Carpi radialis flexor muscle Muscle is something you never thought you needed when riding a motorcycle. This horse of your forearm is what does the push and pull. Riding the new Energica Ego motorcycle, I found myself needing it.
You see, this fully electric sportbike has 159 lb-ft (215 Nm) of torque. That’s about double what a 2022 Yamaha R1 superbike makes. When you squeeze the gas and twist, all that torque wreaks havoc on that carpi radialis flexor at any speed as it throws you back into the saddle and you contract your forearms to stay in place. Trust me, it’s fun.
For a few years now, we have seen energy Ego clones at MotoE races, the Corsa, and they sound like beautiful exotic motos. I finally got the chance to jump over one leg during a short ride around Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe is usually sunny and beautiful, and Marc Beyer and Frances Sayre from OCD Cycles, an Energica Dealer, are warm. But this particular Saturday was cold because of our short trip around town.
Overall, the Ego has the performance and ergonomics of a Triumph Daytona 675R. It feels snappy and the ergonomics aren’t too different either. Although the Ego makes the same 171 horsepower as the liter bike, it weighs about 573 pounds (260 kg). That’s 205 pounds more than the Daytona. Weight is noticeable around narrower bends, such as roundabouts, but it should disappear as you move. I found that with a little movement in the saddle, I could bend my knees and the bike would move at will around larger sweepers.
But most of the Ego’s driving experience depends on two things: the bike’s autonomous nature and how it sounds. The sound you hear from the Energica bike is not the engine. That is silence. Instead, you’re hearing gears cutting straight together, like a Formula E car, and as you go faster, that sound gets louder and higher. It’s an intoxicating sound that reminds you you’re riding something different. It has a chime in the TFT that tells you how fast the engine is spinning, but basically this bike is direct drive and there is a very direct correlation between your hands and your speed.
Speaking of that engine, that torque is what makes this bike go so fast. It’s intoxicating to release the throttle, err, potentiometer, and release just to feel the pull of your carpi radialis flexor. It’s also quick because there’s no shifting of the single-speed transmission; you are always in the right gear.
But unlike some bikes where the riding modes don’t really change much, on the Energica you can feel the difference between Eco, Urban, Rain and Sport modes. In a brief burst on the more upright Esse Esse 9, a similar bike with vertical bars, in Urban mode it wants to lift the front end leaving any spotlights or slow turns. You can also turn off the traction control system, but with that much power I wouldn’t recommend doing so.
The Ego has a top speed of 150 mph, and although we didn’t get a chance to go that fast, what’s interesting about the Energica Ego is not its top speed capability, but the increase in speed. Instant of power around town can be used. You find yourself slowing down just to punch it and feel the surge of all that torque.
Compared to one Life, Ego feels faster and sharper. And, at least in my eyes, it looks a lot better.
With electric motorcycle, the first question many people ask is about scope. The Energica Ego has a range of about 260 miles (420 km) in mixed use according to Energica, or about 121 miles (200 km) on the highway where you don’t use regenerative braking. However, the way we go, the charge has dropped quite a bit. You can expand your reach with four renewable maps. When you take your hand off the gas, it will brake and send some of the energy back to the battery.
Sure it can go 150 mph. It sure looks nice. But is the Ego a $26,000 experience? Possibly, if you have access to a DC fast charger. I only had the chance to ride the Ego for a short time around a beautiful town with some lovely people. However, if Energica asked me to bring one for a long trip, I certainly wouldn’t refuse. But, I’ll do the carpi radialis flexor first.
