“Weight, mass and late braking change everything”: Zaccone reveals the challenge of going from fully electric to Supersport

Interviewed at the FIM Awards 2025, Alessandro Zaccone, MotoE world champion, explained the basic differences, including in terms of riding, between electric and combustion bikes.

Next year Zaccone will return to Supersport, after five years in the electric class of the world championship. An experience that leaves the rider from Rimini with an important legacy, not limited to trophies. A wealth of acquired knowledge and refined skills that he will look to leverage: "In MotoE, since all the bikes are the same, the gaps are very small and, for this reason, you always see great battles. This will help us in Supersport, when we fight with others, and in any category I race in the future. Moreover, I’ve learned to be very methodical, and I’ll carry that with me.”

Zaccone made the switch from combustion to electric in 2020. Now he’s making the reverse journey. In recent years – he emphasized – “the differences between electric and combustion bikes have narrowed, including in terms of speed.” Nonetheless, the challenge will be to adapt his riding style to a more physical bike with few electronic aids: “The biggest difference is tied to the weight and the mass of the electric bike, although the latest machines are much lighter than the first versions. In Supersport I’ll have to get used to braking differently, being more aggressive, and having greater deceleration. Also, I’m coming from a category rich in electronics to one that has little. I’ll have to take a step back and get used to riding differently.”

The rider from Rimini concluded with a note on the untapped potential of the electric championship, which will be suspended from next year: "Electric bikes have great potential. If they decide to support it and invest in new things, the value of MotoE can be really high. Certainly much higher than what we’ve shown. Never say never to my return to the category, if it were to be reinstated in the future."

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