KTM reveals race-ready electric motorcycle, production within 2 years
If you had any doubts that electricity is the future of off-road performance, this bike should eliminate them. KTM has created a fully functional electric, zero emissions enduro prototype and intends to put it into production. In keeping with its "Ready to Race" slogan, the Zero Emissions Motorcycle is a full-on competition bike, in which capacity it will be evaluated and developed before going on-sale as little as 24 months from now.Update: KTM finally got around to issuing a press release, details from which follow the jump.
The Austrian company is releasing very few details of the Zero Emissions Motorcycle, but has revealed that it develops 29.5lb/ft of torque and carries lithium ion batteries capable of lasting 40 minutes under "race conditions" and that can be fully recharged in just one hour. In comparison, the Quantya Strada that we rode around our Brooklyn office develops only 23lb/ft. It's difficult to compare the two models' ranges as "race conditions" are hard to define, but Quantya says the Strada should be capable of about 25 miles off-road, which sounds like a rough equivalent. 
KTM's battery pack and electric motor together weigh 17kg (for a total machine weight of 90kg or 198lbs. That's 7kg lighter than a KTM 125 EXC), but some of this weight will be offset by the elimination of the clutch; exhaust pipes and canisters; fuel tank and other necessities of internal combustion. The company expects that the Zero Emissions Motorcycle will carry a small price premium over a KTM enduro of similar performance.Discussing the thinking behind the Zero Emissions Motorcycle project, KTM board member Harald Plöckinger says the lack of noise and emissions means "We can bring now the Enduro sport again more near in the centers of dense development and cities." Indeed the greatest advantage electricity brings to dirt bikes isn't the number of spotted owls that will be saved (comparatively cars, homes and industry all pollute exponentially more than all motorcycles put together), but rather the access that the power source will be capable of granting and preserving.
Seeing the competitive advantage the Zero Emissions Motorcycle would provide KTM and the environmental and political advantages it would give both the company and the country, the project is being part financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry for traffic, innovation and technology.
KTM
Grant Ray. October 20, 2008 — Permalink
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I'll never give up my two-strokes, but this already has a spot reserved in my garage. Stoked for electric!
Oh can't wait! This is going to be the best thing to ever happen to enduro racing. Maybe new races/parks will be opened up closer to home for electric dirt bikes only.
Hurrah for KTM. This is great news.
Wow, it's pretty cool that KTM is willing to try new things.
is that a 21" back wheel?
this is great! i hope its accessible to all
@grande
I know, I thought it looked big as well. But its KTM, it'll be there for performance reasons!
GREAT News. Hurray for KTM!
I love the sound of 2 & 4 strokes off road's. But this will bring the sport close to us and better air for our lungs.
AGAIN, motorcycles ARE making a diference!
I will miss the sound of ICE too. I already miss the smell of a two stroke. This is more than a shift to electric power. I think it will really affect the design of off road machines. The 21" rear wheel is a good example of that. 2 wheel drive will be easier to implement with a front hub motor. The smaller the batteries get the lighter and more compact the bike can be. Should be cool to watch. Plus, how can you argue with silly torque from 1 rpm? :D
Can Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki be far behind?
Hopefully the battery technology will bet better because you would need to change out the battery pack 2 times to finish a typical endouro/harescramble. Cost? Time? Will these bikes have their own class?
Good news but some errors. KTM's battery pack and electric motor totalr weight, are wrong. The real weight is approx. 30 Kg. The Quantya Strada torque is 23.23 lb/ft, but for the Quantya Track (enduro version) is 33.19 lb/ft. During 2007 KTM had instructed the company Arsenal Research to develop an electric bike. Arsenal Research bought a Quantya FMX and this is the result. Now they must to buy a Track, but they will be always to late
The first and third pictures look as if the rider is not using the pegs. Kinda odd.
Oh yeah, yay electric!
Many riders lift one foot off the peg during jumps. In the third pic the rider is clearly practicing a motocross-start.
Don't-chou know?.....Muddy Watters 'vented 'lectricity!
I think this is the stupidest thing ever. eletric motorcycles, what is the fun of that. Flat torque rate from stat to finish is ganna be really hard on new riders. Part of the fun of riding is heraring your bike and the smell. This is the end of off road riding if KTM drives other companies to do this.
I think this is the stupidest thing ever. eletric motorcycles, what is the fun of that. Flat torque rate from stat to finish is ganna be really hard on new riders. Part of the fun of riding is heraring your bike and the smell. This is the end of off road riding if KTM drives other companies to do this.
like it or not is the future
...stupidest thing ever? lol
Bestest idea evar........
Can't wait to set up a track in my yard in the middle of suburbia and start realing off moto after moto. Kudo's KTM,,,, stupidest idea? hardly.
The only reason I would ever get one of these is to ride around in the neighborhoods and parks......or night time assaults on golf courses. I ride desert and dunes on a CR500....there's no way an electric bike could handle the places I ride
cool, just hope the battery pack is easy to swap trackside or our pits will be flooded with 2-stroke generators!!!!
29 lb/ft. More torque than a 250f!
198 lbs. Lighter than a 250f!
That gives it a greater power-to-weight ratio than a 250f!
If you think electric won't compete in race conditions, you just don't have the knowledge to understand.
Better grab a book and learn before a little wimpy smart-ass punk kicks your dumb-ass with an electric.
It's not ZERO emmisions. It is defered emissions.
The electricity to charge it comes from somewhere and the carbon foorprint is moved to that location. Also the waste from the batteries when dead is another toxic thing to be dealt with.
But, still a cool thing and I would love to try one. Electric motors develop full torque from 0 rpm to rated speed. NO BOG!
With no noise, smell or other pollution. MX tracks in the middle of suburbia is not so far fetched. Distance riding 100-200km per day will still bet he domain of the petrol head for a while yet.
For one I am looking forward to the day we can leave oil to be used in plastics and all the other things that we "need" for everyday living.
It might be a while but this is a step in the right direction. Well done KTM !!!
This solves so many issues. I stop paying the Saudis for my rides. They have less money to fund terror. The grid currently wastes enough energy overnight to charge 70 percent of all consumer vehicles if they were electric. So te energy is already there. No more oil changes. No more messy and toxic air filters. More tracks open up. And more trails open up. so my kids get to experience the joy of riding that I experienced. I'll miss the sound of a motor but the upside more than compensates for any nostalgia.
Wow. Didnt think we would see this so soon. I think its sweet that KTM is making a push research with this. It will help more people to accept the sport if they were turn away from it before for other reasons. I agree that zero emissions doesnt mean that pollution wasnt created somewhere during the process of production, but with our dependence on oil, other alternatives need to looked. At the same time i love my 250f and cant exactly see giving it up totally for one of these. Then again i was a fan of the 2strokes and refused to give into the 4strokes until i actually rode one. While ill continue to ride my thumper, ill be happy to see others saddle up to one of these.
Id like to ride one to see if i could lay some sick scrubs.
This is the 21st Century. I got the KTM SX200 which is the ultimate lightweight dirt bike, I would love to have a silent non-smoking bike of near equal power. I also hope that maybe an American manufacturer will develop an electric bike. Maybe if the GOVT got serious about tax-cuts to domestic manufacturers and bring back some tarriffs to eliminate the massive Federal budget deficiets. Other countries put huge tarriffs on American made products.
I think this is a great thing. Maybe more trails will open up for us. But more than likely, the trails that we have left now will be turned into ELCTRIC BIKES ONLY. Oh, what happens when you cross a deep stream?
Scott
In my part of the country, a lot of our electricity is hydro electric - no carbon foot print to it. When they open the flood gates, you either use the energy then or it gone.
This electric KTM looks sweet. Glad to see KTM is experimenting with electric bikes.
KTM isn't the first to build a full sized electric motocross bike, however...
The all-electric Honda CRF2eR...
The electric Honda CRF will blow the wheels off this first electric KTM. I say "Lets Race!"
We can tune it up to 68 hp, if needed...(two 34 hp electric motors on board)
Read about the all electric Honda "CRF2eR" at:
http://www.evdrive.com/Emoto_project/moto_project.html
I'm looking forward to racing our Honda CRF2eR against the e-KTM...When and where can we race??
Randy (co-builder of the CRF2eR)
Lots of people are converting older dead or dying gas bikes to electric for all types of racing. it is not too difficult to get performance specs as above without breaking your wallet. There is already a 1/4 mile 7 second electric drag bike. Check out ThunderStruck Motors or Electric Motorsport for components or information.
Wow, only one concern, enduro's is not 40 min and it seems like 40min of riding time is it for this bike? good of them going "green". well done
If this bike works it will revolutionize riding. I will have a track in my backyard and you could have tracks in the middle of the city.
This is the best thing ever! I'm going to buy a house with a big stand and build a track on it!
This thing is cool! I hope everyone gets on the electric bandwagon. I am converting an 92 kx 250 to an electric dirtbike. When are the car manufacturers going to get it?
No, zero emissions is exactly what it is. Just because there are dirty ways to create power certainly doesn't mean that it is the only way to, nor is it the most efficient. Ever heard of wind, water or solar? Look it up.
WTF??
ewww bro who the hell wants so electric piece of shit? no matter how good it is or it gets no ones gonna change that for a REAL dirtbike
Anyone who doesn't understand the benifets of this bike is not too bright. Look at all the tracks closing down due to noise. Riding this bike would far outweigh not riding at all.
This is cool stuff. This could open up motorcross in urban areas. Electric motor vehicles are here to stay and they will continue to get better. Gas powered dirt bikes will be better and faster for decades to come but elctric off-road motorcycles are going to open up an entire new market. Just think of all the new riding areas that could be opened up for electric off-road motorcycles. Hell, they have a electric drag bike that's running a 1/4 mile at 260 MPH.
So then we ride in the forest making no noise, now the hikers and mountain bikers cant hear us to get out of the way. Inevitably leading to more collisions, then they'll really come after us. "These things are too dangerous...they don't make ANY sound". Can't win.
The thought of electric motorbikes and the new riding areas it'll open is exciting stuff. The idea that batteries will continue to get smaller and smaller also gets me pumped. I can see it now "150lb dirt bike turns out the equivalent of 50 hp!" Let's help those kids with their science homework so they can help make this a reality :)
The neighbors will never be pissed again! Yes i love the sound of my bikes, 2 and 4 stroke! But, not having to replace "EVER" clutch, water pump, oil, gaskets, oil seals, cranks, top ends, stators, cdi's, transmission gears, bearings, etc.. Sounds pretty dam good to me!
As soon as they make a model capable of 90 to 100 miles, i'll be the first one at the dealer!
GREEN STICKER / RED STICKER will be a thing of the past!
Everybody should be stoked about this one!
Thanks KTM!
Gary
already have changed! and ....and i will blow your doors on my electric zero's
my carts will wheelie past rhino's and my CLUTCH zero motox will blow doors on any 450!
been ridin for too long to miss this one. electric is trick!
mr cato
The riding areas are dying because of the noise, quiet them up and all will be ok. the 4 strokes are even lowder than the 2 strokes. they carry for miles. so now we will have a track in the middle of no where and have gensets running instead of the bike, they better be honda/yamaha, which are great on fuel and noise emmisions. I think these bikes are a great idea, a whole new level of the sport, freestyle/smaller bmx type tracks/ maybee even an olympics demontration sport? In a city where a full class of these. wow...bring it on, but make them affordable now! they should have some noise if you want to turn it on/off. playing cards in the spokes. lol
For all you guys missing the sound of a 2 or 4 stroke you can install a sound system, maybe a kicker sub-woofer that's powered by the battery. You can make it sound like an F1 car if you want. But please use headphones so no one else hears it.
I'd like to see a trials bike like this too. With the high torque at low RPM it should be able to go up some serious obstacles.
I personally am anti green. I would like a fossil fuel, coal burning combo that is stoked with furry little minks, It would be inconvenient, but at least it would tick off all of the global warming / PITA crowd.
Does anyone know what the flash point of a mink is?
my son dy is 14 and we have been raving ktm (exclusively) for 7 years. our annual racing expense exceeds 40k a year and ggrowing.
the "green ktm" is huge! elctric motors are more reliable and maintance free. more torque, less weight, earth frienlier: i say yes!!!!!!
i see a huge savings in our racing budget.
i better learn how to work on and mod electric race motors-- so we can keep up with the "sandbaggers"
The Sierra Club will find something wrong with it. They killed the riding in California. With this technology you could run over a hiker and they wouldn't even hear you coming. Go green!
Make sure you check out that electric Honda too. Very cool.
My main question is, will these also be made street legal like the EXC models are now? If yes, I am ready to put a deposit down for one right now. I have to believe these would also be pretty much the most effective super-motoard weapon going.
Before putting down a KTM deposit, you should consider an electric bike that is already in production with half the weight and twice the torque.
Look at the Zero Motorcycles dirt bike that weighs in at 150 lbs for EVERYTHING, including the battery, motor, frame and wheels vs KTM's estimate of battery and motor weighing almost 200 lbs!
Oh, and Zero has over 50 pounds of torque vs KTM's 25.
See you at the track!
wait, so I can get an electric motorcycle from Zero Motorcycles TODAY?!? thats awesome, the future is finally here!
Yep, there's also Quantya. Which you can also get right now. The difference being the Quantya is actually a street-legal motorcycle you can license and insure and commute on. And do donuts on the roofs of industrial buildings in Brooklyn.
Good, point, Grant. I had heard about Quantya awhile ago but I haven't seen anything since - I'm glad they are still in business. Zero seems to be getting lots of play right now (even Jay Leno apparently rode one!). The last time I compared these, the quantya was still pretty heavy, 200 pounds, compared to Zero's 150 pounds. If I did the torque conversion correctly between Euro and US, I think the Quantya is 25% heavier and 50% lower powered than the Zero.
but your point remains valid. if you want an electric street MC now, you are right, Quantya is a good option. Zero says they are shipping their S model in a few months. I'm glad there's competition heating up in this market so everyone builds better and better product. KTM better get going!
I can't say anything about the Zero as HfL hasn't ridden one. What I have heard is that Zero uses light bicycle-spec componentry as opposed to the Quantya's beefier motorcycle compenentry. I'll reserve judgement until I see a Zero in the round and ride it.
As for Jay Leno, I don't care.
Whatever KTM does with this bike will be good. Notice the kickstand looks like a stock kickstand along with the plastic shrouds, fenders and such. KTM is known for making things that are easy to work on. Their parts are universal too.
Cant Wait!!
This thing is incredible!! My neighbors will no longer be able to complain about the noise of riding my dirt bike around my track! How much will it cost?
Selling these to the Ukraine?They got gas?
Yeah Dude! When can I get one? I can't wait for these to hit the track. Hey Japan, ARE YOU LISTENING?
I hope they still make a petrol version, half the enjoyment is hearing my 300's exaust
See me @dappman on youtube. Submersible electrics. Thanks
See our bikes @ dappman on youtube Building these for you. Getting better every day
Enduros great, but can you imagine one of things as a road racer!! ??
Why have an electric MX bike when it will lack power, torque and top speed thats why you stay with the big petrol bikes which have all of that and more! You wont have that mean sound that a four stroke makes when urev and i think thats the best part of a petrol bike.
Check this out...
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/electricross/
I don't mind electric motors, they have their use but not in my bike
i mean when i first heard of it it just sound pathetic!!! no noise, no clutch, no gears, no powrbands, no smell!!! i can hrdly think of giving up my 09kxf250 for one of these things, please can someone tell me when these things will be all over the market (bubba stewart racing them?) and gaspowered bikes wont be available?
how long will it be?
thanks
this is the coolest thing ever dude i love the power smell and all but every time i go ride my local spots there a long downhill section i turn my bike and drift the whole wey down going around burms ,jumps,rocks,roots all. this electric revolution gives people like me a chance to be one with riding a dirtbike without the sound and smell YAHOO ON THE KTM AND THE ELECTRIC BIKE COMPANYS OUT THERE.
hurry up and release them we have been waiting far to long for electrics!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent. Can't wait and also the injected 2 stokes as well. Way to KTM and that's why they are carving a hole in the Japanese market. Small point about the one hour recharge. You put more gas in your bike once it runs out so what's wrong with replacing the batteries with fully charged? (That is of corse if you can't wait and you can afford extra batteries)
where is Honda we are waiting honda commercial production for eletrical motorcycles.
they first release hi-brid car and now motorcycle
but no commercial production news.
This is going to be the best thing to ever happen to enduro racing. Maybe new races/parks will be opened up closer to home for electric dirt bikes only.
It is good to see KTM is developing a electric motorcycle too. I just test rode the Swiss made Quantya and the USA Zero a few weeks ago. The Quantya has simular specs as the KTM, 195 lbs 31.5 Nm (23.25 lb/ft) torque verses KTM at 29.5 lb/ft. The electric bikes had more torque off the line than my Yamaha WR 250, more trackable power band. I wish the range was a little longer on the electric bikes. I hope KTM makes the seat height lower than their other bikes, the Quantya felt just right at 36 inch seat height for a 5-6" guy that likes to ride technical rocky singletrack in the mountains. We need solar powered charging stations at the trailheads to increase the range and regen braking at least on the rear
Electric motor cycles are great because there is no cluch and you can mount your rear brake on the left handlebar for better rear brake modulation. I rode a friend's KTM 520 with a auto cluch and he had the rear brake lever mounted on the left handlebar, the rear tire did not lock up going down steep loose downhills.
The real weight is approx. 30 Kg. The Quantya Strada torque is 23.23 lb/ft, but for the Quantya Track (enduro version) is 33.19 lb/ft. During 2007 KTM had instructed the company Arsenal Research to develop an electric bike.
You put more gas in your bike once it runs out so what's wrong with replacing the batteries with fully charged
I had heard about Quantya awhile ago but I haven't seen anything since - I'm glad they are still in business.
Glad they're hopping on the band wagon with this zero emissions trend. I guess every sort of vehicle should get involved, including dirt bikes.
Yeah Dude! When can I get one? I can't wait for these to hit the track.
I can get an electric motorcycle from Zero Motorcycles TODAY?!?
I've heard that the intended 2010 release of the KTM Electric bike has been put back. I don't think they were THAT serious all along - its just a PR opportunity for some of these big players and they soon realise the potential production headache of electric propulsion for dirtbikes. I think there are some good bikes in development- but Quantya and Zero don't have the correct feature set yet. . . . . definitely not at their asking price.
I'll stick with my '09 200EXC for now . . . .contact me when an electric bike can match it and I'll buy one without question.
Now California will be tasked with a way to regulate this type of motorcycle. Maybe tire emissions or electricity expenditure fees.
I want to buy this bike ASAP
Please let me know when I can do so, I want to
be the first to have it at the Cal CITY AMA race
track, I will promote the hell out of it and
will help sell the idea and benefits of having
them.
Thanks J3FX-JEFF.....818-517-5486
That bike looks wicked, I'd love to have that.
- Kelly,
Extra Wide Baby Gates
I already miss the smell of a two stroke. This is more than a shift to electric power. I think it will really affect the design of off road machines. The 21" rear wheel is a good example of that. 2 wheel drive will be easier to implement with a front hub motor. The smaller the batteries get the lighter and more compact the bike can be.
Electric motor cycles are great because there is no cluch and you can mount your rear brake on the left handlebar for better rear brake modulation. I rode a friend's KTM 520 with a auto cluch and he had the rear brake lever mounted on the left handlebar
There is already a 1/4 mile 7 second electric drag bike. Check out ThunderStruck Motors or Electric Motorsport for components or information indeed.
I also agree that zero emissions doesnt mean that pollution wasnt created somewhere during the process of production, but with our dependence on oil, other alternatives need to looked. At the same time i love my 250f and cant exactly see giving it up totally for one of these.
i do not like electric bikes, because it will be the end for most mechanics and engine performance companies. i am traning to be a mechanic and i am dreding the day when they arrive.
Its crap. This green garbage is fostered by politicians seeking a power grab and hack scientists scrapping for their next grant.
This bike has no benefits. Constant torque...crap. 40 minutes of riding...crap. To the one who said "Anyone who doesn't understand the benifets of this bike is not too bright." You obviously don't know what benefits are. Why are tracks closing due to noise...morons like you and the bark-humping whacko enviro-nazis, and politicians that complain about "noise" pollution (like there is such a thing) or my favorite...dust pollution in the freaking desert southwest.
To the dipstick that talked about his bike using petroleum products and funding terror...in the USA we can blame that on the moron greenies that block drilling/refineries here. These idiots are forcing our money to the middle east...morons.
There is not global warming (now climate change, since global warming is proving to be BS) dummies, well outside of the four seasons. So though I ride KTMs exclusively...KEEP YOUR ORANGE SPARKY BIKE in EUROPE!
I really enjoy reading the articles on this blog. I'll bookmark this so I can read more later.
I really enjoy reading the articles on this blog. I'll bookmark this so I can read more later.