Tacita reveal radical electric cruiser concept

Cruisers are large, thunderous brash things – they’re not smooth and silent, so you might not think of them as primed to lead the electric revolution, but that hasn’t stopped Tactica releasing the T-Cruise concept: an all-black cruiser that’s completely green.

Tacita are based in Italy, they’re the brainchild of former rally racer Pierpaolo Rigo and until now they’ve concentrated on off-road bikes (plus a supermoto). Unlike many rivals, Tacita weren’t happy with the motors available off the shelf, so made their own and paired it to a five-speed gearbox for better control. 

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We rode the T-Race Rally in Morocco earlier this year and were impressed by the drive from the electric motor. In the T-Cruise, the motor puts out 30kW (40bhp) and 51ftlb of torque, but assuming the T-Cruise rides the same as the Rally, the figures don’t tell the full story. Because of the way electric power figures are calculated, doubling the printed power figure gives a truer estimation of how the bike will feel.

The motor has two easily switchable maps, eco and sport, plus two modes, known as four-stroke and two-stroke, which allow you to turn off the regenerative engine braking should you wish.  

Zapping the competition

The range and weight of electric bikes when compared to petrol equivalents put many off, but this needn’t be the case for the T-Cruise. In fact, compared to a Harley 883 Iron, it stacks up well. The Iron has a range of 162 miles, the T-Cruise has a range of 168, plus reserve. The Iron produces 50ftlb, the T-Cruise 51. The Iron weighs 256kg, the T-Cruise 259. The Iron needs a service at 5000 miles, the battery in the T-Cruise is good for 336,000. The only way the Harley has it beat, is the refill time but the Tactica can be fast- charged in 40 minutes. The only real sticking point is the price. Although nothing has been confirmed for the T-Cruise, the current Tacita range starts from just over £20,000.

T-Cruise facts

• Range to reserve 168 miles
• Fast charge time 40 minutes
• Power 40bhp
• Torque 51ftlb
• Weight 259kg

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