Saroléa Manx7 electric superbike unveiled

MANILA: Saroléa, an electric auto manufacturer from Belgium, has revealed the specs of its upcoming race-derived e-superbike called as the Manx7. The company is famous for its earlier produced SP7 electric race bike built to compete in Isle of Man TT Zero which was developed together by military, aerospace engineers, and brilliant brains at Audi, McLaren F1 and Porsche.

The historic brand, Saroléa, founded back in 1850, was shut down in 1973 after producing some of the best-engineered motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles. It was in 2010 when twin brothers Bjorn and Torsten Robbins purchased the company and revived it as a producer of electric race bikes.

The road-specific version of the SP7 TT Zero racer was announced late last year and now the company has revealed the specs of another e-superbike Manx7, which has been designed by Serge Rusak.

The Saroléa Manx7 is a hand-built electric superbike that blends traditional values and modern aesthetics. It is built around a carbon fibre monocoque chassis that is complemented by other carbon fibre components like fairings and swingarm developed by Solvay.

To reduce weight and enhance performance, titanium and aluminium bolts have been used instead of the steel ones. As a result, it saw a weight reduction of 45%. The Manx7 tips the scales at 217 kg with its highest capacity battery, making it lighter than the current industry leader, the Energic Ego by 40 kg.

Talking about the drivetrain, it uses an air-cooled, brushless DC motor and 400v li-ion battery. It can churn out a max power of 163 PS and a blistering torque of 450 Nm. The company claims that it can hit a top speed of 240 kmph.

The Manx7 is offered with three different battery packs of capacities - 14 kWh, 18 kWh, and 22 kWh. While the smallest of the lot 14 kWh offers a travel range of 230 km, the higher-power batteries extend the figure to 280 km and 330 km respectively. The battery pack can be removed and replaced easily and comes with the ability to charge the bike to up to 85% in less than 25 minutes.

On the suspension front, it gets FGRT-200 inverted forks at the front and a TTX36 monoshock unit at the rear provided by Öhlins. The aluminium wheels from OZ Racing are shod with Dunlop SportSmart TT tyres while the braking is taken care of by the Beringer systems. The components like indicators, rear light, license plate holder, mirrors, and foot pegs have been supplied by Rizoma.

The production of the boutique motorcycle is limited to only 20 units for 2018. It will be delivered on the first come first serve basis. As far as pricing is concerned, the Manx7 gets a starting price of €42,975 (approx Php 2,643,945) while the top-end model with 22 kWh battery is priced at €48,760 (approx Php 3,000,843). Once launched, the electric bike will be offered with a 2-year extended warranty.