Here’s The Energica Experia Touring Electric Motorcycle

The new Energica Experia fully-faired touring electric motorcycle is the latest development from the Italian manufacturer, now available for pre-orders with delivery slated to begin in autumn 2022. Retail pricing for the Launch Edition is $25,880. The Base version (without bags and top case, and some other accessories) will be $23,750.

“Considering the price for the Base version is about the same as our EVA EsseEsse9+ RS naked bike, it’s a fairly good value, as electric bikes go,” Energica USA Director of Marketing Laurence Kuykendall told me on a recent ride on local roads.

Optimized for long-range, two-up comfort with an aerodynamic sport-touring fairing, adjustable windscreens and ample hard luggage capacity, Energica is touting that the new Experia fully delivers on what mileage-eaters demand, yet is the nimblest and most maneuverable machine they’ve ever made.

And, the Experia motor and battery are both brand new. Battery capacity has increased (to 22.5 kWh maximum/19.6 kWh nominal) and has a lower weight. Energica says a centralized lower center of gravity allows for better low-speed rideability.

As an EV curious sport touring rider and daily commuter, I asked for more detail.

“The new motor was created in conjunction with Mavel,” he explained over brunch at the Loma Mar Store & Kitchen on a sunny Sunday. “We believe Permanent Magnet Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motors (PMASynRM) are the solution to a challenge now being faced by electric vehicle manufacturers. Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) like those used on our other Energica motorcycles are highly favored for many applications. They provide high efficiency, high torque density and wide speed range performance.

“The most important design aspect however in these motors are permanent magnet (PM) materials which contain rare-earth elements. The volatility or suspect sources of supply for rare-earth magnets has created the need for alternatives. Synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motors are the new solution.”

According to Kuykendall, SynRMs work on a very elegant principle made possible only recently by the rise of sophisticated control systems, characterized by high energy efficiency, reliability, lower operating temperatures and low maintenance requirements.

“The result is the same strong power delivery of the traditional PMSM but with greater simplicity and compactness, since the rotor no longer needs rare-earth magnets or windings and suffers virtually no power loss,” he explained. “Permanent magnets are still utilized, instead inset in the flux barriers to increase main torque density and power, but now no longer need to contain rare-earth materials. The result is equal power but in a smaller, cooler package.

“Not earth-shaking by itself but the unusual aspect of this bike are some subtleties that even riders often don’t think about.

“Aerodynamics is important. And there’s no sport-touring or touring fairing that–relatively speaking–won’t act like a drag chute compared to a sport fairing, even if, as in this case, it gets the whole wind tunnel treatment,” he added. “If you’re going to have wind and weather protection and be sitting upright, then you’re going to need a fairing that slows you down because of added wind resistance and is heavier than your typical sport bike. We added a little battery capacity but that wouldn’t be enough to overcome the detrimental effect of a protective fairing.

“What interests me is that our CTO Giampiero Testoni and his design team were able to create a sport-touring bike with a decent-sized fairing that still has a little more range than our other bikes, and weighs the same amount (actually I’m pretty certain that without the bags and top case, the Experia is about 9 lbs. lighter than our other bikes) and according to the test riders, is more nimble and handles better. And that’s where the stuff you don’t see: losing 22 lbs. in the motor, a lighter frame, a better-positioned battery, all make up for the additional weight of the fairing.”

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