MotorcycleDaily.com – Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews

Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews

Ducati Releases Video of Latest MotoE Prototype in Action

Former World championship rider Alex De Angelis has been testing the prototype motorcycle being developed by Ducati for use in next year’s MotoE World Cup races. This topic was discussed by MD in a prior article, but this new video is worth watching and listening to.

Here it is:

42 Comments

  1. Gary says:

    Someday electric motorcycles will go 250 miles on a charge and they will be recharged (or hot swapped) in minutes instead of hours. Until that day arrives I am just not interested at all. Not even a little bit.

  2. Mick says:

    All the comments about sound are interesting. I have always classified any sound that a car or motorcycle makes as unwanted noise. But then these items for me are pieces of equipment. As equipment, their only value is how well they funtion. Don’t expect me to look over some new cruiser. They are all examples of obsolete ideas to me.

    I bought a small electric motorcycle to evaluate a few years ago. I weighs about half of what my dirt bikes weigh. I felt that the beauty of electric equipment is that eventually they will strike a balance between a mountain bike and a dirt bike. Then we will be living in the future.

    For electric car like things, I have a use case for one. I live in a place with zero infrastructure for transportation other than cars and rugged ground. I did ride the three miles to where I mountain bike for a while. But if I broke something and came home after full daylight the motorists became very rude. That and pushing a bike an extra three miles is never fun.

    Short trips aer back for cars it rots the exhaust systems. I have had to replace a couple of parts on my truck in the five years that I have lived here because I either uses it to drive three mile to the woods or 1500 to Minnesota to go dirt biking. It’s unfortunate that electric cars are still attempting to be cars and not taking advantage of the fact that they don’t need an engine bay. Show me one that makes it as easy or easier to go mountain biking and I’m all over it, as long as it isn’t made by an anti repair company. Tesla or John Deere need not apply.

    There is no way you can sell me on a front line electric car or motorcycle until they can do long range as easy as an ICE vehicle. My truck goes between five and six hundred miles on a tank, depending on the quality of the diesel that goes in. When I gas up, I am in a hurry. A thousand mile day is a short day for me. When I ride street bikes with people they want me to buy a different bike. Mine only goes about 150 miles between quick refills. I don’t ride my supermoto with other people very often because it has a very small, hand made aluminum, tank. If I have gone more than thirty miles and see a gas station, I’m going to gas up. So I guess if an electric street bike was cool enough, and charged quickly, I’d buy one.

    But look at the market. They are making street bike replacements. Heavy, fragile, and utility needs to be purchased in the aftermarket. Wrong! Show me one that makes it fun and easy to run errands.

    • Gary says:

      “I have always classified any sound that a car or motorcycle makes as unwanted noise.” Hard to imagine how you and I could be any more different. When internal combustion goes the way of the dinosaur (when, not if), I will greatly miss the sound of a well-tuned gas engine.

      • Mr.Mike says:

        While I enjoy the sound of a well tuned gas engine I would give that up in a second for the immediate kick in the rear that 100% torque gives you at zero RPM. Throw in lower maintenance and you are giving up a little to get so much more.

        • todd says:

          You can get instant torque from “0 rpm” on any bike. Rev the throttle to about 6000 rpm and dump the clutch. I’m pretty sure instant torque on most ice bike will loop you on your butt.

          • Motoman says:

            Re-read your own post todd. You contradict yourself unless you think 6000 equals 0.

            Mr. Mike is right and electric motors due provide 100% of their torque as soon as they spin. I have ridden electric bikes and my Prius has similar characteristics. It can be quite intoxicating. That being said I love my ICE motos and although I might someday own an electric bike it would be in addition to and not replace the ICE bikes.

          • todd says:

            When people are talking about electric “instant torque”, they are implying zero wheel rpm, like when you start off from a standstill. The whole thing is a perceived benefit, likely because people have become so accustomed to spongey automatic transmissions with lazy torque converters. They blame the lethargic response to the driver inputs on the gas engine when in fact it’s not really a problem in vehicles with a manual.

  3. Anonymous says:

    That video was electrifying to watch. They didn’t amp it up too much at all.

  4. This bike looks like it’s going to be great.

    • Reginald Van Blunt says:

      Very nice video, however V4s always sound like the engine is fighting itself to me.

  5. RRocket says:

    Doesn’t sound much different from when I making margaritas with the blender…

    • Motoman says:

      Mmmmmm margaritas. But I bet your blender wouldn’t be as fun to ride on the race track though.

  6. Mick says:

    I wonder how they work the power output/input. It would be interesting to see if they start to employ a Mick Doohan rear brake style regen lever so that one would have two, one tunable, rear braking options for the weight penalty of the lever and a couple of wires.

    It’ll be sort of like the sixties and seventies all over again with regard to the motors and how they serve their masters.

    Cool thing to happen before I croak.

  7. dt-175 says:

    i’m not a harley guy, but i still will walk a few steps outta my way to look at one. they still have a pretty motor/exhaust/plating/paint and look MECHANICAL. this duke has nice brakes/forks/wheels but no MOTOR worth looking at. i also prefer the sound of a tl 1000/rc 51/ ducati 888 to a harley, but the westworld whine of even the fastest ev has nothing on medium-loud h-d.

  8. Reginald Van Blunt says:

    Suppose one could fly quickly thru the air without a machine.
    That is what fast electric motorcycles are very close to achieving. Love the effortless whir, and smooth go go.

  9. Marcus says:

    Electric automobiles may be getting up there with range (and price) but electric motorcycles are very far behind. The old adage “getting lost on your motorcycle is half the fun” definitely does NOT apply to electric motorcycles when you are miles from a charging station.
    Plus the sound of an e-motorcycle would drive me up a wall and I always wear earplugs.

    • Nick says:

      Good points.

      I’ve always thought that riders of many inline fours are inclined towards anti-social behaviour because of the frequency spectrum of the exhaust note causing hysteria/mania. How much worse the whining scream of an electric power train like this bike? Not a problem on the race track of course, cos everyone is mad by definition!

      • Marcus says:

        I have three i4 bikes. All quiet. I like peace while riding and if I’m riding too fast over the speed limit (by mistake of course) I’d prefer not to alert the police. As one cop told me.. with Japanese bikes, if you can hear them, they’re speeding.

  10. JDD says:

    How can I get a good idea of the sound of this motorcycle from this video with that obnoxious music playing?

  11. Doc Sarvis says:

    It sounds like my wife on trash day. Imagine the disruption in the aftermarket. No exhaust, no clutches, no oils, filters, etc. Different set of skills piloting as well.

    All the whining about ‘how’ will go away.

    • Dave says:

      I raced electric RC cars for years. If that experience was anything to go by, there will be no shortage of opportunities for the aftermarket.

      • fred says:

        Electric RC cars are fun, and the sound of this Ducati is very similar. eBikes will be great for people who want to race for 15 minutes and spend the rest of the time charging and replacing batteries.

        • Dave says:

          We won’t see any e-bikes doing Dakar but they’ve been lapping the Isle of Man course for several years already. The Alta MX bike is supposed to make a full moto and most amateurs can’t take much more that that in a sitting anyway. I don’t think they’re too far off for conventional racing ranges.

          I agree that it’ll be weird watching quiet motorcycle racing but speed is speed. Maybe one day people it will thing it was weird that racing vehicles were ever noisy.

          • Marcus says:

            Have you ever watched 1/4 mile drag racing with electric dragsters? The first race will have you interested but you’ll be asleep before the end of the second race.
            It just ain’t right.

      • Anonymous says:

        RC cars don’t have every function locked down by uncrackable software. So the performance aftermarket may not serve us the same way they have in the last. But perhaps it will evolve into something else. There wouldn’t be any EPA barriers, so perhaps we’ll see chassis developers building stuff around standardized battery packs, programmable controllers, a host of motor options, etc. One may or may not be able to add any of that to their Ducati or Honda emoto, but a pretty cool DYI scene might arise.

        • Dave says:

          That hasn’t been the opportunity in R/C. It’s mostly bling, battery (lower internal resistance chemistries), radio latency and motor stuff. Beyond that it’s consumables – tires, tire treatments, etc..

          Totally agree that while there will be new aftermarket opportunities it’ll be up to the existing companies to change and learn, or they’ll get their lunches eaten. Opportunities will exist in power tuning. Traction control should reach whole new dimensions compared to I.C.E., for instance.

  12. Speedeasy says:

    Sounds like a jet.
    I’m impressed with their performance, but I’m not sold on EVs. I can’t (won’t) afford one at this point. I do have questions regarding all EVs, not just, but including, electric cycles. How many people will be able to charge them at home? I happen to have a garage which is equipped with 240 v service. But how many Americans live in apartments? Mobile home parks? Condos without garage space? How many have a house but don’t have a garage? I drive down residential streets and see shloads of cars parked in the street or on driveways, indicating they perhaps have more cars than garage space. So are people going to run cables capable of carrying 240v out to their cars? Even if they opt for slow charge on 120v, using extension cords will be difficult, especially in inclement weather, and people don’t like difficult. What’s to keep me from sneaking out under the cover of darkness and plugging my neighbor’s cord into my car? This rush to embrace EVs (coal, natural gas, or nuclear powered) is wrong-headed, in my view. Hybrids are a better answer, but I’m unsure the mechanism involved would fit into a cycle. What do you guys think? Asking for a friend, LOL.

    • Harry says:

      I own a 2020 Tesla model S long range plus. The range on a full charge is 400+ miles. Like a laptop lithium battery the recommendation is for storage or infrequent use the battery should only be charged to the 80% level. The reason for the Tesla is the network of fast charging stations. One can add 100 miles in around d 20 minutes, enough time to grab a coffee. Now there are charging station being built all the time EVgo is one chain as is ElectrifyAmerica. These chains are expanding and are also fast chargers. I currently live in Vermont (but not for long) and the utility here will install a home 220 volt charging station for FREE! Every state has some kind of incentive. Another chain is ChargePoint, although it is not a fast charger. Download the smart phone app and see all the charging locations on their maps. Tesla stations are everywhere. I have traveled cross country, over 4000 miles, on the Interstate with never a worry of shutting down. Their software is the best in the industry.

      • Speedeasy says:

        Thanks, Harry, you taught me quite a bit. Still, for close to a hundred grand, I’ll keep my 2020 Hyundai Elantra. 37 MPG average, and for the sixty or seventy thou difference in purchase price, I can afford a whole bunch of four or five dollar-a-gallon gas. If I were younger, maybe, but I’m north of 70 and would never get that kind of money’s use out of it unless I got a home mortgage and lived in it. I’ll keep my house. But seriously, I see where there are options other than charging at home. And yeah, 220, not 240. LOL.

        • Harry says:

          Speedeasy, I’m 75 this year, too, been riding bikes since in my 40s, started late. Yes, the Tesla cost over $100,000, but it will probably be my last car and my philosophy is that when I croak I can’t take it with me. Going to spend every cent and die broke! Been saving all my life, time to spend!

          I’ve driven, through rentals, the Leaf and Hyundai Kona electric. The Tesla puts them to shame. You get what you pay for, in most situations. But the future is electric.

        • DeltaZulu says:

          220 or 240, what’s the difference? Single phase residential, in the USA runs between 110 – 125 on each split phase, which equals 22 – 250 on both of the split phases combined.

    • Harry says:

      One additional point on EVs. An EV battery can only be charged by DC (direct current). A fast charger uses direct current. When one plugs into an AC (alternating current) 110 or 220 volt outlet than an onboard car converter changes the AC current to DC. A 110 system charges at around 4-5 miles/hour. A 220 system at around 22-23 miles/hour range. A good fast charger (Tesla) 100 miles in around 20 minutes.

    • Harry says:

      Many people here are against electric vehicles. It is completely understandable with respect to motorcycles, range being the main issue. However, with 4-wheel vehicles, you need to drive one to realize the future is not that far away. Yes, they are very expensive. But ICE cars have been around for over 150 years. Time to perfect the platform. What will EVs be like in 150+ years? My Tesla can be compared to my 2007 Suzuki GSX-R600. I kid you not. The specs are 0-60 in 3.1 seconds with a top speed of 155. It is very deceptive, no noise, everything is quiet and you look at the digital speedometer climbing light crazy. I’ve had it up to 140 and backed off. Very stable. On ICE cars as the speed increases, reaching the top, takes longer. Not this car. It was a linear acceleration all the way to 140 and there was no doubt in my mind that the top was 155. The Plaid version, another $30,000, has 3 motors. 0-60 in under 2 seconds with a top of 200. Supposedly it is prohibited from drag strips unless it has a chute mechanism attached to the rear frame to aid in stopping.

      • fred says:

        You should study your automotive history. Electric cars were available well over 100 years ago. They lost the battle to internal combustion in the free market. Even now, they lose the market battle. Force, via the government, is what keeps them in the game. There is a small niche market for electric vehicles, but neither the market nor the technology justify thinking the ev’s are “the future”. Electric motors are fine. Battery tech, battery storage, and electrical transmission capabilities will not support your “electric future”. There will be a horrible price to pay for the “electric delusion”.

        • Harry says:

          You obviously don’t believe in climate change and the production of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere with the burning of fossil fuels. One can generate electricity using wind and solar along with nuclear and produce no carbon dioxide. I installed solar panels on my house, supposed to last at least 25 years.

          Yes, electric cars were available one hundred years ago. However lead, sulfuric acid batteries could not provide any range. Even nickel cadmium batteries were not strong enough. Only when lithium ion batteries were invented did EVs become viable.

          Market battle lost? Well, Subaru will have an EV in June/July. Mazda has one. VW announced that by 2035 all their cars will be EV. Volvo will be all EV. Ford with their F150 Lightning. This is just the start of the evolution to electric. I smile every time I pass a gas station.

        • Jeremy says:

          I’m sure the electric future will be strong, and it will likely exist alongside something akin to what it is trying to replace for many decades to come. There are plenty of solid use cases for electric, and there are some that it can’t replace with current technology. Current electrical transmission capabilities won’t matter. Much of the electricity needed will be produced on the roofs of houses and buildings most likely. If that isn’t enough, governments will just force modernization of the grid as well.

    • todd says:

      Hopefully someone will come up with an environmentally friendly battery pack someday. If it wasn’t for all the lithium, nickel, cobalt, etc mining that is destroying the environment, now they are looking at mining the ocean floors for this stuff. I hate to think of the human rights violations that are going on in the Congo where most of this stuff is located. I don’t enjoy driving an automatic or electric vehicle but I don’t drive cars anyway so I probably won’t need to switch out my bikes to electric within my lifetime. However, if we want to save the planet, we shouldn’t have to destroy the planet trying to do so. Maybe bicycles and mass transit rail are the best solutions.

  13. JRH says:

    That does sound pretty awesome. I am sure that there will be complaints but sometimes different can still be a good thing. Think about it as being adjacent rather than replacing.

  14. Jan Janowski says:

    “Listen to” — Amazing

wordscape cheatgun mayhem 2 unblocked gameshttps://agar.chat/agariopaperio.network