The sales of electric bicycles have been skyrocketing ever since the pandemic. As a matter of fact, in some markets (like the US) e-bikes actually outsell EVs, which is probably why a motorcycle manufacturer with the clout of Ducati is now selling three different types of e-bike: there’s a 6,000 USD all-mountain MIG-S, an 8,000 USD e-road Futa and, our favourite, the e-enduro TK-01RR, which also comes in a Limited-Edition guise featuring a custom red paint job in addition to some extra high-end parts including Crankbrothers Synthesis carbon fibre wheels, a 170mm Crankbrothers drop post, a Fizik saddle and Renthal carbon fibre handlebars with 800mm of width.
Before we get into what’s good about this bike, let’s just establish what its two flaws are. The first is its price of 11,000 USD but, then again, as a friend told me when I mentioned this, if you’re buying a Ducati, you should be willing to pay Ducati prices. The other is something that’s common to most e-bikes: it weighs a lot. Tipping the scales at 25 kilograms, this bike is far from light but it does have a solid power assistance powertrain consisting of a 630 Watt-hour battery, an excellent Shimano EP8 electric motor and a smooth 12-speed Shimano XT derailleur. (Luckily, they didn’t go for a 900Wh battery!) Also, to their credit, much of the bike’s weight is slung low and between the wheels, meaning you’ll find it surprisingly easy to maintain traction on steep and loose climbs, provided you keep low over the handlebar.
The battery provides up to 400 per cent assistance in Boost mode and will last 55 kilometres in this setting. Switching over to Trail or Eco mode will decrease the bike’s assist wattage as well as offer plenty more range – 85 km and 175 km respectively.
The TK-01RR Limited Edition gets a mixed-wheel (mullet) setup of a 29-inch wheel in front and a 27.5 incher at the rear. It’s a good thing they did this as it provides a great balance between running stability and traction while pedalling up-hill. Speaking of which, the Öhlins DH38 front fork is the best in the business and offers an enormous amount of travel – 180 mm to be precise. Out back you get an Öhlins TTX22M coil shock with 170 mm of suspension. The ride is therefore very smooth and quickly inspires a descent pace that might feel too risky if not for the knobby Pirelli Scorpion tyres and some of the largest disc brakes ever fitted on an e-bike – Magura MT7s, which by the way, were actually derived from motorcycle applications.
To conclude, there are a lot of misconceptions about e-bikes and many still that it’s cheating. But, considering that steep and technical downhills are such fun on a TK-01RR Limited Edition, you’ll love having the Ducati's battery to boost you back up to the top again. Simply put: you can go further for longer and enjoy the ride even more so what’s not to love about that?
