Motorcycles

Ducati reveals the key numbers behind its electric MotoE racer

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Ducati's V21L prototype has been clocked at a top speed of 275 km/h
Ducati
Ducati's V21L prototype has been clocked at a top speed of 275 km/h
Ducati
Plenty of thumb buttons
Ducati
Adjustable footpeg hangers
Ducati
The V21L with its clothes off is a strange looking beast indeed
Ducati
Charging up in the pits. 0-80% will take about 45 minutes
Ducati
Charging socket is in the tail unit
Ducati
Motor peaks at 110 kW and 140 Nm
Ducati
Sure looks like a Ducati, and that's no bad thing
Ducati
The Ducati V21L cockpit
Ducati
Battery pack has been shaped around the desired handling characteristics, and its carbon case is a stressed part of the frame
Ducati
Ducati has been testing this thing on-track since December
Ducati
The bike weighs 225 kg – heavy for a racer, but light for an electric!
Ducati
A taste of electric Ducati sportsbikes yet to come!
Ducati
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Ducati will take over as the sole motorcycle supplier for the FIM MotoE World Cup from 2023, using the opportunity to build a cracking electric sportsbike that'll inform the brand's electrification in the coming years.

The V12L prototype has been out testing on track since December – it's hard to overstate what a massive upheaval this program is for a company like Ducati, which has been so synonymous with combustion engine technology. But what an opportunity it represents, to create battery-electric performance bikes and forge them in the crucible of racing while other major manufacturers sit on their hands and wait for batteries to get good.

Here's what's under the skin. The biggest challenge for any electric sportsbike is energy storage; how to package the sheer bulk of a big battery pack and integrate it with the bike in a way that supports the handling parameters of a top-flight track bike that racers will actually want to get on and ride.

The V21L's battery pack incorporates some 1,152 cylindrical 21700 cells, holds around 18 kWh, runs at a system voltage of 800 V, and weighs an enormous 110 kg (243 lb). That's 1.3 times the weight of an entire Moto3 bike, just in the battery. But it's not just a big box; Ducati has created a shape that fits the aerodynamics and ergonomics of a racer, rather than forcing the rest of the bike to work around the battery.

Battery pack has been shaped around the desired handling characteristics, and its carbon case is a stressed part of the frame
Ducati

Using the carbon fiber battery pack case as a stressed part of the chassis, the V21L has a total weight of 225 kg (496 lb) – a significant drop from the 262 kg (578 lb) that Energica's MotoE bikes have carried over the last few years, even if the Ducati does take some 2 kWh less battery on board.

Peak power is currently 110 kW (148 hp), and peak torque is 140 Nm (103 lb-ft), with liquid cooling of both the battery and motor to ensure it can run hard for the length of a race. The team has clocked a top speed of 275 km/h (171 mph) at Mugello – one of the fastest tracks on the MotoGP circuit. There's still plenty of development to go at this stage, but it's a ways off the MotoGP bike speed record at Mugello, which Ducati also holds after Jorge Martin was clocked at 364 km/h (226.2 mph) back in May.

Ohlins suspension graces both ends, with a TTX36 shock and NPX 25/30 pressurized forks. Brembo is in charge of stopping the bike, and since the bike is clutchless and single-speed, there's space on the left handlebar for an optional rear brake lever if riders can re-configure their brain away from using the left boot. Electronic rider aids include traction control, slide control, wheelie control and switchable mapping for both engine power delivery and regenerative braking.

Ducati has been testing this thing on-track since December
Ducati

"For Ducati, having the opportunity to become suppliers of the FIM MotoE World Cup is not only a technologically exciting venture, but also the best way to interpret the challenges of the new millennium," said Vincenzo De Silvio, Ducati R&D Director, in a press release. "Racing competition represents the ideal terrain on which to develop innovative technologies that will then transfer to production motorcycles. At this moment, the most important challenges in this field remain those related to the size, weight, autonomy of the batteries and the availability of the charging networks. Ducati's experience in the FIM MotoE World Cup will be a fundamental support for product R&D, together with the physiological evolution of technology and chemistry. Helping the company's internal expertise to grow is already essential today to be ready when the time comes to put the first street electric Ducati into production."

Check out a video below.

Source: Ducati

View gallery - 13 images
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9 comments
Towerman
More torque than my personal blade, and top speed close on its heels. Let the revolution begin ! !
Chase
@Towerman, and probably half to one third the range.
Jeff7
You’d certainly need to reprogramme your brain to stop using your left boot for braking.
usugo
the only significant improvement appears to be weight reduction.
The overall bike is pretty much equivalent to a stock 600 motorbike. Way far from a motogp, or even a moto2
Towerman
@Chase, for now yes...
Tesla had to catch up to range in the beginning, and they did, same will be happening to Ebikes its just a matter of time, also the torque and next to zero maintenence makes it very attractive.
jzj
Unfortunately, not impressive. Battery pack is 166W/KG, with only 6C discharge maximum. This bike pretty much has the stats of the existing ZERO SR. I was really hoping for much more.
Koziol
Get a Lightening motorcycle
KiwiME
There must be a way to harvest the considerable regen energy available off the front wheel. Otherwise the architecture they have used here is very conventional.
*Joe*
The test rider doesn't get a knee down, much less an elbow. Guess they really don't want any chance to damage the test bike, or maybe it doesn't corner well yet?
@Jeff7, you must ride an older bike to still have left side brake and right side shifter.