Yamaha YE-01: Unveiling and demonstration lap at the Motocross of Nations

The YE-01 Racing Concept was designed in collaboration with the French electric motorbike manufacturer Electric Motion and was exhibited at the Milan Motorcycle Show last year. It was developed under the concept of ‘expanding the possibilities for riders and machines’. The YE-01 Racing Concept is based on the chassis technology of the YZ450F, combined with Electric Motion’s decades of experience in electric drive technology gained through motor racing.

The aim is to preserve the fundamental appeal of motocross whilst proposing a new form of riding enjoyment that harnesses the unique characteristics of electric propulsion. A demonstration run on the Nationencross track will offer the opportunity to experience the fascination of the YE-01 and the potential of this electric motocross bike first-hand. In the longer term, Yamaha intends to enter this motorbike in the MXEP, an electric motocross racing series scheduled to start in the near future.

Yamaha has been officially working on the development of electric motorbikes since March 2018, when the prototype of the TY-E trial bike was unveiled. Anyone familiar with the risk-averse culture of Japanese companies – which may seem excessive to us Europeans – knows that Japanese firms only launch a product onto the market once the developers are absolutely certain that the customer will be satisfied with it. Under no circumstances should any defects or weaknesses come to light during use.

With regard to the YE-01, Yamaha Motor sees electric vehicles as a new way of broadening the scope of motocross. Whilst retaining the appeal and fascination of the sport, the company aims to open up new possibilities through electrification and offer a greater variety of ways to use and experience the sport.

In line with the Yamaha Motor Group’s Environmental Plan 2050, Yamaha Motor is working towards achieving climate neutrality across its entire supply chain – including all of the company’s business activities – by 2050. The company will continue to conduct research and development into various technologies, including electrification, that contribute to sustainability, whilst adopting an open-technology approach to achieving carbon neutrality.

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