Featured within the December 2023 challenge of Roadracing World & Bike Know-how journal:
On The Cost: Electrical Energica Podiums In MotoAmerica Towards Gasoline Machines!
By Michael Gougis
Energica officers knew that racing within the one-make MotoE class had its limitations. The Energica Evo Corsa is an superior machine, however on the finish of the day, Energica was racing towards itself within the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. And it left unanswered the large query: How would an electrical racebike carry out towards conventional inside combustion gasoline-powered machines?
“We needed to show to those that we had a legit sportbike. And also you earn your respect on the racetrack,” says Stefano Benatti, CEO of Energica Motor Firm, USA.
So final 12 months, Energica withdrew from the MotoE class and prepped a Eva Ribelle RS, the corporate’s streetfighter mannequin, to compete in MotoAmerica’s Tremendous Hooligan class. And this 12 months, in Race One at Circuit of The Americas, Stefano Mesa was holding down a stable third place on the Ribelle when a last-corner move went fallacious for Jeremy McWilliams on the Indian in entrance of him, giving Mesa second, the primary podium for an electrical motorbike in an expert race towards ICE machines. Respect, certainly.
“I knew we had third, however, actually, these two (McWilliams and Indian teammate Tyler O’Hara) race one another so exhausting on a regular basis, that once I noticed that yellow flag, I assumed possibly they’d taken one another out!” Mesa says. “We had a legit third. We’d have been proud of third. We’re tremendous stoked to get the second place. To get the second was so significantly better.”
In June of 2022, Benatti instructed Roadracing World that Energica deliberate to race in America, however he couldn’t reveal particulars of the place and when simply but. The debut got here shortly afterward at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the place Mesa was entered on a lightly-modified avenue Ribelle RS. The outcomes had been encouraging, so Tytlers Cycle Racing determined to maintain creating the bike (“ribelle” is Italian for “insurgent”) and enter the eight-race, four-round 2023 Tremendous Hooligan sequence.
Mesa scored a seventh and a fifth at Daytona, then DNF and completed fourth at Ridge Motorsports Park, nonetheless practically six seconds off the rostrum. Then got here Laguna, the place the outcomes had been spectacular, however not as spectacular because the launch Mesa received in Race One. When the lights went out, Mesa nailed the beginning and led into Flip One and held the lead for practically half a lap earlier than ending sixth. “Our hearts had been bursting by means of our chests,” Benatti says.
The Tytlers crew was not trying ahead to the COTA spherical. Warmth is the enemy of electrical bikes, and the observe’s lengthy, quick straights and the forecast excessive ambient temperatures wouldn’t play to the strengths of an electrical motorbike.
However the crew had been creating the bike, which now incorporates the corporate’s Package Corsa Clienti package deal. Energy administration firmware, suspension, and brakes all had been upgraded. And the bike labored nicely sufficient that Mesa had benefits the place he didn’t anticipate finding them. The bike’s torque received it out of tight corners nicely; the Öhlins suspension and geometry modifications saved the bike secure within the quick corners; and the brakes had been wonderful. “We’ve accomplished stable work with the package deal we’ve received,” Mesa says.
The pink flag that interrupted Race One in Texas didn’t do the Energica any favors. The jiffy of additional cost weren’t actually important, and the ambient warmth didn’t permit the battery pack to chill considerably, Mesa says. Nonetheless, Mesa was into the rostrum positions on the finish of the second lap, and was two seconds forward of Andy DiBrino, who was working fourth, when McWilliams crashed. Fifth in Race Two was anti-climatic, but it surely was sufficient for Mesa, Tytlers, and Energica to seal fourth place within the Championship standings. “We couldn’t have requested for extra,” Benatti says.
It was good for Energica, but it surely was additionally good for Tytlers, which took the possibility on an electrical racebike program; and good for worldwide power conglomerate Petronas, which got here on board as a sponsor. It seems that making lubricants for electrical automobiles is a brand new and rising market.
And it was good for Mesa. The 29-year-old Colombian was working his personal Supersport and Inventory 1000 packages in MotoAmerica when he was approached with a singular alternative. “We had been at Highway America and I used to be using my very own factor, doing the 600 and the 1000 stuff, and Corey Alexander got here as much as me and mentioned the proprietor of my crew desires to speak to you a couple of potential journey. So I went to speak to Michael Kiley (founding father of Tytlers Cycle Racing.) He wasn’t positive how every thing was going to pan out, but it surely may carry a number of consideration, and it is likely to be the long run. I’m actually, actually glad I took the chance.
“After I was doing my very own factor, I used to be altering my very own tires, I used to be the mechanic as nicely. It was positively taking a toll on me. I’m tremendous grateful that Michael gave me this chance. The largest factor that modified was having a crew behind me and me with the ability to simply focus on using and going quick. Now each lap counts and I can put in laps and get higher at it. I feel persons are beginning to imagine in these electrical issues. I’ve turn out to be an enormous EV fan since I began.”
Energica’s Stefano Benatti And Giampiero Testoni, On The First MotoAmerica Podium For An Electrical Bike Competing Towards Gasoline Machines
“We Are Making Historical past…”
Energica USA CEO Stefano Benatti and Energica Chief Technical Officer Giampiero Testoni talked to Roadracing World Editor John Ulrich about Energica racer Stefano Mesa taking second in MotoAmerica Tremendous Hooligan Race One on the Circuit of The Americas. Benatti and Testoni had been comprehensible thrilled on the firm’s first podium in MotoAmerica competitors, and, extra importantly, the primary podium for an electrical bike racing inside combustion bikes in a Nationwide Sequence.
Roadracing World: What had been a few of the difficulties you needed to overcome to make the Energica Eva Ribelle RS mannequin aggressive towards fuel bikes. Are you able to clarify these?
Giampiero Testoni: To begin with, it’s dealing with completely different sorts of bikes, completely different sorts of utilization of the bikes. We now have after all energy supply, power utilization, and size of the entire race. And most of all, how nicely the rider adapts to using one thing completely different than what they’ve been used to for the final possibly 20 years.
So initially I’d say the strategy we had throughout this Championship was to permit Stefano Mesa to adapt to the bike, as a result of as you may see he has accomplished an excellent studying curve. He has tailored to the bike. He’s using very nicely.
And on the identical time, one of many main points, main challenges for us, is dealing with the power consumption on very lengthy tracks and really quick tracks. Daytona and COTA are two of essentially the most difficult tracks for electrical automobiles. Very lengthy straights, very excessive high speeds, it’s the place the bike is getting extra power requests.
So primarily based on that now we have been bringing all of the expertise we had in MotoE the final 4 years–after all, it’s completely different as a result of that was a single-manufacturer race. Right here the problem largely is to race towards completely different bikes which have a clutch, have gears, have a transmission, have a unique braking level, so even the strains could possibly be completely different due to how you need to brake and the way you speed up.
We now have an enormous benefit in torque, so you may see that the beginning off the grid is nice. That’s the largest benefit of the electrical. However on the identical time now we have tremendous acceleration and one of many highest high speeds, even with no transmission.
After all, now we have to arrange the bike completely for each observe. We now have to see easy methods to do the administration of the power throughout the entire race, so over the weekend we attempt to collect information. However that is our first 12 months for us on new tracks, and the rider after all is studying. He’s knocking down seconds between every session! So you’ve gotten the info from the earlier session, after which he goes (a number of) seconds sooner. So all the info you’ve gotten from qualifying is totally completely different, as a result of he’s going sooner.
So each time, now we have to re-set our understanding of our information and attempt to arrange for the subsequent race, for the subsequent venue. So let’s say that this primary 12 months for us is a studying 12 months, though we’re doing very nicely. It’s surprising. We’re, OK, we are going to take part, we are going to see the way it goes, we don’t have nice expectations. Second place, the expectations begin to get excessive! The rider is comfortable, the rider is comfortable on the bike. He feels he’s very aggressive.
Roadracing World: Nobody’s accomplished this earlier than–racing an electrical bike towards fuel bikes with any sort of success. They could have accomplished it a very long time in the past, however no one’s accomplished it on the Nationwide degree and no one’s accomplished it within the final 20 years that we are able to recall. We used to see some guys with experimental bikes they constructed themselves attempt to do it in membership racing, however they didn’t work very nicely. So mainly you’re making historical past with this. Did you anticipate it to go this nicely?
Giampiero Testoni: This nicely? No. We now have the expertise working with electrical bikes. We began with racing, working as much as manufacturing and now racing once more for the final 15 years. So let’s say that we’re already pioneers–not the primary pioneers, however we had been one of many first.
We put our racing expertise along with a brand new imaginative and prescient of propulsion, going electrical. And let’s say that we introduced our street expertise to the racebikes, and the race expertise to the street bikes, and now once more our street expertise to racing. We didn’t anticipate to go that nicely, however we all know the job that our guys have accomplished within the final 10 years and all the event now we have accomplished.
We’re the reference for the street marketplace for the electrical. We’re the highest degree, the highest efficiency, the highest styling and so forth, so I feel that our guys have accomplished an excellent job. We now have been pushing in all places. Racing is our DNA, so wherever it’s potential …
We ended final 12 months the 4 years of the MotoE World (Cup), so we mentioned, what’s subsequent? Our colleagues from the U.S. pushed lots to go racing towards petrol bikes, so, OK, we mentioned, the market. Europe is totally completely different. So U.S. is a unique market.
However on the finish of the day, you need to say they had been proper, as a result of that is proving, as you say, that we’re making historical past. That the electrical bike is an ideal various to a combustion bike. You’ll be able to have enjoyable and go quick. You’ll be able to race towards petrol and you may win towards a petroleum motorbike. So this can be a nice shout to the general public, exhibiting that there’s something else on the market. We don’t need to say that every thing might be electrical, that there might be solely electrical so that you simply must convert. No. However there may be an alternate that’s as enjoyable, as quick, possibly funner, in order for you, for the torque and so forth.
The expectations weren’t this excessive, so a podium for us is one thing actually surprising, and at a observe like COTA–it’s a extremely, actually demanding observe. So we’re very comfortable, however being within the high 10 was already being successful, then we began being high 5, now the rostrum, so let’s see what’s subsequent!
Roadracing World: What’s subsequent?
Stefano Benatti: Racing is a query mark. Something may occur, so expectations are excessive. Whenever you see one thing new approaching the rostrum, even the opposite racers have an additional eye on him, saying now he’s a menace! First he’s on the again, now let’s look out for the electrical bike with Stefano, as a result of that’s actually harmful. When you’re a bit again, OK, you’re a problem to these on the again however the (leaders) are extra calm and know that they’re nonetheless profitable. When you find yourself being second towards 30, 40, what number of petrol bikes, they’re saying, that’s one thing now we have to have an additional eye on! So we predict expectations are excessive in all places, however on the identical time Stefano stands out as the most focused rider within the race!
Roadracing World: On Fb, we’ve seen photos of electrical bikes on hearth. We see photos of electrical scooters that folks have catch on hearth. A few weeks in the past, after we had been on the best way to LAX airport there was an enormous site visitors jam. In the course of the raised transition street from one freeway to a different there was a Tesla on hearth. So some folks fear about that sort of factor. So what would you say to somebody who’s anxious about shopping for an electrical bike as a result of they suppose it may catch on hearth?
Stefano Benatti: It’s simply because everyone seems to be what is occurring on electrical. They are saying, oh, there was a hearth. However what number of petrol vehicles do you see on hearth however you don’t suppose, ah, a automobile is burning. However in the event you see an electrical automobile is burning you suppose, ah, now we have to take photos! We now have to ship it to the media! However possibly you’ve gotten seen 10 petrol vehicles burning. So actually I feel it’s media consideration now as a result of no matter is new is frightening since you don’t know. So everyone seems to be having an additional eye on what is electrical.
After all you need to listen as a result of there are risks like in all places. However we’re used to petrol. You scent it, you may see it, you may contact it. Whereas electrical energy is one thing you don’t see, you don’t scent. And in the event you contact it, you may get severely injured. On the identical time, it’s an electro-chemical system, so if one thing goes fallacious, largely it’s poor engineering within the battery administration system or one thing intruding from the exterior. A crash, one thing extreme that’s damaging the battery. This will result in a hearth. So in that case, I say every thing is harmful, each automobile.
Roadracing World: Life is harmful. Racing is certainly harmful.
Giampiero Testoni: Racing–what number of MotoGP (bikes) you see once they slide and catch hearth? However they’re used to that. An electrical automobile that’s catching hearth initially is a unique hearth, so you need to know easy methods to handle it. It’s largely about how acutely aware we’re about how now we have to struggle hearth that’s coming from electrical.
However that’s getting extra consolidated as a result of we all know how the automobile business is happening electrical, a minimum of in Europe; (by) 2045, we must go all electrical. So due to that, the push on electrical is big. And (so is) the event on the protection measures, lively and passive.
It’s about realizing and reacting and doing the appropriate factor. Right here we’re on the racetrack, so it’s a closed surroundings. Something could occur, so you need to be prepared for that. I’d say that it’s not one thing that now we have to cover from. We now have electrical energy in each home. that you just can not put fingers inside an outlet in your own home, as a result of you’ll get electrocuted. So it’s a unique factor. We’re getting used to it, we’re getting used to the know-how, after which it is going to be regular.
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