There is probably no area where electric motorcycles are catching on faster than off the pavement. For both dual-sport and motocross, small and light is just the thing for electrics and the powerful revs of the electric motors give the bikes plenty of zip. If you need convincing, check out the videos Zero Motorcycles makes available on its site.
In a day when more and more dirt-riding areas are under attack from neighbors unhappy with the noise, the perfect answer is a silent motorcycle. And if you're riding in the woods, quiet is a very nice thing. You can actually hold a conversation as you ride along. One Zero owner told me he frequently encounters wildlife that otherwise would have been spooked by the noise of a gas-powered bike.
The following is, I presume, an incomplete listing of off-road electrics available today or in the works.
Electric Moto's EMAX 72DS dual-sport bike is listed at $9,995, with a weight of 210 pounds, top speed of 60 mph, and the ability to run for 3 hours on a charge. In June the company announced it had commenced testing on its G2 model, promising "increasingly positive results set in runtimes, battery charge, handling and acceleration."
It's a bit harder to nail down the particulars on the Evolt Bull1 as the Italian company only has an Italian-language website that is under construction. Nevertheless, the bike was introduced in 2009 at the Milan International Cycle and Motorcycle Exhibition with a proposed price of $12,540. Top speed is given as 55 mph with a 2-hour range on the battery. Recharging is said to take 1 hour.
Calling it the Freeride, KTM introduced two versions of an electic-powered offroad bike in March 2010 at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show. The Freeride Enduro and the Freeride Supermoto are expected to begin production in 2011. No firm price has yet been announced but it was projected to be something under 10,000 euros.
Quantya is a Swiss company and its current offerings include the Strada and Track. The Strada is street legal, while the Track is pure motocross. Both are listed with top speeds of 55 mph and a 3-hour range. Full recharging requires 2 hours on the plug. The Strada will run you $10,700, while the price on the Track is given as $9,975.
Zero Motorcycles has four bikes in its line-up, three of which are good for going offroad. The X is pure dirt, while the MX is a motocross model. The DS is dual-sport. The specs on the three are as follows. Top speeds are not given.
X - Weight, 172 pounds. Range, 2 hours or 40 miles. Recharge time, less than 2 hours. Price, $7,495.
MX - Weight, 161 pounds. Range, 2 hours or 40 miles. Recharge time, less than 2 hours. Price, $8,295.
DS - Weight, 277 pounds. Range, 50 miles. Recharge time, less than 4 hours. Price, $9,995.
Next: Electric motorcycles: Street bikes still fall short for most riders
Comments
Some of those bikes seem to require as many hours plugged in as hours on the charge. While this may not be a problem for some, it would be a problem for most of us.
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