Energica Esseesse9

New retro-style electric naked could be a turning point

Ignore the slightly curious name (which is inspired by a historic Italian road, built by the Romans from Rimini to Piacenza). Instead, rejoice in how the new Esseesse9 at last drops the insistence that electric bikes need futuristic or wacky styling, and instead just looks cool. Like a bike should. It’s based on Energica’s existing Eva sportsbike and Ego naked, with a 107bhp AC motor that makes 132 lb.ft of thump at any and all revs. The old-school round headlamp has an oval daytime running light ‘embedded in a precious aluminium crown’. Nice, but we’re more impressed by the colour dash, four modes, fast charging and, most important, new prices – Energicas are five or six grand cheaper than before, with the Esseesse9 cheapest at around £19,500. Still not peanuts... but going the right way.