NEW AND RIDDEN: EN ERG I CA EVA RIB EL LE
Electric bikes are great, apart from that elephant in the room.
The Eva Ribelle is Energica’s latest attempt at convincing us electric bikes are not just Betamax in disguise. And their case is strong: this super naked churns out 144bhp and a tarmac-ruing 159 lb.ft of torque, which is just four grunts fewer than Triumph’s ridiculous 2458cc Rocket 3. Acceleration is as savage as any other top-drawer super naked. In fact, the Energica pulls even harder – with its considerable weight squishing the tyre into the road it just digs in and goes, barely lifting its front wheel. With no gear changes to interrupt thrust, neck muscles sigh with relief as a limited 125mph is rapidly reached.
Of course none of this is a surprise because Energica supply the bikes for Motoe, the electric race series that supports Motogp, so they know more than most about electricity. And they’ve deployed this knowledge by creating a full-on super naked that’s got the lightest and most powerful battery pack ever fitted to an electric production bike. So, the headlines are impressive.
Out and about you quickly get used to its easy, scooter-like twist-and-go-ness; a rival petrol engine would sell its soul for the Ribelle’s flawless throttle manners and luxurious spread of torque. However, not having a clutch does take away the tactile pleasures of pushing and pulling on levers, and robs you of flicking up a front wheel. And then there’s the missing sound and feel of pistons blurring up and down beneath you. Electric motor evangelists will no doubt highlight the distinctive jet fighter-like whine, but the unadulterated joy of revving an Aprilia Tuono’s V4 or Yamaha MT-10’S crossplane inline four is missed.
Energica claim a 60% improvement in range from the new batteries and say the Ribelle is good for 249 town miles or 112 miles on a motorway. Fast charging to 80% takes around 42 minutes; a slower Level 2 charger will give you 41.5 miles for every hour it’s plugged in. Unfortunately, our short test ride means we can’t assess these claims, but we’ll get to grips with this when we ride one in the UK.
The upright riding position uses rearset ’pegs, and cants you to the handlebar – it’s an aggressive stance and puts you in an attacking position, without being uncomfortable. The Eva Ribelle is oh-so stable, steers with precision and has plenty of grip. With no engine noise to cover the suspension banging up and down or the slap of a chain, most electric bikes sound awful over bumps. Happily, this Energica’s chassis is tight and clatter-free, though its bulk causes lots of weight transfer through the forks when you roll-off the throttle. This test bike had optional Öhlins suspension (Marzocchi fork and Bitubo shock are standard) and yet there’s some vagueness and instability tipping into corners, while on straights its 270kg helps the ride quality. The fancy Brembo brakes are strong, though need a big squeeze and a dab of rear to get all 270 kilos of engine, plastic and heavy metals stopped in a hurry.
There is, however, an adjustable engine braking control (with four settings) to give a helping hand
– it regenerates power too. Other electronic extras include four riding modes, traction, ABS and cruise control, plus a colour dash. Heated grips and keyless ignition are optional, as is carbon bodywork.
The Eva Ribelle goes on sale in March and it’ll cost £19,825 on the road – road tax free. Energica are part of the CRP Group, a precision engineering company producing components for F1 and aircraft, and with its top-notch chassis parts, three-year warranty and 31,000-mile guarantee on the batteries the Ribelle feels like a premium machine. It’s just a shame we haven’t, as yet, been able to test range. However, in every other way Energica’s latest feels like another leap forward. Electric bikes may yet reveal themselves as this generation’s VHS. Or perhaps even Blu-ray.