At the initial round of the FIM Trial World Championship in Japan, a total of five electric motorbikes participated in the Trial2 category. Sondre Haga (Norway) showcased the new electric GASGAS, while Gael Chatagno from France represented Electric Motion with the new Epure Factor-e. Local riders Kenichi Kuroyama, Seiya Ujikawa, and Fumitaka Nozaki rode Yamahas TY-E 2.2 in their home country.

The Mobility Resort Motegi was the ideal location for the first round of the 2024 TrialGP season, providing a tough challenge for the top trials riders in the world. The course featured steep inclines and declines, as well as a mix of boulders and rocky terrain for competitors to navigate.

GasGas

Sondre Haga, reflecting on his performance: “The first day was incredible, I was in top form and hardly made any mistakes. It’s an amazing feeling to come out on top after putting in so much hard work. Finishing fifth on the second day is a bit frustrating because we were close to being on the podium all day. However, overall, I’m very happy with this weekend’s results and it gives me a lot of confidence in our chances for the championship. We will continue to give our best and hopefully maintain our position at the top for the rest of the season.”

Albert Cabestany – GASGAS Factory Racing Trial Team Manager: “The guys in Trial2 did a superb job with Sondre’s win on the first day, especially as it was the first electric motorbike to win, it was a dream come true. It’s a pity they didn’t get a podium today being so close on points, but they’ve had a brilliant weekend. Now we’re focussing on Andorra and getting back to the top.”

Results:

Sondre Haga
Day 1 = 1st place
Day 2 = 5th place

Electric Motion

Following a winter of intense efforts alongside Gaël Chatagno and the creation of the Epure Factor-e motorbike, Electric Motion began the season with two impressive podium finishes.

Gaël Chatagno had a successful start to the TR2 World Trial Championship in Japan, with a great performance in the first two rounds. He expressed his satisfaction with his new bike, the Epure FACTOR-e, which proved to be efficient and versatile thanks to its new motor and improvements made to the curves. The battery also had a good range, allowing Chatagno to easily complete each lap with at least 60% of battery remaining. He gave credit to his team for their hard work and support, as well as sponsors who helped make it all possible. It was an incredible week for him.

Results:

Gael Chatagno
Day 1 = 2nd place
Day 2 = 3th place

Yamaha

The three riders competing in the Championship were familiar faces on the All Japan IA Super circuit: Kenichi Kuroyama representing the Yamaha Factory Racing Team, Masaya Ujikawa from the bLU cRU Victory team, and Fumitaka Nozaki of Team Nozaki Yamalube Yamaha.

In 2018, Yamaha introduced the TY-E electric trials bike in hopes of overcoming common challenges in EV development. These included creating compact and lightweight components with high electric output, as well as ensuring the bike responded precisely to the rider’s commands. To test these advancements, Kuroyama joined the TrialE Cup, an event held alongside the Trial World Championship until 2019. For two consecutive years, he finished in second place overall.

In the 2024 season, three TY-E 2.2 machines are competing in the All Japan series with two main goals: to advance the development of the TY-E platform and to achieve its first victory and championship title. Currently, Kuroyama has secured two 2nd place finishes after two rounds and is ranked 2nd overall in the standings.

Results:

Kenichi Kuroyama
Day 1 = 11th place
Day 2 = 17th place

Seiya Ujikawa
Day 1 = 12th place
Day 2 = 20th place

Fumitaka Nozaki
Day 1 = 23th place
Day 2 = 24th place

All results from Trial2 category can be downloaded here (PDF). The 2024 FIM TrialGP World Championship continues with round two in Andorra’s Sant Julia de Loria on June 7-9.