When we initial acquired that Ducati would be using more than Energica’s role as the sole provider of racing electric powered bikes for the FIM MotoE electric motorcycle racing collection, the information arrived as a little bit of a shock. At the time, Ducati did not even have any electric bikes – at least not that they were demonstrating off. Now we’re receiving our to start with search – and hear – to the company’s future electric racing models.
The recently unveiled video from Ducati follows four extended months after the enterprise initial showed us photographs of the Ducati V21L prototype.
That is the performing title of Ducati’s first electric powered motorcycle – nevertheless not its initial electric two-wheeler.
Back in December of last calendar year, the electric powered motorbike prototype executed a number of laps on the Misano Planet Circuit Marco Simoncelli track devoid of any of us finding an up near seem.
That changes now thanks to a new advertising video that presents our to start with superior appear at the bicycle executing some scorching laps with a extremely properly trained rider atop and demonstrating off Ducati’s have distinctive motor and chain seem for the electric powered bike.
You can examine out the video clip beneath.
[UPDATE: aaaand it’s gone. Ducati turned the video to “private” on its official YouTube channel shortly after this article was written. We’ll re-update if they give us the video back. Or you can check here to see if it’s back.]
[UPDATE 1: aaaand it’s back, at least via someone who downloaded the original…]
Potentially most apparently, the V21L will not just be Ducati’s initially racing electric motorcycle, but the business has previously noted that it will directly direct to Ducati’s 1st purchaser electric motorbike.
That was confirmed earlier this yr by Ducati North The united states CEO Jason Chinnock.
We do not have any tough specs yet on how the Ducati V21L may possibly accomplish, but we have a good concept of what the company’s benchmark is.
The motorbike that Ducati will attempt to replace was the Energica Ego Corsa, which was identified to strike speeds of up to 160 mph (257 km/h) during races.
Energica outfitted the bike with a 110 kW (147 hp) liquid-cooled electric motor serving to lay down 220 Nm of torque. So Ducati certainly knowns the quantities to conquer.
Ducati’s thoroughly-faired V21L electric racing motorcycle does not deliver lots of glimpses of the engineering underneath the panels. We are equipped to spot a solitary-speed set up with a chain generate operating in line with the swingarm pivot, aiding to give a several clues about the drivetrain. But the greater powertrain stays a thriller as the battery pack is hidden absent from look at.
The battery pack has been cited by Ducati before as the principal purpose they had been previously not able to make electric powered bikes, regardless of providers like Energica seemingly owning figured it out decades before.
It now seems that Ducati has discovered the alternative (and for its aspect, Energica has indicated that Ducati reverse engineered some tech from Energica’s bikes), with the proof remaining in the pudding as Ducati’s bicycle flies on the observe.
We’ll be back again with additional data as soon as Ducati is prepared to spill the beans on accurately what is heading on under the panels of its to start with electric motorcycle.
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