Yamaha TY-E Electric Trial Bike Revealed
Kenichi Kuroyama to ride Yamaha TY-E in FIM Trial-E Cup
Yamaha officially introduced the TY-E electric trial bike, announcing an official factory effort in the 2018 FIM Trial-E Cup. The announcement, made at the 2018 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, confirms what we suspected when we first reported on Yamaha’s trademark filing for the TY-E name. Unfortunately, Yamaha did not announce any plans to sell the TY-E, instead Yamaha will be racing it, with All Japan Trial Championship factory rider Kenichi Kuroyama set to compete with it in the 2018 FIM Trial-E Cup.
The TY-E originated as a side project by members of Yamaha’s R&D team. Under the “Evolving R&D” program, employees were allowed to devote 5% of their working hours toward new concepts and ideas. In this case, the project was green-lit and Yamaha produced its new electric trial bike.
Electric powertrains make a lot of sense for trial bikes due to their high torque output. The TY-E is powered by a AC synchronous electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery. Yamaha says the motor deliveres powerful low-speed torque and extended acceleration. A mechanical clutch ensures full control over over torque delivery, while the fly wheel was optimized for improved traction.
The TY-E uses a carbon fiber reinforced polymer monocoque frame to optimize rigidity while maintaining a low weight of less than 154 pounds.
Yamaha also applied its patented SixONy ceramic nano-film coating to the fenders, motor covers and upper and lower fork brackets to give it an iridescent look.
The 2018 FIM Trial-E Cup will be held over two rounds: July 14-15 in Auron, France, and July 21-22 in Comblain au Pont, Belgium.
2018 Yamaha TY-E Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Overall Length x Width x Height | 2,003mm x 830mm x 1,130mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,310mm |
| Minimum Ground Clearance | 350mm |
| Vehicle Weight | Less than 70kg |
| Engine Type | AC synchronous electric motor |
| Auxiliary Battery Type | Lithium-ion battery |
| Clutch Type | Hydraulic, Wet, Multi-plate |
| Frame Type | CFRP Monocoque |
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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Trial bike sounds almost as bad as motor-cross bike.
Been riding almost everyday for 52 years. I know, it sounds like BS, it's not, have a home track behind the barn. [ OCD ] I laughed at the concept of EL bikes early on [ tree huggers piss me off ] After watching the video it has my interest. Not running out to buy one till I ride one. Haven't seen any EL. bikes in Michigan as of yet. They have my interest now.