Electric Dreams: Living with the Energica Eva
Visordown has been putting some serious miles on the Energica Eva electric motorcycle. Here’s what make of it after a few months of daily riding.
With the Energica Eva being electric, there may be some anxieties surrounding range and performance - as many doubters will have you believe.
But, after months of riding through central London and on long round trips to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, I can wholeheartedly say that range just isn’t a problem. And the performance/acceleration of the Eva is like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my seven years of riding motorcycles on the road.
Yes, if you ride like a hoon then the battery will drain quicker. So just pick your moments to have a little blast, and chuck it back in eco mode like a respectable green citizen. Just as an example, when riding full throttle down the runway at Bruntingthorpe at 130+mph, the range was indicating 13 miles with the battery at about 40% capacity. Good to know right?
London rides on the Energica Eva
Anywho, what’s Energica, daily bike? Not too shabby. Although it’s exotic and lathered in special parts it can be ridden through London just fine. The lack of engine noise and heat made commuting on it a real pleasure. The Eva is peaceful to commute on, yet with a firm twist of the throttle it will beat anything off the line from a set of lights thanks to its jet fighter-like acceleration.
Granted, it’s not a conventional machine to ride through the city and if it wasn’t for our private and secure lock-up I wouldn't dare ride the £24k machine through central London - but it demonstrates it can be done.
I can hear the doubters saying ‘loud pipes save lives’. Probably, yes. But you shouldn't just rely on a loud exhaust to save your a*s. With the Energica I had to adjust my riding style to be slightly more cautious when filtering and approaching blind junctions - in essence, ride more defensively - but other than that I rode this thing like any other conventional petrol-powered motorcycle. Also, the Energica is quiet but not silent thanks to a straight cut gearbox. So when accelerating or deaccelerating, drivers and pedestrians can still hear it coming.
Long-distance rides on the Energica Eva
The journey from London to Bruntingthorpe proving ground was around 130-miles - right near the Energica’s 125-mile maximum range. And riding like a bit of an idiot through some beautiful twisties led to one fast charge being required along the way. The quick juice up at a Polar fast-charge station takes no more than 20 mins and time flys as it fills up. It’s not as much as a chore as people make it out to be, and if anything, it was nice to take a breather on a long(ish) ride.
Currently, hardly any of the charge points for electric vehicles are in use, so you have complete freedom in selecting a charge point which helps to reduce that often discussed range anxiety.
Oh, and did I mention it cost me £3.72 to cover 260+ miles? I’ll let that sink in for a moment.
Eva: It’s as easy as twist and go
The Eva is as easy as a moped to ride, just with a sh*t load more power and torque - which puts a smile on your face every time it’s activated. You do have to unlearn changing down gears and reaching for the clutch lever at a junction, and to an extent, even unlearn reaching for the front brake because the adjustable regen system (when activated to the maximum) is almost the same as gently pulling the lever. After a while, you become a bit of a pro at judging stopping distances without touching the brakes - only using the rear to bring the bike to a complete stop.
The ‘get on and go’ factor of the Eva is impressive, and the CPU controlled torque management system keeps the bike smooth and tame off the line.
Top 5 things we like most about the Energica Eva
- Exhilarating acceleration
- Peaceful and relaxing cruiseability
- Adjustable regenerative braking system
- Cheap and easy rechargeability
- Cruise control
To sum up, living with the Eva has been a learning curve and something which I’m grateful for trying. It’s not perfect... but is any motorcycle for that matter? It's got its own unique and fun character, whilst still remaining focused, and there’s no doubt in my mind that the future of motorcycling is right here.
