Raga, a rider who has won four world trials titles, did not want to miss his daily training even today, despite it being World Noise Day. And he found a particular way to do it: by testing an electric motorcycle for the first time in his career. In addition, he wanted to do it in a natural place known for its beauty and whose name speaks for itself, the Valley of Silence of León. The rider also chose this special day to show that even with an electric motorcycle you can achieve the best performance.
At a time when technology is increasingly committed to alternative energies, the world of motorsport, and in particular trial, could not be left behind. Adam Raga gives us bucolic and unusual images practicing this discipline in the heart of the Valley of Silence, surrounded by nature and “with the rubbing of the wheels on the ground as the only sound”, as the rider declared after testing the bike.
As is the case in the automotive industry with the appearance of the first hybrid cars on the market, important companies in the two-wheeled sector are already testing models like this one (a Gas Gas converted into an electric motorcycle by eta-motors), and with an eye on the possibility of commercializing it from 2012. The Catalan champion got on the electric trial bike letting himself be carried away by the sensations produced by a motor powered solely and exclusively by electricity and which, in addition, is almost silent as it does not need an exhaust pipe.
The Tarragona native chose the Valley of Silence, in the region of El Bierzo (León), for its isolation and its significance. This valley was also chosen a long time ago by St. Gennadius to retire to meditate. It is said that the murmur of the river did not allow him to concentrate, so he struck his staff, ordered him to be silent, and the river stopped making noise. Aware of this beautiful history, Raga chose the idyllic town of Peñalba de Santiago, where time seems to have stopped, to get on a vehicle for the first time that may end up being the motorcycle of the future for fans of this sport. “It’s amazing to be able to ride in a place like this, surrounded by nature and also with the special meaning of doing it during World Day Against Noise.”
After the training, Raga said: “The sensations you experience in an environment like this are very different from those you get when you ride in competitions or training. You don’t go to the limit, you look for enjoyment in nature and you enjoy what you do not only on the bike, but also in the environment that surrounds you. I believe that this is the path that technology should follow: always try to find coexistence with the environment.”
The motorcycle used by Raga is a prototype created by the Spanish company Gas Gas and will be marketed in 2012.
Source: Red Bull
