Tacita’s 2024 T-Race bikes designed with Dakar influence

Tacita‘s newest line of electric bikes for 2024, particularly the Enduro, Motard, and Motorally models from the T-Race line, were developed using what they picked up from their Dakar Rally effort in January.

The Italian bike manufacturer entered the Dakar Rally in the Mission 1000 class as Tacita Formula Corsa, fielding two Tacita Discanto bikes for Oscar Polli and Silvayn Espinasse. Polli, the 2008 FIM FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion (precursor to today’s World Rally-Raid Championship) and 2012 Africa Eco Race winner, failed to start the first stage and fell into an early hole in the rankings, but managed to complete the race as the last finisher in the category. Espinasse was eighth of nine finishing Mission 1000 entries.

New for the 2024 race, Mission 1000 is designed for vehicles on alternative power sources like electric, hybrid, and hydrogen. Tacita, Arctic Leopard, and Green Power Race raced on electric bikes while the other teams were in cars or trucks.

The T-Race bikes are all designed using lessons that Tacita learned from the effort. Each bike, as well as those in the T-Cruise series (Urban and Turismo), has a five-speed gearbox, liquid cooling and a battery management system to prevent overheating, and a 120-volt system for the controller. The Motorally, which is closest to the Dakar bike, also comes with a battery setup that allows for it to be swapped out within three minutes.

All three T-Race models weigh roughly 196 kilograms and have 0.7 millimetres of fairing made from carbon and Kevlar. The Enduro and Motard bikes have nine kWh of bettery while Motorally boasts thirteen.

The Discanto like what raced at Dakar will be available for customers in 2025.

“We focused on this leap forward in order to achieve a higher standard on all models,” said Pierpaolo Rigo and Luca Oddo, respectively the company’s president and CEO, in a joint statement. “Thanks to the introduction of cutting-edge technological innovations, such as the five-speed gearbox, Tacita will contribute to a unique riding experience combined with the electric philosophy, winning over even the most demanding enthusiasts.”

Tacita made their Dakar début in 2020 with the Diego Pederiva on a T-Race Rally, though he only raced a twenty-kilometre route on the final day. Still, the team followed the entire rally with their T-Station recharging station. The manufacturer has dabbled in various rallies since their founding in 2012.