Yamaha YE-01

[Beagle]

One year ago, Yamaha invested in Electric Motion (EM), french firm which has been making electric trial and trail motorcycles for 15 years. Last January, Yamaha France CEO of 11 years switched jobs to become CEO of Electric Motion.

Now they present the first prototype born of this partnership, the Yamaha YE-01.




"The objective of racing the YE-01 Racing Concept in MXEP is to strengthen Yamaha’s technical expertise, knowledge and understanding for the future."
Weirdly, the press release mentions MXEP even though MXGP boss canceled the electric class previously announced for 2026... supposedly because OEMs had no interest in it. Go figure.

The bike is heavily based on the 2026 YZ450F including chassis and KYB suspensions. It has the usual power modes and riding aids such as traction control. EM contribution is in the liquid-cooled electric powertrain "capable to offer MXGP levels of power" (450 or 250?) and hydraulic clutch.





No specs yet, I don't know if I'll ever stop laughing if they release their electric dirt bike before Honda that has been showcasing its CR-E for 8 years (without any specs).

The battery doesn't seem that big, hydraulic clutch and traction control clearly differentiate it from the Varg.

Yamaha do have a huge advantage, obviously the brand is a million times more renowned, huge dealer network and so on, if it's equivalent to the Varg it could sell pretty well.

 

[Lost]

This seems to be an Escape XR+ with Yamaha aesthetics. As everything confirmed is identical...

So, a "whopping" 11kw and 3.8kwh battery.

 

[Beagle]

This seems to be an Escape XR+ with Yamaha aesthetics. As everything confirmed is identical...

So, a "whopping" 11kw and 3.8kwh battery.

It's a new bike with EM and Yamaha tech.

That's a Yamaha frame.

Battery does look small but power should be at least 50 hp (probably more) to offer "MXGP levels of power" as claimed.

 

[Lost]

It's a new bike with EM and Yamaha tech.

That's a Yamaha frame.

Battery does look small but power should be at least 50 hp (probably more) to offer "MXGP levels of power" as claimed.

That might come later (bloody well NEEDS to).

From what I can see, everything from the motor, clutch and battery has been lifted straight from the XR+

 

[Karinshi]

It's interesting to see how other brands are designing their electric motorcycles. But to be honest, I don't think it will be as successful as the Varg. But hey, it's not all about sales success; it's about having an interesting and diverse electric market. I'd love to see electric races between Stark, Yamaha, Honda, KTM, Kawasaki, etc.

The battery seems very small to me. If it's 3.8 kWh, it will last a maximum of 15-20 minutes in a race with 50 hp. The battery's position seems too high and too far back, which could compromise the weight balance, although the intercooler is at the front, not the rear like on the Varg, and that might help with balance.

I can't see the inverter. Maybe it's inside the motor itself; it can't be too far away from the motor because it would lose a lot of efficiency. It seems they've managed to make it very small.

Regarding the clutch, I share Anton Wass's opinion that it's pointless and also dangerous for the motorcycle's electrical system.

The traction control does seem interesting to me.

As for the aesthetics, it seems to me that the only brand that has innovated is Stark. This Yamaha looks the same as it did 20 years ago; I don't see any innovation in the designs. The plastics are the same shape, the front end looks like a toy, I don't know... all brands do the same thing.

I'm going to bet this:

50hp
110/115kg
5kwh max
if it costs more than 11k no one is gonna buy it unless you are a huge fan boy of Yamaha

Peace

 

[Beagle]

Regarding the looks of the bike I think Stark "had it easy" in the sense that they have no legacy, nothing to build on, they could go any direction they wanted.

Whether you're Yamaha or Honda, it's probably better from a cost perspective to reuse a maximum of components from other bikes (frame, suspensions, swingarm, plastics...).
It may also be wiser when you release a disruptive product to stay faithful to your brand, to make that electric Yamaha/Honda really look like your old and trusty gas Yamaha/Honda. You don't want to hurt your customers (for some, even the tough of "their" brand making an electric bike is a shock!), you want to keep them and get them interested in this new product, so familiarity in the lines, looks, plastics is actually a plus.

 

[Theo]

YYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH




That said,

I can't see the inverter. Maybe it's inside the motor itself; it can't be too far away from the motor because it would lose a lot of efficiency. It seems they've managed to make it very small.

I agree: I've heard representatives of EV manufacturers stating, in interviews, that they put the inverter very close to the motor to improve the efficiency. After all, the resistance of a cable depends on its legth and so the shorter, the better (please avoid that joke you're thinking about).
I'm not an expert on gas to electric conversions, but if the popular EBMX 9000 inverter-controller is typically installed in front with the cooling fins exposed to the air flow, I guess that the inverter in that Yamaha is that object on the left side placed in the spot where you would usually find a left radiator. Just my guess, but I would say that probably the coolant passes through the radiator on the right side (of course), through the inverter on the left side and through the motor, too also thanks to that descending/ascending hose on the left. There is also a fitting on the motor on the left side. I wonder where the coolant pump is.

 

[Beagle]

Went to have another look at the XR+

 

[Karinshi]

i think this is the inverter:



is not close to the motor like on the varg... the cable is what connect both i think. It has to be, i can't see another place to put it

Maybe they've sacrificed some efficiency for less weight or less space; the whole package looks quite compact.

 

[Erwin P]

Nice looking bike but that battery does look tiny!

 

[Fog 25]

To make it a true Yamaha they should turn the battery around, so it leads to the back in Yamaha tradition.

 

[Karinshi]

Nice looking bike but that battery does look tiny!

maybe it has the new Molicel P100B with 1000wh/kg hahahahaha

Long day, i should go to sleep