My Energica Experia Experience – From Dream to Disappointment

Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Messages
1,235
Age
51
Location
Sun Valley, CA
Bike
NT700V, NC700X, XL600R
Back in late 2024, I posted here about a major shift in my riding future. I had picked up an Energica Experia—an Italian-built electric touring bike that promised torque, silence, and cutting-edge tech. After years riding ICE bikes like my trusted Honda NT700V, I figured this was the next evolution.

I named her Xena. She looked the part, rode like a beast, and for a while, all signs pointed to a worthy successor.

But the problems started early.

First, the tail subframe suffered a structural failure. A serious one. It was repaired. I moved on. But then the motor itself failed—unexpectedly and completely. That’s not a small thing to overlook.

I submitted a detailed engineering risk analysis. Provided full documentation, photos, and history. I worked with the dealership. But Energica (specifically Chris Paz and Stefano Benatti) denied warranty coverage, citing “frame modifications.” For the record, those mods had zero impact on the motor mount, powertrain, or wiring. Their claim was a deflection, not a diagnosis.

Then came the kicker: Energica declared bankruptcy. The corporate lifeline vanished mid-claim, and any hope of resolution evaporated.

Their “solution”? Offer me a discounted replacement motor for $500 and quote me $2,500 in labor at the dealership. On a bike that already had a major subframe failure and is now an orphaned product. No thanks.

So now, I’m preparing to file a claim through GEICO, strip my accessories, and move on. The dream is dead.

To anyone here considering an Energica—don’t.

Without warranty support, it’s a $25,000 gamble with no safety net. And once the lights go out at corporate, you’re left with a paperweight that needs a charging station and a prayer.

Final thoughts?

The Energica Experia had potential. The tech is sound. But the company behind it failed to honor the basics: support your riders, own your defects, and stand behind your product. When they didn’t, they lost more than a customer—they lost a rider who was ready to champion their evolution.
 
Sorry to hear about your electric bike. Tough one.
The electric stuff is interesting to me, but it changes so fast and companies trying to figure it out and them coming and going I will stick old school for the foreseeable future.
I'm very old school at heart anyway. I usually wait for technology to force me to change.

Arknt
 
Sorry to hear about your electric bike. Tough one.
The electric stuff is interesting to me, but it changes so fast and companies trying to figure it out and them coming and going I will stick old school for the foreseeable future.
I'm very old school at heart anyway. I usually wait for technology to force me to change.

Arknt
Yeah, this one was tough to swallow. I gave the new tech a fair shot, hoping Energica would deliver on the promise—but when the motor fails and the company collapses in the same year, it kind of seals the deal.

I still believe in EVs in principle, but until the industry matures (and builds real support infrastructure), I’m keeping my next ride old-school too. Reliability means more than novelty now.

Appreciate the thoughtful reply.
 
Sorry to hear you got burned. If my memory serves there was considerable discussion about the wisdom/risk of buying a new bike whose manufacturer was entering bankruptcy. You said that if the purchase price was low enough, the risk was worthwhile.. How is GEICO gonna bail you out for a mechanical failure?

Mike
 
Sorry to hear you got burned. If my memory serves there was considerable discussion about the wisdom/risk of buying a new bike whose manufacturer was entering bankruptcy. You said that if the purchase price was low enough, the risk was worthwhile.. How is GEICO gonna bail you out for a mechanical failure?

Mike
Mike—always a pleasure.

Yes, I recall the debate too. And yes, I walked into the risk eyes open. What I didn’t expect was for the motor to catastrophically fail under normal riding conditions and then be told by the manufacturer—post-bankruptcy—that a non-structural accessory mount invalidated my warranty. That’s not risk—that’s corporate dodgeball.

As for GEICO, they’re not bailing me out for a mechanical hiccup. They’re responding to a $10K catastrophic failure on a now orphaned machine with no parts pipeline, no support, and no accountability. That qualifies as a total loss in the real world.

Appreciate the reminder that I made a gamble. Consider this my full-circle report so the next guy walks in with both eyes open—because sometimes the devil isn’t in the risk, it’s in the fine print after the collapse.
 
The motor was made in house by Energica? If not, maybe you can find out the OEM of the motor and get some relief in the price. So GEICO is covering the structural failure mot mechanical....

Mike
 
The motor was made in house by Energica? If not, maybe you can find out the OEM of the motor and get some relief in the price. So GEICO is covering the structural failure mot mechanical....

Mike
You’re right to ask, Mike. Yes—the motor was an in-house Energica design, not a third-party component. No external OEM to chase down for relief. The design flaw and subsequent failure were squarely on their shoulders.

As for GEICO, they made their own independent assessment. They reviewed the structural history and the motor failure, saw the brand’s financial instability, and decided to total the bike. Their payout was based on compounded risk—not just one isolated issue.

So, yes, I got burned—but I kept my receipts, my dignity, and now I’ve got closure. That’s more than I can say for the motor.
 

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Yeah, that EV issue again...

If they want people to change over, they'll first have to offer serious advantages... payload, range, reliability, purchase & operating costs... and not just the myth of ideological supremacy...

Honda is poking around with a Chinese MFG partner...

Top speed: 120kph/75mph
Max range: 170km/106miles
Max power: 21.5HP
Max capacity: 6,2kWh
Payload capacity: ???

 
Yeah, that EV issue again...

I don't think that's the lesson here. ICE engines fail. Some VFR1200s had failures, GM currently has issues with engines in Silverados where they are recommending thicker oil for engines that haven't failed yet.

I think the lesson is don't buy a vehicle from a company in the process of going ghost with no parts chain available. Wasn't this always going to be the outcome? If not the motor, the battery pack, charging circuit, electronics etc.. ANY critical component with no replacement available. :shrug2:
 
Back in late 2024, I posted here about a major shift in my riding future. I had picked up an Energica Experia—an Italian-built electric touring bike that promised torque, silence, and cutting-edge tech. After years riding ICE bikes like my trusted Honda NT700V, I figured this was the next evolution.

I named her Xena. She looked the part, rode like a beast, and for a while, all signs pointed to a worthy successor.

But the problems started early.

First, the tail subframe suffered a structural failure. A serious one. It was repaired. I moved on. But then the motor itself failed—unexpectedly and completely. That’s not a small thing to overlook.

I submitted a detailed engineering risk analysis. Provided full documentation, photos, and history. I worked with the dealership. But Energica (specifically Chris Paz and Stefano Benatti) denied warranty coverage, citing “frame modifications.” For the record, those mods had zero impact on the motor mount, powertrain, or wiring. Their claim was a deflection, not a diagnosis.

Then came the kicker: Energica declared bankruptcy. The corporate lifeline vanished mid-claim, and any hope of resolution evaporated.

Their “solution”? Offer me a discounted replacement motor for $500 and quote me $2,500 in labor at the dealership. On a bike that already had a major subframe failure and is now an orphaned product. No thanks.

So now, I’m preparing to file a claim through GEICO, strip my accessories, and move on. The dream is dead.

To anyone here considering an Energica—don’t.

Without warranty support, it’s a $25,000 gamble with no safety net. And once the lights go out at corporate, you’re left with a paperweight that needs a charging station and a prayer.

Final thoughts?

The Energica Experia had potential. The tech is sound. But the company behind it failed to honor the basics: support your riders, own your defects, and stand behind your product. When they didn’t, they lost more than a customer—they lost a rider who was ready to champion their evolution.
Isn't this the second time you have gotten burnt on an e - bike ?
 
Isn't this the second time you have gotten burnt on an e - bike ?
You’re not wrong.

Yes, this is the second time I’ve been burned on an e-bike—first with Zero Motorcycle, and now with Energica. Fool me once, shame on them. Fool me twice… well, that’s why I’m back in the saddle of a Honda with combustion in its veins and a dealer network that doesn’t vanish into the fog.

I gave electric a fair shot. Twice. I wanted to believe.

But after dealing with parts shortages, disappearing service support, and corporate silence when things went sideways, I’ve learned that range anxiety is nothing compared to reliability anxiety.

So now I ride a bike that starts when I press the button, doesn’t need a firmware update to function, and doesn’t require me to pray for replacement parts to be invented.

Lesson learned—again.

I’ll take gas, gears, and a machine that doesn’t need to phone home just to move forward.
 
did the state of CA give any tax preferences? if so, maybe that helped the expense of buying and early fatigue of breakdown
 
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