Some of the most dynamic developments for electric motorcycles are happening on off-road models, mainly because…there are fewer laws and more freedom of design. This especially true when you consider that any new company that wants to develop an electric motorcycle will quickly find out how much simpler, cheaper, and less complex it is to produce an off-road version first.
1. Alta Redshift -MX, -MXR
The Alta MX is the tallest and heaviest dirt bike on this list, but…it is also the most powerful. The MX is advertised as being competitive with the 250cc gassers. The weight is 265 lbs (120 kg), and the retail price is $10,500. The MXR model has even more power and has been compared to 350cc gassers.
2. Zero FX
The Zero has been tested by dozens of motorcycle reviewers, and if you want one?…you can actually buy one right now. If you select the smallest battery in order to keep the weight low and the price as affordable as possible, the FX is roughly $8500, and the curb weight is 247 lb (112 kg).
3. Sur-Ron MX
The Sur-Ron MX (called the Light Bee or Firefly in China) is selling very well because of its price-to-performance ratio. There are other electric dirt bikes that more powerful, but…those are also heavier and more expensive. There are several models listed below that are less expensive, but…their power level and features are not as robust as the Sur-Ron MX. The current price is $3,480, and the curb weight is 110 lb (49 kg)
4. KTM Freeride E-XC
It’s hard to get accurate sales info on new products, but…fom an informal scan of the internet, I know there are a lot of KTM Freerides already in the hands of off-roaders in Europe (KTM is from Austria). One source states that they have sold over 3,000 units. They have an unusual business model where you can buy the motorcycle, but the battery is leased. The price for the KTM E-XC will likely be approximately $8,000 and the curb weight is 245 lb (111 kg).
Tacita Trace-EThe Tacita company is from Modena Italy.
5. Kuberg Freerider
This model of Kuberg is a medium-sized dirt bike, and it is more appropriate for small adults, or teens. To give you an idea of the size, the base-model wheels use 20-inch BMX rims with 2.5-inch tires. The weight is 79 lbs (36 kg), the retail price is $4,800. Kuberg also has many smaller models for very young riders.
6. Oset 24.0R
The global Oset company has a wide variety of small child-sized electric motorcycles. The 24R model shown is their largest, and if you look closely at the seat…you will see that there is none! This is a “trials” bike, and it is a style of technical-skill riding where the competitor stands on their feet the entire time. They also typically run fat tires at a low air-pressure. The retail price is $4,300 and the weight is 108 lbs (49 kg). To give you a feel for the size of this model, it uses 19-inch MX rims, and the 1400W motor uses a 48V / 20-Ah battery. It is set up for high torque at low speeds, for crawling over obstacles.
7. Ubco 2X2
The Ubco is from New Zealand, and even though it has a full-suspension frame?…it is not set up for taking jumps. It is a ranch vehicle, and the outstanding feature is the 2WD hub motors, along with an exceptionally large 48V / 48-Ah battery for a very long range. The retail price is $6,500 USD and the weight of the base model is 139 lbs (63 kg).
8. EMX
The EMX is a light-duty off-roader from Austria. It uses mostly bicycle components to keep this model as light and affordable as possible. The retail price is €5,880 (approx $6,880 USD), and the weight is 73 lbs (33 kg).
9. LMX 161
The LMX was developed in France, And it uses a centrally-mounted hub motor driving a jackshaft that is also acting as the pivot for the swingarm. They are currently built to order for €6,500 (approx $7,600 USD), and the weight is 88 lbs (40 kg).
10. Cake Kalk
The Cake company is from Sweden, and their Kalk model puts an emphasis on style.
11. Neematic FR/1
The Neematic is from Lithuania, and their FR/1 can be purchased with a peg-kit, instead of pedals. However, it was originally developed as a high-performance electric bicycle. I felt that the foot-peg version had a performance profile that made it appropriate to list here. The price is approx $8,000 USD, and the weight is 114 lbs (52 kg).
Mugen / Honda E-Rex
This is a conversion of a Honda CRF 250 by Mugen. The Mugen company is a “skunkworks” that is a semi-independent hot-rodding arm of the global Honda corporation. It is run by Hiro Honda, the son of the founder of Honda, Soichiro Honda.
12. Yamaha TY-E
This is a graphic, instead of a photograph, but…since it has been put out by Yamaha, I have no doubt that it will actually be produced. This another “trial” model, and I will write an in-depth report as soon as some production models reach the riders in North America.
13. Yamaha PED1
The Yamaha PED1 doesn’t seem to be in production yet. I haven’t been able to find the specs or projected price, but…it appears to be a mid-size, designed for teen riders.
Denzel Rush
Denzel is a company by a Ukraine engineer, and the products are made in China. Rush appears to be sized for younger riders.
14. On Racing
This new entry is from Spain, and their prototype recently won a prestigious trials competition. They are currently working on a retail model to sell to the public.
15. Husqvarna Concept E-go
The German BMW motorcycle division bought the Swedish Husqvarna company in 2007. this new design uses “single-sided” suspension arms 176 lbs (80 kg)
16. APWorks Light Rider
This is a prototype, so don’t plan on buying one anytime soon. The battery box is 3D-printed in polymer, but the exciting feature is the spider-web frame that was 3D-printed out of metal. This was done to spot-light a new technology, to show what it is capable of producing.
The APWorks Light Rider
Shan Roy ER-2
The Shan Roy company is a new, and as I find new information, I will post it here.
Keep us updated!
Email us at electricmotorcycle.com if you find an electric dirt bike that we don’t have listed yet. If you enjoyed this index, come back in a couple of weeks, and…I will burn up some more of my spare time after work by compiling a list of racing electric motorcycles, and our index of electric motorcycles for the street.
One last thing…the most under-rated feature of electric dirt bikes is… you can ride them close to home and near residential neighborhoods without making your neighbors angry about the noise. Some riders would actually miss the noise, but…once you get used to it, you also are not distracted by the noise of the other dirt bikes near you, so you can better concentrate on enjoying what you are doing.
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