The Yamaha TY-E is set to compete against ICE trial bikes – it needed to step up its game. Mission accomplished.
If a field exists where ICE and electric motorcycles can compete at the same level it is in competition and of these segments it is in Trials where an electric bike can surpass the performance of the ICE equivalent. Trials could be the most obvious choice for a transition to electric drivetrains due to the limited length and speed of Trials competitions, the massive uneven obstacles and the inherent performance characteristics of the Trials bike.
Yamaha thinks this is the case and has unveiled a new version of its TY-E Trials bike which is scheduled to compete in several rounds of the 2022 Trials World Championships against other electric bikes and traditional gas powered motorcycles. The first TY-E version 1.0 competed in a dedicated electric Trials Cup in 2018 and 2019 where it finished second both years.
The TY-E and other electric Trials bikes have to improve because the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing, has announced it will phase out solely electric classes and require all bikes regardless of power source to compete against one another. This is not necessarily bad news for the electric side as the nature of the motor allows for precise control of the bike’s traction sensing system beyond that of even the best riders to mimic.
There are several advancements in the development of the Yamaha TY-E that should be beneficial to electric bikes in general. The power density of the battery has been increased by 250 per cent while increasing the weight of the unit by only 20 per cent and the cooling system has been improved to allow the motor to perform at higher outputs for longer periods of time.