Electric dirt bike dossier: We are working hard!
These are exciting times, especially in the world of two- and four-wheelers. Never before has the sector been under so much pressure to develop new technology and this has everything to do with global warming. Some of our vehicles are two-wheelers and in this segment we look to the future with a curious eye. What technologies will the industry offer us and who will take the lead in the development of electric dirt bikes?
The problem surrounding environmentally friendly transport has existed for a long time, but gained momentum due to the diesel scandal and the cheating software that Volkswagen used in their self-igniters. The result is that for the first time since the invention of the automobile (Karl Benz in 1871), it is not industry but politics that determines which technology will be used to power our vehicles. Until a few years ago, the industry determined which drive systems were offered for our daily transport. The influence of the oil industry may have been great, which is why we mainly used petrol and diesel until now.
These fossil fuels are also heavily valued in most countries, filling the state treasury with many billions for decades. However, since the diesel scandal of 2015, other forces have been at work. Under the influence of environmental gurus worldwide, conventional combustion engines have come under increasing pressure. Politics has thrown itself into this problem en masse and decided that electric drive systems will be the future. I will not comment for a moment on whether this is justified for the environment, but I note that many policymakers would be happy to see that from now on we will be charged via the socket instead of at the gas station. Artificially raising electricity prices in our country is a bad sign and resembles a mental preparation for a “tax shift” from the gas station to the socket.
The fact is that the industry has jumped on the “electrification” of our vehicle fleet en masse, meaning there is no way back. As motorcyclists, we have no choice but to look to the automotive sector to see what the future has in store for us. The first signs have been visible for several years and electric motors are gradually appearing on our roads. Just like with the cars, these engines have not yet been a great success, but the evolution may be irreversible. The biggest pain point with electric vehicles is the batteries. You won't get very far with a charge and a range as we are used to with a combustion engine is not feasible.
Braaaping or buzzing
The industry is also developing electric machines in motocross. We note that the battery problem is actually not an issue for motocross machines. It will soon be perfectly feasible to finish a series “at MXGP level” with one battery charge. The development of batteries that can store more power and whose weight is low is happening very quickly. It is almost certain that within a few years, dirt bikes will be offered that can easily compare with a conventional machine. That is why it is a shame that the American brand Alta ran into financial problems in 2018. They were furthest along in the development of their electric crosser. We realize that development costs bags of money, but Alta was already well on the right track. However, there is no formal news yet about the brand's restart. We hear rumors from the US that Harley Davidson is developing an electrically powered crosser. Just like in the automotive sector (Google, Apple and Tesla), it seems logical that “non-motorcycle related” technology brands will jump on the bandwagon and start building electrically powered two-wheelers.
The eyes of the motocross world are also focused on the Austrian manufacturer KTM. They now have their electric Freeride, a timid attempt to explore the market for electric off-road machines. KTM is known to be able to develop very quickly and it is precisely that characteristic that gave them an advantage over the Japanese manufacturers. You can expect that the engineers in Mattighofen are sitting at the drawing board with a healthy dose of hunger to prepare the future of e-motocross.
There was no news from Japan for a long time until we were recently blown away by Honda, which showed an advanced prototype of an electric CRF at the Tokyo Motor Show. This engine was a further development of the electric dinosaur-like Mugen-Honda from a few years ago. The other three Japanese manufacturers must have choked on their flower tea that morning. Honda is playing a pioneering role and so the motorcycle world has now woken up. In the meantime, the “big four” have signed a consortium for the standardization of a motorcycle battery and its charging.
Politics and support
We should also not lose sight of the fact that motocross has been under pressure for years. Especially in densely populated areas such as Belgium and the Netherlands, noise pollution from a conventional dirt bike is an item that is increasingly used to close circuits. Here too we can use the electric crosser to turn the problem of too few training facilities into a number of circuits per province. It goes without saying that local and provincial authorities would respond much more positively to a permit application for a new motocross track where only electric motorcycles are allowed. The circuits can therefore be located closer to residential zones without causing a nuisance. In addition, some indoor circuits in Flanders and Wallonia can be considered. The lack of exhaust fumes is perfect for indoor use. Just imagine: Training in a heated hall in the depths of winter, without any stinging eyes from the exhaust fumes, and afterwards relaxing with your buddies in the accompanying cafeteria with a view of the circuit.
Of course, existing and new circuits will have to slowly but surely make the switch to electric motocross. There must be sufficient charging points to supply the batteries with power. The industry can also work on quickly exchanging batteries, but this technology is currently too expensive to become commonplace. Electric racing would then become even more expensive than conventional racing and that certainly cannot be the intention. Cheaper batteries could be a solution.
F.I.M. and U.C.I.
In the Netherlands, a number of people have certainly woken up. At the time of going to press, our northern neighbors have several circuits available purely for electric racing. The operators provide the motorcycles, clothing and everything needed for an afternoon of fun on a dirt bike. There are currently two circuits in the Netherlands, one in Wanroij and one in Amsterdam. A third circuit (Wehl) is as good as finished and is awaiting a permit from the municipality of Doetinchem. Youthstream – the promoter of the Motocross World Championship – is also making a timid attempt and is planning some try-out competitions for electric mountain bikes in 2019. A real world championship will start in 2020 in collaboration with the F.I.M. The international cycling union U.C.I. has now completed demo competitions and is also making plans for a new competition. This includes the F.I.M. and the U.C.I. in each other's waters, curious to see how that will turn out.
Electric racing can also give new impetus to visitor numbers. Organizing a motocross competition with electric motors can lower the threshold because the noise virtually disappears and there are no exhaust fumes. Particularly in the case of indoor initiatives, this can have a positive effect on the number of spectators, because here the benefits are undeniable. This way you have no cold, no rain, no exhaust fumes and no noise, which attracts many potential spectators to visit a match.
The competition
As is often the case, the development of new technology is partly done through competition. For example, there has been the Zero-TT on the Isle of Man for several years and since 2019 there has been the MotoE, a competition with electric racers who compete during a number of MotoGP weekends. It is the current teams from the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 that together put 18 pilots on an e-racer. All eyes from the industry will be on these competitions and the development of the engines. There has also been Formula E for several years, say Formula 1, but for electric cars. And in 2021, the Dakar Rally will add a category for electrically powered rally motorcycles.
As always, there are proponents and opponents of electric racing or motocross, but if you look at it from a broader perspective, it certainly has great potential. KTM and sister brand Husqvarna will release electric children's motocross bikes in 2020, the equivalent of a 50cc competition motorcycle, so to speak. That is a smart move by the Austrians because it allows a new generation of young riders to grow with the new technology.
In the meantime, we will be able to “enjoy” combustion engines for at least another twenty years. Then it is time for that new generation to say goodbye to fossil fuels. Before that happens, the industry will need time to further develop electric driving. Consideration must be given to making electric driving 100% energy neutral. The production and recycling of batteries needs improvement because they are full of heavy metals and chemical processes. Charging batteries could also be a lot more environmentally friendly. A large share of the electricity produced in Europe is still generated by lignite power stations!
Generation Z
The generations that grew up in a world full of combustion engines will grumble and watch as the competition slowly but surely changes into something new. We are certainly not advocating electric motocross here, but one cannot ignore the steps the industry is taking. Certainly not if it can give our sport new impetus. We could use that because the image surrounding motocross has fallen to an absolute low point in forty years. It will never be what it was again, society has changed too much for that. Modern people now have many more options to spend their free time. Moreover, he/she is much more concerned with environmental issues than before and motocross is in a rather poor position. This is of course pure perception, but a positive image is always taken into account when you have to go to the municipal council for an operating permit for a new motocross circuit.
Admittedly, a motocross with electric machines will never have the charm of one with combustion engines, but the advantages are undeniably great. The maximum torque is available at almost any speed, you no longer have to switch between gears because there are none. And so there is no connection on board. Electric motors are also easier to control with various "mappings" to adapt the characteristic of the motor to the circuit. The sound of a conventional motocross bike partly determines the image of motorsport, but in this world of major technological challenges one has to think out of the box.
Photos: Alta Motors, KTM.com, Husqvarna-motorcycles.com, Saroléa.com.
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