KYMCO

Another electric bike! So what makes this one so special?

‘You look at the electric bikes of today,’ says Kymco chairman Allen Ko, ‘and they don’t really offer the kind of sensations riders need. So we think we need to have something like this to establish Kymco as the leader in electric motorcycle world.’ He’s talking about the Supernex concept bike that was centre stage on the Taiwanese scooter maker’s stand at EICMA. It looks like a convincing supersport package, and Kymco make bold claims for its performance; 0ƒ62mph in 2.9 seconds, 0ƒ124mph in 7.5 seconds, 0ƒ155mph in 10.9 seconds. But there are lots of other electric bikes on show at Eicma too, what makes this one feel relevant? ‘We are in the best position because we are in Taiwan. The Taiwanese government has been backing electric for a long time. We launched an electric scooter 20 years ago. And in Taiwan we are good at making computers, smart phones, things like that, so we have the electrical engineering ability. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Kymco, to establish ourselves as a leading brand in the new electric era.’ The Supernex will differ from other electrics by making a noise, and by giving your left foot something to do. ‘The sound and the gears are part of the motorcycle experience.’ Reckons Ko. ‘And there are two elements as to why we need the sound. One is to do with the thrill. Another is to deliver messages about the working conditions of the motor. So you want to know what the rpm is, what the load is.’ The rest of the details are vague. ‘Price will depend on how much battery we use. I know we will be cheaper than Energica, we have scale (they make over 500,000 scooters a year – Ed) and experience. We don’t have a final figure on how powerful the bike will be, but for sure we can deliver this performance,’ he asserts confidently.

nd Bike ‘The says: Supernex will differ from other electrics by giving your left foot something to do’