentionally added gears to make noise in the Livewire. However, it clearly isn’t necessary.
I’m surprised that the Zero doesn’t have primary gearing, but I guess in their calculations the added size and packaging issues are offset by the simplicity.
KTM and Alta have primary gearing as well as secondary. I suspect that one of the reasons is to get the motor axle in the same place as a crank would be so you don’t have to re-invent the chassis dynamics and handling on a more sports oriented bike.