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[chisquare]

Hi everyone,

I ride an Energica EsseEsse9+ RS with the EMCE motor and notice a strong jerking/surging sensation under partial load at around 80 km/h / 50 mph. The effect is not only felt as a vibration or oscillation, but can also be heard acoustically as a changing frequency.

The issue does not occur under full acceleration or during regenerative braking, but mainly when maintaining speed with light throttle. The vibration/oscillation is strong enough that my Givi tank bag visibly swings back and forth. Uneven road surfaces seem to amplify the effect.

Could this be caused by uneven chain stretch or a tight spot in the chain? A manual check of the chain, without measuring tools, did not reveal anything obvious. Or are there other known causes on the EsseEsse9+ RS / Ribelle RS / EMCE bikes that can produce this kind of partial-load surging?

Any suggestions on what to check first would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[ESokoloff]

What about 45mph & 55mph?
How about 50mph on a flat road & when transitioning to an uphill grade without moving the throttle? (Obviously your speed will decrease).
I’m trying to rule out a “flat spot” on the throttle.

Is the surge speed or throttle position related.

[Grauteufel]

My first thought would be to look at the chain and sprockets, especially given that you do not feel it under load

[ESokoloff]

If the surge was drive line (chain/sprocket) related then it might be effected by chain tension. 
You could try adjusting the chain to see how that affects things. 

Also suggest somehow marking grip/throttle assembly with masking tape & mark lines with a sharpie so you can determine exact throttle position under different conditions. 

Just don’t over fixate on your observations that you get in an accident. 

[chisquare]

Thanks for your thoughts. I am somewhat relieved that no one has suggested a motor-related issue based on their own experience.

The bike has only 13,000 km / 8,000 mi on it, and the chain, front sprocket, and rear sprocket still look to be in pretty good shape based on simple checks: chain tension at different positions and trying to pull the chain away from the rear sprocket.

The issue is strongest at around 80 km/h / 50 mph, but it starts at about 65 km/h / 40 mph. Above 90 km/h / 55 mph, it becomes less noticeable again.

One interesting detail is that the problem has become much more noticeable since I switched to Michelin Road 6 tyres. As these are said to have better self-damping than the previously fitted Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, I would actually have expected them to mask rather than amplify a drivetrain-related issue. So this may simply be a coincidence, with the actual problem developing around the same time.

Even though the chain and sprockets look intact, given the notoriously high torque of these bikes, there may still be an issue with uneven chain stretch, tight spots, or uneven sprocket wear. I will therefore have the chain and sprockets checked and measured properly at the bike shop, using tools that I don’t have.

[Pard]

I had something like this as well.  Chain and sprocket change eliminated the issue for me.

https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=13179.msg128130#msg128130

[chisquare]

Hi Pard,

Thanks for the valuable information and for pointing me to that thread. I completely missed it in my searches.

Cheers,
Urs

[jotjotde]

Hi Urs,
You have probably still the first chain? In my case that was a Regina product and that was totally toast at 14,000 km. On the danger of repeating myself, I cannot stress enough how shitty Regina chains are.
Changed my complete rearset two weeks ago on a rainy day after 42,000 km (Enuma/RK-chain). There was visible wear on sprocket and chainwheel (see pictures). The chain itself was lengthened by approx. 1 % and began to make increased noise.

There are measuring gauges available for assessing the chain lengthening, if you want. Otherwise your finger lifting up the chain at a point while turning the wheel is also a good indicator to see if there are tight spots which incur the surging sounds while driving.

[chisquare]

Hi Jürgen,

Yep, it is still the first chain and sprockets. So it should be the original Regina chain, which is probably toast as well, even if my riding style is likely a bit less spirited than yours.

Have you had good experiences with JT’s rubber-cushioned front sprocket, the JTF704.15RB? And which 44T rear sprocket and 525 RK chain model did you buy? I couldn’t find that information in your much appreciated 100,000 km review.

Thanks in advance!
Urs

Edit: Just found the relevant info in the following thread: https://www.electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=13442.0
Thanx!

[jotjotde]

I tried an Esjot rubber sprocket and now have the JT rubber sprocket. They are not less noisy (I cannot hear any difference) than normal sprockets but the rubber keeps the dirt away a bit or at least that is my impression. Note, normal 16 teeth, only RS has 15 teeth.

The old red/black rear chainwheel was from Supersprox, very expensive because of the color (inner wheel aluminium, outer teeth wheel made from steel) and I had to wait more than 6 months for delivery.
AFAM is totally OK, first one lastet more than 40,000 km. Now I have a black Esjot chainwheel. I chose Esjot because they are a company located in my region.

Chain is a MVXZ-2 with screw-lock. In Germany usually cheapest at kawaschrauber.de

[Specter]

although i did not have the same issues you are having, my original chain ate itself in about 8k miles, it was pretty shitty.  i put a DID chain on it and i forgot the sprocket i used but it ran a lot smoother, way less noise or other chain related issues after that.

given what so many others have said about the regina, i bet you'll have a lot better performance if you change as well.

aaron

[chisquare]

Thanks, Jürgen, for the detailed information!

I lacked a bit of patience and had already ordered an RK ZXW chain, a JT rubber-damped front sprocket, and an Esjot rear sprocket from Carpi Moto in Genoa before your post. Had I waited, I would have used your suggested source, kawaschrauber.de, which would probably have allowed me to save on the customs fees for imports into Switzerland by using a parcel forwarding address in southern Germany. At least Carpi Moto deducted the VAT.

In addition, unlike the MVXZ2, the ZXW doesn’t come with a screw-type master link, so I’ll have to rely on my bike shop for the installation.

Patience is a virtue.

[chisquare]

although i did not have the same issues you are having, my original chain ate itself in about 8k miles, it was pretty shitty.

That lines up almost perfectly with jotjode’s 14,000 km and my 13,000 km.

[Grauteufel]

That lines up almost perfectly with jotjode’s 14,000 km and my 13,000 km.

Lol, mine too! Totally cactus at 14,000km

[FlyMig]

I'm almost at 18,000 miles with original Regina chain and original sprockets.  Fairly easy on the throttle and chain clean with periodic as needed adjustments