Motorcycle specifications KymcoSuperNEX 2019 It makes you want to believe

Kymco could hit hard where we least expect it, raising hopes that few manufacturers have managed to raise - let's not even use the word materialize. With the SuperNEX, now in concept and soon to become a reality, the long-awaited electric sports car is about to become a concrete and exciting truth from a major manufacturer. The machine is mouth-watering, promises spectacular performance and, rare enough to emphasize, is far from naughty.

Electric motorcycles are still a confidential field, where only Zero Motorcycles has been doing anything tangible for some time. Harley is getting in on the act with the LiveWire, raising unknowns in all directions. Let's not forget the abundance of bullshit projects that won't make it beyond the prototype stage, or that are just smoke and mirrors for investors.
We almost believed it with the Mission Motorcycles R, but today, only the Energica Ego is a credible offer for an electron-powered sports bike.
With that in mind, let's rekindle the flame of the future with the SuperNEX. It's not the child of one of Japan's Big Four, nor of a bold European brand. It's the vision of an Asian islander, until now very active in scooters and ATVs.
His audacity is more than honourable, for the concept-bike on display is not only tempting, but also looks so accomplished that we could imagine seeing it on the road soon; or on the racetrack.

a beautiful sports bike, worthy of the most elegant 600 CBRs of their heyday. With its well-crafted silhouette, sexy lines, athletic stature, Italian and Asian influences in the design and a clearly successful optical signature, the SuperNEX immediately scores points. And it won't be long before it makes a decisive statement that will have many a combustion engine on the edge of its seat. A few figures? The only ones available at the moment: 0 to 100 km/ in 2.9 seconds. 0 to 200 falls in 7.5 seconds - for the same exercise, a 199 hp S 1000 RR takes 6.9 sec, a Bugatti Veyron 7.4 sec with 1000 hp, a 350 hp Porsche 911 just over 15 sec.
0 to 250 km/h takes just 10.9 seconds. This is the kind of motorization known for delivering power and torque immediately.

Kymco also makes its mark with a 6-speed gearbox. Usually, electric bikes don't need one. Here, we wanted to preserve one of the strong points of motorcycle riding - gear shifting - and overcome one of the characteristic weaknesses of an electric motor. Over a range of revs, the power declines once the "engine speed" has been exceeded. With a gearbox, you can optimize the rpm range.
What's more, it gives you the opportunity to rediscover the sound of revving up... Sorry, its sound. The bike is equipped with "Active Acoustic Motor", a sound system that simulates the life of a combustion engine. You can even adjust the volume and character of the music. And let's not forget today's solutions, with an Up&Down shifter and a controlled slipper clutch to calm nervous downshifting.

As this is a prototype, Kymco has been able to equip it in a variety of ways. Although we won't find all the top-of-the-range components in series production (unless....*), this already gives a very good idea of the SuperNEX's technical features. We can see an aluminum perimeter frame, as found on the vast majority of super and hypersport bikes. To make it look both desirable and efficient, it's fitted with a beautifully crafted Öhlins inverted fork and shock absorber, OZ Racing rims and Brembo M50 brake calipers.
A keyless ignition system can be guessed at, while the manufacturer has announced the development of FEP (Full Engagement Performance), which could be identified as a package of riding aids. FEP prevents the front wheels from spinning under hard acceleration, and the rear wheels from lifting under hard braking. In other words, the Kymco-ian version of the traction control, anti-wheeling and anti-stoppie that equips 95% of sporty thermals, most roadsters, GTs and ..... Yeah, they're everywhere, actually.

there are also Driving Modes, but they're nothing like those of any other production. Most of the time, you have "Road", "Sport", "Race", "Rain" and the like, with details on the level of intervention of the driving assistances. At Kymco, we think in philosophical terms. Beware, flower power is on the way:
Balanced mode, which erases the world around you as you go your own way, concentrating on yourself.
Assertive mode, which conveys your attitude. Life is in perfect balance between power and restraint.
Bold Mode, which gives you access to immense power, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Extreme mode, which unleashes the beast within you, your desire is incandescent, you can only see others in your rear-view mirror.
I encourage anyone who can translate this into biker language to send me an e-mail.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. How long does it take to charge? What autonomy? For when? At what price? Weight? Power? Availability? Markets? Distribution? Maintenance ? After-sales service? And everything else we're eager to find out, given the sheer promise of this machine.

In France, Kymco is only known for its CK-1 motorcycle. How is it that the manufacturer is venturing into a field such as electric sports bikes? Does it have the means? Let's not forget that the brand has a strong presence in the scooter segment. Its two-wheeled past goes back well before its creation in 1964 (before that date, the company manufactured parts for Honda).
As a specialist in small-displacement bikes, the Taiwanese manufacturer wouldn't need to go head-to-head with the segment's big players with this SuperNEX, but would be playing directly into the hands of a future where fossil fuels seem doomed.
Of course, no electric mill can replace the thrill of a multi-cylinder screaming its mechanical rips. But the coming decades will force us to make choices - and Kymco can reconcile many of us to that vision.

* Let's hope that Kymco will offer two versions in the future, Ducati-style. A standard SuperNEX with good equipment. Alongside it, an S version with the aforementioned premium features. This would make for a more affordable and more efficient sportbike.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos