For years, electric motorcycles have lived in a weird little bubble. Each result came with a disclaimer. There was an asterisk on each platform. Every good finish was followed by some variation of “pretty impressive for an electric bike.”
Honda’s RTL electric trials bike is probably reaching the point where this excuse will no longer work.
fresh evidence comes to light TrialGP round in AndorraWhere Honda rider Mikel Gelabert spent the weekend battling some of the best trials riders in the world and finished sixth overall on Saturday and fourth overall on Sunday. On paper, these are not headline-grabbing results. In context, they are a much bigger thing than they appear at first glance.
Photo by: Honda
What’s interesting isn’t where Gelabert finished. This is why he could not perform higher. After opening day, Gelabert wasn’t talking about battery limitations, power delivery issues, charging concerns, or any of the usual topics that follow electric race bikes. Instead, he blamed mistakes, rhythm, confidence and section management. Team manager Carles Barneda also said the same thing.
This is an attractive change. Because a few years ago, the question surrounding Honda’s electric trial project was whether the bike would be able to survive even at the highest levels of competition. Today, the conversation has moved to whether the rider can avoid making enough mistakes to reach the podium. This is a much better problem than a machine that doesn’t allow its rider to show off his potential.
RTL Electric’s path has been surprisingly aggressive. Honda started by entering the domestic competition in Japan, where the bike quickly showed it had serious potential. Then came a full campaign at the Trial2 World Championship. It now competes in the premier TrialGP category, which is as deep into the Shark Tank as you can get in the world of motorcycle trials.
Photo by: Honda
What’s particularly impressive is that testing is one of the worst places to hide vulnerabilities.
In road racing, you can Sometimes Compensate for deficiencies with horse power. In Motocross, speed and aggression can mask other issues. Trials doesn’t offer those luxuries. Each section is a test of balance, traction, precision and throttle control. Riders spend their days uncovering flaws that most motorcycles never have to reveal.
Yet Honda’s results show that the RTL Electric has moved well beyond the stage of merely proving that electric motorcycles belong in the conversation. Gelabert spent most of Sunday’s competition fighting for third place and ultimately finished tied on points with the rider who took the final podium position. He is no longer the stuff of a science project. This is a motorcycle that is legitimately trying to win races.
Photo by: Honda
There is a certain irony here also. Honda probably entered the program hoping to learn how electric technology could compete against traditional combustion-powered machines. Instead, the company may have discovered something even more valuable. The bike is slowly becoming normal.
When the biggest criticism after a race weekend is that the rider left points on the table, no one is talking about whether electric motorcycles can compete anymore. They’re talking about who should have finished on the podium. And it’s perhaps the strongest sign yet that Honda’s little experiment is working.
