Yamaha TY-E 2.0 Electric Trial Bike Prototype Unveiled

Four years ago at the 2018 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, Yamaha unveiled the TY-E electric trials bike. The TY-E wasn’t slated to hit showroom floors, but to enter the FIM Trial-E Cup Championship, the former electric-only class of the FIM Trial World Championship.

The bike finished an impressive second overall with Japan’s Trial Championship factory rider Kenichi Kuroyama at the controls. Kuroyama followed this up with another runner-up finish in the 2019 championship.

The TY-E didn’t compete in the Trial-E Cup in 2020 or 2021, but will return to Trial competition on a worldwide stage in 2022 with fresh revisions.

Kuroyama, who finished third overall in the 1997 and 1998 Trial World Championship Series, will once again pilot the bike, competing at select rounds on a revised battery-powered motorcycle named the TY-E 2.0.

For 2022, the Trial-E Cup is no longer. Instead, electric bikes will compete against two- and four-stroke motorcycles for the first time.

The TY-E 2.0 version is a prototype; Kuroyama will help with its further development. Although Yamaha didn’t confirm any plans other than the racing effort, it did say that the TY-E will help the OEM achieve “carbon neutrality from the perspective of motorcycling fun.” The ebike is part of Yamaha’s goal of “aiming for carbon neutrality” throughout all business activities by 2050.

However, just as in 2018. Yamaha did not say if this bike would be available for sale. That said, the development currently underway, along with the Japanese manufacturer’s focus on carbon neutrality, support the possibility of this bike eventually coming to showrooms.

In a global press release, Yamaha Motor said, “The project to develop the TY-E 2.0 is underway as one uniquely Yamaha approach for achieving carbon neutrality. Under its FUN x EV development concept, the TY-E 2.0 aims to provide more fun than internal combustion engines by taking advantage of the traits unique to electric vehicles, such as powerful low-down torque and strong acceleration.”

This electric trials bike, which features a hydraulic clutch, is powered by a new lightweight lithium-ion battery with higher output and approximately 2.5 times the capacity than that of the original TY-E; the new battery is also 20 percent lighter. This helps the TY-E 2.0 achieve a 154.3-pound overall curb weight.

The monocoque frame is also all-new, built of composite laminates that further the goal of light weight and precise handling. The battery and powertrain were revised to lower the center of gravity over the TY-E 1.0. Yamaha said that “traction has been improved by pairing mechanical parts such as the clutch and flywheel with carefully tuned electronic control for the motor that is capable of reading subtle changes in grip.” Press images show the addition of a Tech fork and Dunlop D803GP tires.

Yamaha seems serious about securing additional wins and podiums during its return to the Hertz FIM Trial World Championship, which throttles into action June 10–12 at L’Hospitalet de l’Infant in Spain. The question is now whether the TY-E will be available for silent backyard fun.