Electric dreams and memories By Ben Purvis
After four years of racing , and two more years of development before getting to the grid - and that fire , don ' t forget the fire - Italian electric sports bike pioneer Energica has now bowed out as the ' spec ' bike manufacturer for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup . " The Ego Corsa showed the world how exciting and compelling electric motorcycle racing can be , and it defied any preconceptions that may have crossed the minds of the talented riders partaking in the series . " Since day one , they realised that it was indeed a fully-fledged , state-ofthe-art performance motorcycle and that it was ready to take some of the best racetracks in the world by storm . Through the years , MotoE racing has more often than not been the scenestealer , delivering thrilling battles from
The Energica family line-up on the Misano grid " with the three riders who brought our Energica Ego Corsa to the top of the world ". Picture by Jesús Robledo
the start to the chequered flag ". Elbowed out of the MotoE series by VAG backed Ducati , and now under the ownership of New York based , NASDAQ listed Ideanomics , behind the scenes - at the tracks and at its Modena , Italy headquarters - Energica worked hard in conjunction with the series organisers and its other technical partners to maintain and improve the
level of technology and competition , " while developing synergies that went far beyond the racetracks as well ". Looking to its future , one enhanced by the recent launch of its ' Experia ' zeroemissions electric Tourer , Energica states that " vision , courage , commitment , planning and effort are all key ingredients in writing a new chapter .
" No matter the level of involvement of each person in this project , no matter what we were asked to do , not only did we do it , but we excelled and even exceeded expectations . We will all make wonderful use of what we have learned throughout this exciting journey and be ready for what is to come ". www . energicamotor . com
Can-Am ' Pulse ' and ' Origin ' By Ben Purvis
The idea that the Can-Am name could return to motorcycles has been circulating ever since the brand was revived for ATVs and three-wheelers in 2006 . The return has now been confirmed , but the production bikes won ' t be ready until 2024 , to coincide with the company ' s 50th anniversary . The Canadian brand first appeared as Bombardier ' s entry to the motorcycle scene in 1973 , hitting immediate success in motocross competition , but Bombardier lost interest . Canadian Cam-Am production ended in 1982 , with CCM in the UK keeping the brand alive from 1983 to 1987 , when the Can-Am name disappeared completely . The 2006 comeback saw the Spyder three-wheeler and a range of quad bikes , but the current interest in electric motorcycles means it ' s being used for BRP ' s entry into that market . The first new bikes are the ' Pulse ' roadster and ' Origin ' ADV , built around a modular platform that ' s designed to be adaptable to suit all sorts of bikes , from off-roaders to custom cruisers . The central battery case doubles as the main frame structure , with swappable front and rear subframes to change the bike ' s character and geometry . Rotax , the Austrian manufacturer that made the original Can-Am engines , is developing the electric motors . In all the upcoming Can-Am models , the motor is mounted inside the front of the single-sided swingarm , where it drives through helical-cut reduction gears to a front sprocket , and then via a chain to the rear sprocket to provide another layer of gearing reduction . Unusually , the chain runs inside the swingarm rather than outside , sealing it from the elements and allowing it to run through an oil bath , with a built-in chain tensioner . That means chain adjustment and oiling should be unnecessary and the chain noise reduced . As with most electric bikes , there ' s just a single speed and no clutch , but Can-Am is sticking to the familiar foot-operated rear brake rather than moving to a scooter-style , bar-mounted version .