Energica Ego RS: Electric riding with MotoGP vibes
The Energica Ego RS. It sounds exotic. And maybe you’ve never heard of this exotic motorcycle before. Ego? Well, it definitely has character. It draws lots of attention and other motorcyclists will come closer to ask you all about this special appearance.
Because that is what is is. The Energica Ego RS sets a different bar for the whole ‘electric riding experience’. One wouldn’t immediately say it is an electric motorcycle, when you look at it from a far. It looks like a proper sport bike. And it is, actually.
THE ENERGICA EGO RS
MOTOGP VIBES
MotoGP vibes? Yes, you have read that right. Why? Because from 2019 up until 2022, Energica Motor was the sole supplier of motorcycle for the MotoE. The MotoE is part of the FIM World Championship, where electric superbikes are raced. Up till this year, the Energica Ego Corsa was ridden in that championship. In 2023, Energica Motor will be replaced by Ducati as sole supplier of motorcycles. But that will probably have little to do with performance, and much more with money..
ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLS
A NEW EXPERIENCE
The street legal version of the Energica Ego Corsa is the Ego RS. With many thanks to Energica Motor Netherlands, I had the opportunity to ride this beauty.
In all honesty, I am not big fan of riding anything electric. I am fully aware of all the pros and cons. And we could have an environmental discussion about this, but let’s not. I don’t dislike electric vehicles per se. It’s just something new for me. And that’s just it, I guess. I have a huge soft spot for anything old, instead of new. Especially when it comes to vehicles.
But on my way to ride the Energica Ego ES, I did keep an open mind. Because if one had to ride something electric, then let it at least be sexy. And the Ego RS is – in my eyes – extremely sexy.
ELEKTRIC SUPERSPORT
THE ENERGICA EGO RS
The Ego RS is an electric sport bike. It provides you with a peak performance of 171 hp and a continues power of 149 hp. Like anything electric, it is heavy. It weighs around 260 kg. It’s a thing I used to shout too, towards any electric vehicle. But due to its massive amount of torque, that weight is no issue at all while riding.
The Energica Ego RS delivers a respectful 215 Nm of torque. And it reaches a top speed of 240 km/h. It reaches the 0-100 bar within 2.6 seconds. That is actually quite fast.
To complete this list of numbers; the action radius of this electric motorcycle is 420 km. If you avoid highways. Do want to take the highway? Then it comes down to 198 km of sole highway action.
A QUICK CUP OF COFFEE
FAST CHARGING SYSTEM
So yes, you have to charge the bike every now and then. Some more often than others, depending on how much performance you ask from the bike. Since we like to look on the bright side of life here at REDRIDINGBOOTS, we find charging a great excuse for another cup of coffee.
But don’t expect to have loads of time to drink that coffee. Because charging the Energica Ego RS actually goes really quick. You don’t have to drag your charging cable with you (luckily), because you can charge the Ego RS at any of Tesla’s fast charging stations. And that, my friends, is what I call lovely. Because it is practical. And we simple Dutchies love practical things.
So you better drink your coffee quickly when charging this Italian stallion. It’s ready to go before you know it.
CHARING FROM 40 TO 98%
INSTEAD OF 0 TO 100%
Something we have learned from Energica Motor Netherlands, is that you don’t charge an electric vehicle once its battery is gone dead. Or almost dead. You recharge whenever you get the change. So you won’t have to charge it from 0 to 100%, but probably only from 40 or 50 to 100%.
Did ride that battery almost empty? Then it almost fully recharges in one hour. So if you time that lunch break conveniently, then it is no hassle at all.
RIDING THE ENERGICA EGO RS
A SURPRISE
So I hop onto the back of this Italian sport bike. After a quick briefing – which all made sense – we get going. What immediately stands out, is that this bike has a weird calmness over it when taking turns. Since it has no combustion engine which rumbles and stumbles, it feels very, very balanced and calm. And since there is also no clutch, you suddenly have time to spare when preparing for a corner entry.
The result? I get stuck at the inside of a turn way too quickly, when I enter a corner like I would on my Aprilia RSV4. The solution? Brake a bit later or go a bit faster. Simply said. Both solutions we can live with.
Since this motorcycle is so gentle to ride and provides lots of balance, it creates trust as well. It gently asks you to ride it a bit faster and more sporty with every turn. The throttle respons is good. Quiet sporty even. And it launches you forward whenever you hit it.
Riding the Energica Ego RS is really, really easy. And even though it can be really aggressive on the throttle when you fully open it up – due to its big amount of torque – it still feels ‘friendly’. Or balanced.
A GREAT MOTORCYCLE
FOR NOVICE SPORT BIKE RIDERS?
Either way, I feel like it could be a really good bike for riders who would love to ride a supersport bike without all the hassle.
Riding a sport bike is different from other bikes. You just have to work with the machine. Move your body, anticipate a bit earlier. It’s just a little bit more unforgiving than riding other types of motorcycles.
You shouldn’t go flat out too soon on the Ego RS, but that’s basically what you should not do on any motorcycle. But furthermore, I feel like the Ego is a very friendly motorcycle for novice sport bike riders. Just because it is so balanced and it lacks the whole clutch-throttle-game. This gives you much more time to anticipate, especially on twisty roads.
I know not everyone will agree with me on this part. That’s fine. Let’s all have different opinions and keep things interesting.
A TORQUE PARTY
THE ENERGICA EGO RS
It won’t come as a surprise, that riding an electric vehicle is all about ‘the torque party’. Like most electric vehicles, the Energica Ego RS has lots of it. 215 Nm to be exact. Which makes it very fun to ride, especially in city areas.
“A sport bike, fun in city areas?!”. Yes, we said it. Of course, that is not what this bike was made for. But because you don’t have to operate a clutch of some sort, it just rides very ‘lazy’. In a good way, for most. You’ll be the first to spurt forward at every traffic light.
Personally, I can enjoy that game on my Aprilia at traffic lights. The whole ‘Who will be the first to pull up” game, where clutch and throttle controle come into play. And I secretly do feel proud when I beat a Tesla-driver. That driver probably wasn’t paying attention at all. But let a girl be proud, okay?
This whole game changes when you ride the Ego RS. No more games with clutch and throttle control. The impressive amount of torque of the Energica isn’t only convenient at traffic lights, of course. It is also quick at corner exit.
LITTLE SIDE NOTE
FOR SHORT MOTORCYCLISTS
Time for a special note for the shorter riders among us. Do you struggle to touch the ground on most motorcycles? Then Energica has your back. Sport bikes tend to have a higher seat height. The Ego RS has one of 810 mm. And Energica Motor as a company is fully aware of the heavier weight of their machines. So they installed a reverse gear on it. That’s right. This motorcycle has a reverse. Which you normally only find on very heavy cruisers.
With just one push on a button, you put the bike into ‘regeneration’ mode. This allows you to roll backwards very gently and on a slow page. Just play with the throttle a bit to maneuver backwards.
Just another quick push on the same button, and it switches back to its normal mode. Twist the throttle and it will roll forward again. The bike will control the amount of throttle for you for a few seconds. This to prevent you from spurting forwards and loosing control. Being a short motorcyclist myself, I did find this solution a very, very good one. Again, practical.
Of course, you could also just get off the bike and turn it by hand. But it’s just a bit heavier than you might be used to. So it takes a bit more effort to turn it around.
HEAVY PRICE TAG
FOR THE ENERGICA EGO RS
It is well known that electric motorcycles come with a heavy price tag. The resources to build these vechilces – especially at this time – are hard to come by. Riding does become a bit cheaper, since you don’t have to may insanely high gas prices anymore.
Buying an electric motorcycle in the Netherlands is most convenient for entrepreneurs, due to tax advantages etcetera.
You can get yourself an Energica Ego RS for €24.488,44. Do you go all in with upgrades and accessories? Then that price can go up all the way to €42K. But then you’ve got the most bad ass and complete version.
THE ENERGICA EGO RS
JUST FOR FUTURISTIC MOTORCYCLISTS?
I know riding electric still brings up discussions. And like I said, I’m not a fan of the first hour. But I did appreciate this motorcycle. You just have to have respect for the technique they put into it. And in my not so humble opinion, it is one of the first electric motorcycles that looks good.
So to say the Ego RS is just for futuristic motorcyclists or fans of electric riding doesn’t do it justice.
And fun fact; lots of true petrol heads approached me when I rode this bike and stopped alongs side the road. They asked me what kind of special motorcycle it was. And how it handled. So I think it is safe to say the Italians did a great job trying to build a bridge between the true petrol head-world and the electric riding experience.
CONCLUSION
The Energica Ego RS is an interesting electric sport bike. Riding it is surprisingly easy. I know many might not agree, but I find the Ego RS to be great bike for novice sport bike riders. Yes, it has a great deal of torque. So flat out on the throttle might not be the wisest thing to do when not timed right. But that’s hardly ever a great idea without great timing.
It is a very well balanced bike. And somehow brings a certain calmness into riding. Especially when riding in an urban area or on twisty roads. I guess it’s due to the absence of an engine, clutch, gear box etcetera.
Although I’m not an electric riding fan of the first hour, I did enjoy riding this bike. The Energica Ego RS sure knows how to get attention. And in my opinion, it’s definitely the best looking electric motorcycle out there. Yes, the new Ducati V21L MotoE prototype looks great as well. But I recognise a certain silhouet.. And you have to have a certain amount of respect for Energica, for being the pioneer of MotoE with their Energica Ego Corsa.
Photography by Vincent Burger
