Since the 1950s, a Soriano motorcycle has not been launched. But that is about to change as the famous Spanish motorcycle brand is restarted by an Italian company as a manufacturer of fully electric motorcycles.
The new electric motorcycles from Soriano Motori
And as part of the relaunch, Soriano Motori shares the specifications of its three new electric motorcycles exclusively with Electrek.
The new electric motorcycles are known as Soriano Giaguaro, which means Jaguar in Italian.
In some ways, they stick to Soriano’s classic design heritage, such as with their aluminum beam fork suspension.
In other respects, they depart sharply from the methods of the past, replacing gasoline engines with liquid-cooled electric motors.
The Giaguaro V1 Gara is the flagship model and has an advanced 75 kW (100 hp) electric motor. and a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. That would put it on par with the Zero SR / F electric motorcycle, albeit a bit slower than the Harley-Davidson LiveWire’s 3-second 0-60mph time.
The Giaguaro V1S is slightly quieter with a peak 72 kW (96 hp) engine and a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds.
Finally, the Giaguaro V1R brings up the rear with a 60 kW (80 hp) engine and a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. Still not too shabby!
The bikes certainly look like what you would expect from an Italian sports bike company and should shame Ducati for dragging their feet when it comes to electric motorcycles.
As the founder of Soriano Motori Corporation, Marco A. Soriano, explained in a press release to Electrek:
“Soriano Motori Corp’s motorcycles represent the best Italian design, image, branding, architecture and engineering, which for the first time are being applied to electric motorcycles for the next generation of bikers. Soriano Motori motorcycle owners are assured of the look, feel and lifestyle of what they love about motorcycles, fused with the exhilaration of a strong brand proud of made in Italy. We balance elegance and innovation to deliver something transcendent for motorcycle culture.
The bike’s beam forks aren’t the only design aspect reminiscent of early Soriano motorcycles.
They also feature another retro design that you won’t find on most electric motorcycles today: manual transmissions. All three bikes include three-speed manual gearboxes that could squeeze even more performance from their engines, but are more likely designed to add to the sporty riding experience.
There are a few other electric motorcycle designs we’ve seen in recent years that sport manual gearboxes, such as those from KYMCO and Horwin, but very few have actually hit the road.
While the Soriano Giaguaros can be sporty, that doesn’t necessarily translate to long-distance driving. Bikes offer options for 15kWh or 20kWh batteries, but the ranges are listed as 120-160km (75-100 miles). Surely enough for the track, but it remains to be seen how far the Italian riders can venture into the Italian countryside.
To be fair, at an efficiency of 200 Wh / mi, these range estimates are probably given at highway speeds. For comparison, a Zero SR / F has a range of 132 km (88 miles) at 112 km / h (70 mph) with a 14.4 kWh battery. This translates into an efficiency barely greater than that of the Soriano Giaguaro, and this is another indicator that the Italians give us ratings of autonomy on the motorway.
And speaking of Italian design, you didn’t expect these bikes to be cheap, did you? Soriano Motori only produced a first limited series of 100 motorcycles for its first production series. This pushes the prices quite high, ranging from the “entry-level†Giaguaro V1R which starts at € 25,000 to the flagship Giaguaro V1 Gara which starts at € 30,000.
What do you think of Soriano’s rebirth as an electric motorcycle company? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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