Finally!……….

This is a short post to explain why it’s taken me nearly two years to get my 2022 Electric Motion ePURE Race (I know, that’s still a mouthful for a brand and name) to a point where I’m comfortable riding it. I’m a rider of average capability on a trials bike and MXer, and I’m not (ever) going to be leaping up rock faces on my EM. Since first testing the bike pre-purchase, I’ve found the throttle too light and too aggressive. I’ve had a number of ‘get offs’ due to the bike taking off before I can even get the clutch in. I’ve even launched it from stationary when I thought it was very quietly in neutral and just put my hand on the throttle, which sent it off without me on it. I know I’m not the only one to have made this mistake as well, and I know this is also possible on an engined trials bike, except with an engine, the noise gives a clue as to what the bike is doing or about to do. In small spaces like a tight trials section, I’ve found the bike a bit intimidating due to the power take off. A slight movement of my wrist can alter the throttle a tiny amount and I’m (nearly) out of control. I obviously don’t have this issue on my Bultaco.

Anyway, for the recent beach race that I did on the EM (see post at bottom), I swapped the 57 tooth (T) rear sprocket for a 52T to get some extra top speed. Pottering about at home on the bike with this smaller sprocket on seemed to make it much more controllable for me, so I left it on and took the bike to my local trials park. That 52T sprocket has transformed the bike for me! The throttle and power is much more progressive and the bike is waaaaaaaaay more fun to ride, and the torque is still emphasised, particularly in the 250cc and 300cc maps. I can’t believe how much easier and pleasurable it is to ride now. I did ask my dealer if the throttle could be adjusted in the early weeks of ownership as I thought that was the way to tame it, and I also saw other people asking on social media if the throttle could be adjusted, but the answer I got, and they obviously got was ‘it is what it is’ on a ’22 model.

It seems a glaringly obvious fix to put on a smaller rear sprocket, but actually it isn’t. The electric power delivery is still there, but it’s just spread better for my capability level around the twist grip. So, I’m very happy at last! I’ve seen a number of EM bikes for sale that have hardly been used or even got dirty and haven’t been owned for long, and I’m wondering if it is because others have experienced the same lack of confidence in riding these bikes. Anyway, if you want to make your EM a lot easier to ride or are putting a novice or kids on one of these, a smaller sprocket on the back may be the answer to introduce them to the bike and its characteristics.

Lastly, if you’re wondering why that cassette is sitting on my chain in he feature image, it’s because I found it in the trials park on the ground. Somebody at a recent (maybe vintage?) trials event must have dropped it, and maybe the owner prefers cassette delivered music to bluetooth, and also prefers a real engine to electric? I’ll sign off with the fact that I’m now really happy with my EM, even if it has taken me two years to get there and I had to find the answer myself.