Energica Ego Corsa MotoE Race Bike Makes its First Demo Lap in Qatar
We’re a step closer to the electric class of MotoGP being a reality.
The FIM MotoE World Cup electric motorcycle racing circuit doesn’t officially begin until the 2019 season, but more and more details are coming out about the new league. Last month we met the bike being used in MotoE which is the Energica Ego Corsa. The Ego Corsa has a lot in common with the production Ego, but modified for racing use with 147 horsepower and a top speed of 155 mph.
On Sunday night, the Energica Ego Corsa electric race bike made its world debut at Losail Circuit in Qatar following the MotoGP season opener. Former 500cc British Grand Prix winner Simon Crafar took it for a demo lap giving us a brief glimpse of what it can do on the track. MotoGP posted a video of the demo lap, but it doesn’t show us very much. We do, however, get to see and hear the new race bike in action. So, what is an electric racing motorcycle like to ride?
“The experience was really different,” said Crafar in the video. “The only thing that felt normal was the acceleration off the corner, but then I was automatically going for the gear lever, which it doesn’t need,” continued Crafar. “Then, braking, you can feel the battery weight. It wants to go straight ahead a little more. I was on both brakes trying to get it to stop.”
Teams, regulations, and scheduling of the inaugural MotoE season are still being figured out and the bike is technically still in its prototype phase. We’re looking forward to seeing how FIM’s effort to bring electric motorcycle racing to the mainstream shakes out.