MotoE: BRIGHT SPARK!

Dull, silent snooze-fest? Or the future of motorbike racing? The electric MotoGP support series MotoE has just finished its first season. Our man Alan Dowds went to watch the final round at Valencia, and find out how it’s gone.

- WEE DOWDS

Hate the very idea of electric bikes? You’re not alone. But whether we like it or not, they look like they’re going to be a big part of the future of two wheels. Much of that will be in the form of dull commuters and scooters aimed at cleaning up city centres, of course. But is there any chance that we’ll see an electric fast bike any time soon?

One place to look is racing. It’s always been the case that the best parts of performance motorcycling are developed in competition – the technology on the race track passes down the line to our road bikes.

That’s how we get the amazing 215bhp engines, super-sticky tyres, incredible brakes, suspension and high-end electronics, which make life worth living. So in theory, a new electric race series should be honing the high-end performance tech we all want – just powered by moving electrons rather than combusting hydrocarbons.

Enter MotoE – the electric support series that’s been running alongside MotoGP at selected rounds this season. It’s a one-make set up, with Modena-based firm Energica supplying a stable of control bikes, based on its Ego superbike. Insiders we spoke to say that Dorna was spooked by what happened in the four-wheel world of electric racing. There, Formula One was slow to take up the opportunity for a global series, and Formula E has snatched the initiative. The firm behind both MotoGP and WSBK seems unlikely to make a similar strategic blunder – and so threw its weight, together with IRTA (the International Road Racing Teams Association), behind the new series.