2021 Kymco RevoNex First Look:
Öhlins Suspension, Brembo Brakes, and More
A year after revealing a concept electric sport motorcycle, Kymco is preparing to bring a production model to market. The 2021 Kymco RevoNex is focused on performance, as well as attempting to bring a visceral aspect to the arguably sterile experience of motorcycle powered by electricity rather than an internal combustion engine.
To give the rider more of a connection with the electric motor, the 2021 Kymco RevoNex has a six-speed transmission. Although it lacks a clutch, according to Kymco, proper operation of the transmission will result in the highest performance. For riders who feel no need to shift, the transmission is fully automatic.
Kymco claims that the RevoNex can accelerate to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds, and hit its top speed of 127 mph in 11.8 seconds. Kymco promoted second gear as an ideal all-around selection for city riding, and the RevoNex will run up to 71 mph while providing plenty of acceleration from a stop. As far as battery capacity, range, recharging times, and price, Kymco is keeping that information under wraps. That could be because battery technology and costs could change between now and the electric motorcycle’s release.
Part of the software on the 2021 RevoNex is the Kymco FEP (Full Engagement Performance). The FEP suite includes traction control, ABS, are rear-wheel lift mitigation. Backing that up, the 202021 Kymco RevoNex has Metzeler Racetec RR tires, Brembo brakes, and Öhlins suspension—all serious performance parts. Additionally, the TFT dash looks state-of-the-art.
Kymco, which enjoys acronyms as much as the next company, says the RevoNex has Adaptive Machine Personality (AMP). This is Kymco’s way of describing power modes. Rather than taking the road most traveled with traditionally intuitive names such as Sport and Urban, the 2021 Kymco RevoNex has four mode monikers we haven’t seen before—Poised, Assertive, Bold, and Extreme.
The Taiwanese company has an interesting set of descriptions for its modes: “(1) Poised, which allows the riders to glide through the neighborhood quietly; (2) Assertive, which displays the rider’s inner strength with power and civility; (3) Bold, which gives riders immense might for occasional spirited riding; (4) Extreme, which screams out the passion hidden within the rider’s heart.”
Kymco describes the powerplant as an Active Acoustic Motor (AAM). Again, we have to rely on Kymco’s poetic take: “The motor is designed with a multi-frequency acoustics generator that enhances the native sound of the motor. Combining the resonating sound of AAM with the mechanical sound of the transmission, the acoustic note of RevoNex has profound depth and complexity. It conveys the heartbeats of the bike and communicates the load condition of the motor; it gives the rider situation awareness. With the rpm rising on every up-shift, riders hear the surge of the sound one crescendo after another. Kymco AAM provides street bike riders the fascinating sound that serves as an important media of human-machine connection.”
We aren’t absolutely sure what that all means, so we will just have to wait until the 2021 Kymco RevoNex becomes available, which Kymco says will be in ’21. Color us intrigued.
2021 Kymco RevoNex Photo Gallery