Electric Touring’s Biggest Test Has Begun
- Buck City Biker
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
One rider is about to find out whether electric motorcycles are ready for the toughest type of riding: touring.
Ed Darmanin is attempting to circumnavigate Australia on an Energica Experia. An 18,000km journey that could answer some big questions about the future of electric adventure riding.
The Final Frontier for Electric Motorcycles
Long-distance touring is where electric motorcycles have the most to prove.
City riding? Easy. Weekend blasts? No problem. But point a bike towards the horizon and remove the comfort of regular charging stops, and the questions start coming. Can it go far enough? Can riders trust the infrastructure? Can an electric motorcycle handle the freedom and unpredictability that makes touring so addictive?
That is exactly what Ed Darmanin is setting out to discover. The Australian rider is attempting to circumnavigate mainland Australia on an Energica Experia, covering thousands of kilometres across one of the toughest touring environments on the planet.
This isn't Darmanin's first outback adventure. Since retiring, he's already completed several long-distance electric motorcycle journeys, including riding a Harley-Davidson LiveWire from Sydney to Cape Tribulation before becoming the first rider to cross Australia from Perth to Sydney on an electric motorcycle. Those trips taught him plenty about planning around charging, adapting to conditions and making the most of remote hospitality. An experience he'll need again for an 18,000km lap of the country.
The route will put both rider and machine through the sort of conditions that matter to touring riders: huge distances, remote roads, limited charging options and long days in the saddle.
The Energica Experia is an interesting choice for the challenge. Unlike many electric motorcycles that focus on urban riding or performance, the Experia was designed with longer-distance riding in mind, with touring equipment and practicality built into the package.
But this trip isn't about proving what's written on a spec sheet. The real test begins when the road stretches out, the next charger is a long way away, and the rider has to rely on the bike alone. No nearby service centres. No dense charging network. Sometimes, nobody else on the road for hundreds of kilometres. That's the reality of touring some of Australia's most remote routes.
The BCB Take
Electric motorcycles don't need another commuter victory. They need a touring breakthrough.
Adventure and touring riders are some of the hardest customers to convince because they aren't just buying transport. They are buying freedom. They want to get in the saddle, head towards the horizon, and not spend the whole trip thinking about battery percentage. That's what this ride is really about.
Ed's Big Lap won't prove that every electric motorcycle is ready for cross-country adventure. But it could show whether the technology is finally moving in the right direction. Because until electric bikes can handle the big trips, the remote roads and the unplanned detours, plenty of riders will remain unconvinced.
The next big battle for electric motorcycles isn't horsepower. It's distance.
Ride safe, folks.
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If you want to follow Ed's journey directly, check out his journey website here.
