A clutch is not an automatic choice for an electric motocross bike, yet Yamaha has made it a deliberate part of the YE-01 Racing Concept. The company says the mechanical clutch lets the rider control drive force through a lever. That preserves a familiar riding technique even as an electric power unit replaces a combustion engine. The YE-01 remains a racing concept, rather than a production motorcycle available to buy.
Yamaha developed the machine with French electric motorcycle maker Electric Motion. Its new frame draws on chassis experience from the YZ450F motocross bike, while the two companies jointly developed a power unit specifically for the YE-01. The design puts emphasis on handling and rider feel, as well as the change in propulsion. The announcement gives no figures for power output, battery capacity or riding duration, so those measures cannot yet be used for a comparison.
In September, Yamaha announced plans to display and run the YE-01 during the Motocross of Nations weekend in France, and pointed to possible future participation in the planned MXEP electric motocross series. That announcement did not confirm a racing programme or a sales date. For now, the concept’s distinctive idea is to electrify motocross while retaining familiar clutch control and chassis behaviour for the rider.