You don’t often see electric motorbikes on Luxembourg roads. So when we met Guy Achten, head of Mastercraft, a company specialising in language learning, at the handlebar of his new two-wheeler, we had no choice but to ask him.

Interview.

You are a motorbike enthusiast, since when have you been a two-wheeler?

I have been actively riding motorbikes since 2018 because before I didn’t have a garage and in a city like Luxembourg,

It’s difficult to leave the bike outside on the pavement, especially during the winter.

What is the model of your current bike? How is this one different from the previous ones?

I have several bikes. A motorbike is not very expensive to buy and the maintenance costs, such as taxes and insurance, are moderate.

When you sell it, however, you lose a lot. So I’ve decided to keep them all, even when I buy a new one.

Why did you decide to switch to an electric motorbike? Is it for environmental reasons?
The electric motorbike is a nice little toy.

The electric motors are very powerful and give a feeling of acceleration worthy of racing bikes.

Unfortunately, the distances you can cover on a charge are still limited.

My ZERO SR/F rarely exceeds 150 km in range.

You should not buy an electric motorbike for environmental reasons, because the motor and battery are made of minerals, metals and rare earths that are mined under appalling conditions in emerging countries.

What’s more, electric motorbikes are not commonplace on Luxembourg roads: do you think we should see more of them?

At the moment, the weak point of electric motorbikes is their range.

A recharge takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour, for a range of about 150 km.

A full tank of petrol takes less than a minute for a range of 300 km.

If electric mobility is to be adopted, faster charging systems will have to be developed.

What brought you to Yellow’s premises: your common passion with David, our CEO, for motorbikes, or more?
David is a long-time friend. We’ve known each other for almost 15 years and work together regularly.

Noosphere’s work has always been of impeccable quality because their director is a perfectionist who can rely on a competent team.

You had some preconceived ideas about Yellow, how do you feel about it today, has it changed?
Given David’s character, Yellow can only evolve and go in the right direction.

Tell us a little bit about Mastercraft… Its history, its genesis: its past, its present and its future.

The history of Mastercraft is a bit like the success story of Noosphere.

We started in 2007 and have become a key player in language learning.

Many Luxembourg companies, administrations and institutions work with us,

especially for learning the Luxembourgish language in hospitals.