It’s a Class 2 moped, but the body is Class 1 and the torque is in the 500cc league! | The new possibilities of electric motorcycles revealed by the GOWOW Alpha.

Go Wow Alpha…880,000 yen

Contrary to my expectations, it was incredibly refreshing and exhilarating.

What the heck? The day before my test ride, I saw photos of the GOWOW ORI and Alpha on the website of Motorist, the importer, and my doubts were piqued. These two electric motorcycles, independently developed by the Chinese company MODE, are, to put it positively, innovative and futuristic, but to put it negatively, they seem to go too far beyond conventional wisdom. The website features videos of the bikes racing off-road, but can these bikes actually handle anything?

To answer that question first, the two Go Wows were not just good at running properly, but were incredibly exciting and exhilarating bikes. To be honest, with the electric bikes I’ve experienced up until now, I’ve often felt that “They could be a good replacement for a reciprocating engine, but I couldn’t find a good use for them in my motorcycle life…” However, if I had an Auri or an Alfa at home, I’m sure I would be able to have a much more enjoyable motorcycle life. In this article, I’ll use the on-road-oriented Alfa as my subject to explain why.

Similarities and differences between Ori and Alpha

Before getting into the main topic, let’s outline the two bikes. The Auri and Alfa share many of the same basic designs, including twin-spar type forged aluminum frames, aluminum swingarms, 19-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheels, 203mm diameter discs with radially mounted 4-piston calipers on the front and rear, body dimensions, exteriors, lighting and riding position related parts.

So what’s the difference between the two cars? The first thing you can tell from the outside is the brand of tires (Auri has block-pattern RYMAX EVs, while Alfa has IRC Trail Winner GP210s that are designed for paved roads), but the more important elements are the battery and control unit (the motors are the same). If you look at the battery capacity, range, charging time, maximum power, and top speed listed below, you should be able to understand the differences between each car.

●Auri: 38.4Ah, 100km, 3.5h, 9kw, 100km/h

Alpha: 28.8Ah, 75km, 2.6h, 8kw, 80km/h

Looking at these figures, I think it’s the Oly that piques the interest of many people. However, the Oly is priced at 1.21 million yen (1.1 million yen for the Fun model without safety equipment), while the Alfa is priced at 880,000 yen. How people interpret this fact is up to them, but perhaps the Alfa, which appeared a little later than the Oly, is tasked with setting an approachable price and raising awareness of GoWow around the world.

Smartly delivers incredible performance

When I first rode the Alfa, the first thing that came to mind was the moped trail bikes sold in the 1980s and 1990s, such as the Yamaha DT50 and Honda CRM50. Compared to those, however, the seating position is quite high (seat height is 890mm; 785mm for the DT50, 820mm for the CRM50. All figures are for the final model. Same below), yet the weight is quite light (70kg; 87kg for the DT50, 83kg for the CRM50), making it easy and nimble. If you’re a rider who normally rides a liter bike, you might get the impression that it’s more like a bicycle. However, when you open the throttle wide…

It’s an incredible world awaiting you. After all, Alfa’s maximum torque exceeds the average for the 400cc class in recent years, at 42Nm (the same as the Auri), which is on par with a 500cc. Naturally, the sprint power is extremely powerful, and if you open the throttle casually, the front end will take off with ease.

Some people might get the impression that it’s dangerous, but if you set the response to a gentler setting, it transforms into a friendly bike that even beginners can ride with ease, and the front and rear suspension movement and brake response are so natural that you don’t feel anxious even when riding at full speed in the most powerful mode. In any case, I was very impressed by the speed and torque feeling, which is completely different from existing bikes.

As an aside, when I talk about electric motorcycles with my colleagues, the topic often comes up: “If we ignore environmental issues, is there any necessity for electric motorcycles?” To put it another way, if we ignore environmental issues, it is difficult to see the necessity for electric motorcycles at this point in time.

But this logic doesn’t apply to the Alfa (and the Auri). After all, there has never been a bike in the past that has a body the size of a Class 1 moped and a power unit that can produce torque on a par with a 500cc engine. Conversely, through this test ride, I realized that electric bikes are not only environmentally friendly, but also have the virtue of being able to smartly achieve incredible performance.

Riding position (height 182cm, weight 74kg)

The riding position is like that of an off-road racer. However, considering the low handlebars and slim body, it could also be seen as more like a bicycle. The seat height is 890mm, but the body is slim and light, and the front and rear suspensions sink a lot at 1G, so riders over 160cm tall should not feel uneasy.

Detail explanation

Main specifications