Energica’s latest electric bike, and its first aimed at the sports touring market, is the Experia. Now available in Australia, its name represents a spirit of exploration. We managed to jump aboard one at a demo day at Sydney’s Zen Motorcycles.
Having ridden the Ego+ RS and EsseEsse9+, we were keen to see what the Experia had to offer. It’s essentially the EV version of say a road focused Ducati Multistrada or a BMW S 1000 XR, and features a nice upright and relaxed seating position.
The handlebars are within easy reach, with a nice fairing and touring screen out front. It feels comfortable and very natural to ride, although shorter riders may find the taller seat height of 867mm a little intimidating.
Being electric, weight can sometimes represent the elephant in the room in terms of how heavy the bike might be, and its balance. The Experia tips the scales at 260kg, which is not horrendous for a full size touring machine.
The dash is a 5.0-inch TFT unit, which is clear and easy to navigate. We selected Sport mode for our quick testing period, however there are other riding modes available. Each one directly influences range and power characteristics of the electric powerplant.
Sounding far less like the jet fighter that is the Ego+ RS, the Experia offers plenty of practicality, with a claimed 246km range when touring, and 420km in urban settings, from a single charge.
Power delivery is impressive, and with no gears to click through, the torque produced by the electric motor is effortless. With a claimed top speed of 180km/h, the Experia is definitely potent, but again, with practicality at the heart of its touring capabilities.
There’s no earth shattering acceleration here though, and that’s the result of the newly designed motor, battery and chassis that feature on the Energica. It boasts much milder engine mapping to increase range.
The powerful 22.5kWh battery is lighter than other models, and gives the Experia the largest battery capacity of any electric motorbike. It can charge to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes on a Level 3 DC fast charger (at a rate of 24kW).
Braking is provided by Brembo, with 330mm floating discs with four-piston radial callipers up front, featuring eABS, and delivering good bite at the pull of the lever. On the rear is a 240mm single disc with two-piston calliper and eABS.
Front suspension duties are carried out by a 43mm ZF Sachs fork, which allows adjustment for preload and rebound. The rear suspension utilises a ZF Sachs shock, with adjustable preload and rebound.
The suspension works well in suburbia, offering the rider a nice soft comfortable ride, but we weren’t able to put it through its paces in the twisty stuff. On first impressions though, the Energica Experia left us wanting more.
It’s comfortable, the ergonomics of the bike work, and the claimed increase in range can only be a good thing. The 2023 Energica Experia is priced from $53,696 plus on-road costs. It’s backed by a 3-year 50,000km warranty.
Our test bike was supplied by Zen Motorcycles. To find out more about the 2023 Energica Experia, contact your local Energica dealer.
