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MOTOGP<br />
BLOG<br />
SPARKING INTO LIFE...<br />
As someone brought up on a strict diet of two-wheel racing,<br />
I was struck by a video filmed by colleagues last November.<br />
Stood trackside at Jerez’s famous stadium section<br />
to observe MotoE’s first official outing, the footage captures<br />
a gaggle of Italian manufacturer Energica’s hybrid<br />
machines filing past in a flurry. Yes, the Ego Corse - the<br />
MotoE World Cup’s bike of choice – looked like a grand prix<br />
motorcycle. And it was certainly travelling at racing speeds.<br />
But what about the sound, or lack<br />
thereof? Gone were the peaks and<br />
wails of an engine and the clanks,<br />
cuts and spits that accompany<br />
downshifting and electronic aids.<br />
Noises one has become so accustomed<br />
to hearing from racing<br />
machines. Instead there was a<br />
near-silent robotic whirr followed<br />
by a whoosh of displaced<br />
air - an experience straight from a<br />
DVD extra on an upcoming sci-fi<br />
release. Watching them circulate<br />
on track was more Blade Runner<br />
2049 than elite level motorsport.<br />
That first MotoE shakedown<br />
raised several questions that remain<br />
unanswered.<br />
For a sport so visceral, so dependent<br />
on assaulting the senses when<br />
observing nearby, can the lack<br />
of sound (and smell) really be<br />
redressed? Will the racing really<br />
be that competitive? There was<br />
a considerable variation between<br />
the fastest and slowest riders present<br />
last November. And perhaps<br />
the biggest challenge for machine<br />
supplier Energica: can these<br />
machines really travel at racing<br />
speeds for a full race distance?<br />
But fast-forward two and a half<br />
months and the first electric<br />
motorcycle sprint held at world<br />
championship level is edging ever<br />
closer.<br />
Make sure to mark May 5th in<br />
your diary, a day in which a small<br />
bit of two-wheel history will be<br />
made. The five-round series, comprising<br />
of six outings (a doubleheader<br />
at the final fixture to ensure<br />
championship tension goes<br />
to the last weekend) starts with a<br />
7 or 8 lap shootout at Jerez. Trips<br />
to Le Mans, the Sachsenring, Austria’s<br />
Red Bull Ring and Misano<br />
will follow.<br />
Whether you view electric bikes<br />
as a threat to the current status<br />
quo, or are just straight up disinterested,<br />
it’s worth paying at<br />
least a passing attention to how<br />
the coming year unfolds; not least<br />
because of electric-powered vehicles’<br />
ever-increasing influence on
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