Energica Releases New Experia Touring Motorcycle
- Italian electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica releases its new adventure-touring model, the Experia.
- Taking on the segment built by BMW’s GS platform, the Experia boasts adjustable long-travel suspension, variable torque applications, and a claimed 261 miles of city range.
- Pricing for the Experia starts at a costly $25,880, with pre-orders open now.
Each class of motorcycle has its hero. Oil-boiling Suzuki GSX-Rs are fairing-clad legends while Ducati’s trellis-frame Monster heavily influenced a lineage of European naked bikes. For the wayward traveler, the mile-devouring comfort of a tall windscreen and wide handlebar cemented the BMW GS platform as the one to beat.
And many have tried, but now there is a newcomer to the competition. Based out of Modena, Italy, Energica has been making performance-oriented electric motorcycles since 2014. Launching the new Experia—a full-faired and relatively tall touring bike—the parallels to a GS or Ducati Multistrada are clear.
Powered by a 306-volt permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, the Experia produces peak ratings of 102 hp and a torque range of 85 to 664 lb-ft, charged through a 22.6-kWh lithium-polymer battery. Energica claims a city range of 261 miles, though the company clarified that a combined riding range of 160 miles is more realistic. As a testament to the roadtrip-ready nature of the adventure-touring class, Energica has equipped the Experia with Level 2 and DC fast-charging compatibility. A fast-charging rate of four miles a minute allows the battery to be 80% charged in just 40 minutes.
Energica
Under parent company CRP Group, Energica was born with a racing pedigree from the CRP Racing days, and so handling and braking hardware are always name brand, quality components. An all-new steel tubular trellis frame and cast-aluminum swing arm hold the bike together. ZF Sachs’ adjustable suspension allows for preload, extension, and compression tuning up front, and preload as well as extension adjustment in the rear. Brembo provides the brakes, with four-piston 330-mm front discs and two-piston 240-mm rear discs.
A fancy Bosch cornering ABS unit is standard, allowing for the onboard computer to account for lean angle when calculating antilock intervention. This system will be helpful if owners take their Experia off the beaten path. With nearly six inches of travel up front and two in the rear, the Experia would be suited for service roads and loose-packed surfaces. At a curb weight of 573 pounds, the bike is certainly not light but remains on par with its internal-combustion competitors—commendable for an EV.
Energica
Pricing is one area where Energica struggles to compete, with the Experia starting at $25,880. For similarly priced bikes, one must shop the upper echelons of Ducati and BMW and with extras added on. For example, a Multistrada V4S starts at $26,095 but is 100 pounds lighter, packs 70 more horses, and has a range of 208 highway miles. Nonetheless, the Energica Experia is marketed as a luxury tourer and is equipped as such. Hardcase luggage, heated grips, and molded seats for rider and passenger are all standard equipment.
Energica is taking a leap into a segment that electric motorcycle manufacturers have yet to enter. While LiveWire focuses on urban mobility and Zero continues its line of sporty, naked bikes, Energica is now competing with legacy brands on well explored territory. Pre-orders for the adventure-tourer are now open, though the company has yet to provide a specific delivery date.
