When are the electric MX bikes coming?

Rooster
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2/13/2021 3:10pm
gt80rider wrote:
Lots of ways to cheat.... higher voltage (u can use a normal pack with a transformer).... adding a shit load of timing.... crazy magnets.... But even...
Lots of ways to cheat.... higher voltage (u can use a normal pack with a transformer).... adding a shit load of timing.... crazy magnets....

But even a rather timid motor and esc combo should easily be able to overpower the tires we use.... the upside to electric is the raw power... but... the downside is how wonky that power is delivered.... electric motors make max torque at zero rpm.... how easy do u think a high powered electric set up is to ride off the gate??? Hehehhe
You can't tune a CR500 with a spreadsheet the way you can an electric motor. It's just infinitely more tunable.
BAMX
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2/13/2021 3:19pm
When batteries get way better or the government outlaws gas engines. For someone like me who does track and offroad, limited battery life is the deal killer.
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Hcallz5
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2/13/2021 3:42pm
Electric will be more expensive and less profit margin for makers like KTM. The Freeride E looks promising though. Hopefully the biggest bonus of electric bikes will be availability for more tracks/trails around for people to go ride. If that's the case I'm all for it! Hate having to drive an hour just to find somewhere to ride, especially in a big open state like Utah.

I better buy up some old 2 and 4 strokes before they're extinct. Silly

The Shop

EngIceDave
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Merritt Island, FL US
2/13/2021 4:06pm
gt80rider wrote:
Lots of ways to cheat.... higher voltage (u can use a normal pack with a transformer).... adding a shit load of timing.... crazy magnets.... But even...
Lots of ways to cheat.... higher voltage (u can use a normal pack with a transformer).... adding a shit load of timing.... crazy magnets....

But even a rather timid motor and esc combo should easily be able to overpower the tires we use.... the upside to electric is the raw power... but... the downside is how wonky that power is delivered.... electric motors make max torque at zero rpm.... how easy do u think a high powered electric set up is to ride off the gate??? Hehehhe
Rooster wrote:
You can't tune a CR500 with a spreadsheet the way you can an electric motor. It's just infinitely more tunable.
But how do you hide it?

That's the cheating part....like running an overbore

How do you "overbore" an electric motor and make it undetectable.

How will people cheat? You know they will
RDnutz
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Dolores, CO US
2/13/2021 4:16pm
It's all about the Benjamins- and gov't regulations. Full acceptance of EMXRs won't happen until Factories and dealers figure out a superior business case to profit off parts, repairs and accessories. Same as with modern 4 strokes: they were a novelty even when bans on 2 stroke engines for watercraft (water pollution), weed wackers (urban noise pollution) and exhaust DB restrictions were increasing by gov't decrees. Only after the higher profit service/repair aspect and shorter useful life before replacement became obvious profit enhancers did factories get behind the movement and 2-strokes became the Donald Trumps of the moto universe.
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Alan Dove
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2/13/2021 4:37pm
So in karting they tried to revive Bercy with electric karts. Happened once... never happened again.

https://youtu.be/OjhsRfgAsfo?t=174

Electric racing from a spectator viewpoint at least has a long way to go.
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sandtrack315
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Philadelphia, PA US
2/13/2021 5:46pm Edited Date/Time 2/13/2021 5:46pm
The people on here who claim they will leave the sport just expose that they don’t really love the sport.

I’m all for progress, especially no more air filters or oil changes.

It’s simple, Electric will take over when the bikes are as light (or handle as well) and put out as much power for an hour, and can charge in 15.

Not sure if lithium will get us there, but battery tech is going to be developed at a rapid pace over the next 10 years, so I’d not be surprised if you can buy an electric MX bike from the Japanese in 10 years.
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Holigan
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2/13/2021 6:22pm
Every automobile and motorcycle manufacturer is working on electric. Did you see all the electric car ads during the Superbowl? The OEMs see it as the only future due to the crazies running the government at the National, State and International level. We don't get to decide, they are making the OEMs change.

Also a stock valuation reason. Tesla worth more than six car manufacturers

I own an Alta. It is an amazing motorcycle.
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FLmxer
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989th
2/14/2021 7:10am Edited Date/Time 2/14/2021 7:16am
Also kids are into EV everything now and actually they don't want to have to work on them, where we loved it. Sure there are exceptions.. Google, Instagram and Twitter and fits fixes everything now. Most can't change a car flat these days when evey middleschool girl could in the nineties. I love the smell and sound of gas burning. I have a nice house but spend 99 percent in the garage where most people who visit can't take the fuel smell that I love. It's the age of complainers so more people feel entitled to shut you down if they want and will. I showed a group of kids how to use the charcoal grill they had at their rental ages 17 to 26. They all pulled out there note taking material or filmed.I said easy huh? Looking like deer in headlights they said no way are any of them doing that. I laughed and said Doesnt Google tell you that even CAVEMEN MADE FIRE. It will be maintenance free electric everything soon. I only want it so I can build a giant track at my property but I will always have gas powered too. It's a new age if you didn't notice. The majority of my stock profits comes from EV companies. That is a sure sign of the future.
nickm
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CA
2/14/2021 7:56am Edited Date/Time 2/14/2021 7:57am
Hcallz5 wrote:
Electric will be more expensive and less profit margin for makers like KTM. The Freeride E looks promising though. Hopefully the biggest bonus of electric bikes...
Electric will be more expensive and less profit margin for makers like KTM. The Freeride E looks promising though. Hopefully the biggest bonus of electric bikes will be availability for more tracks/trails around for people to go ride. If that's the case I'm all for it! Hate having to drive an hour just to find somewhere to ride, especially in a big open state like Utah.

I better buy up some old 2 and 4 strokes before they're extinct. Silly
I think the business model changes, sure it doesn't make sense when comparing vs. gas engines, but think of engine repair business disappearing but software business taking over. There is nothing stopping makers from building a single electric motorcycle and sell just about any power delivery software they can dream up, that one bike can have a 250 map or a 450 map....or, evermore interesting a 500 2 stroke map, 125 map etc .

Single bike can be made to feel like anything you want given the right software.

Tesla is a bit of a novelty that has taken off, but take a look at how actual motor head vehicles like the Audi e-tron GT and Taycan are coming to market with adjustable "engine" sounds, adjustable power delivery and same models with different software design to make the vehicle feel different / make it faster etc.
kNewc
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IN US
2/15/2021 12:38pm
Long live BRAAAAAAP!!!!

SX/MX is going to suck as a spectator without the sound/smell.

casper wrote:
I TOTALLY agree with this that electric racing will be boring. Can you imagine the start of a moto, waiting for the gate to drop, and...
I TOTALLY agree with this that electric racing will be boring. Can you imagine the start of a moto, waiting for the gate to drop, and it's completely quiet? Then they take off and it sounds like an RC car race...
Have you guys ever seen the F1 electric races? They are far from soundless, pretty badass really.
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Alan Dove
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GB
2/15/2021 1:13pm
kNewc wrote:
Have you guys ever seen the F1 electric races? They are far from soundless, pretty badass really.
You mean Formula E.
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Markus422
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Seattle, WA US
2/15/2021 1:20pm Edited Date/Time 2/15/2021 1:22pm
An interview with Davey Coombs always sticks out in my mind on this topic. I cannot remember which interview it was but I believe he said something to the effect of Alta's mistake being trying to build a brick wall from the top down, meaning starting with the big bike first. I don't believe the majority of dirt bike consumer right now at 30+ years old who grew up on two strokes will ever take an electric bike with no gears or clutch as a "real bike" regardless of it being superior to gas powered or not, if you don't believe check some of the posts in this thread with people basically saying they wouldn't ride one if it was an objectively better bike. Kids that grew up on electric 50s will would obviously be a much more realistic market for these bikes, but that's obviously a ways off. Hopefully KTM or whoever continues to develop and release bigger and bigger Ebikes as the current generation grows up. Wish I could find the interview.. :/
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Excaliburbmx
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Indianapolis, IN US
2/15/2021 1:25pm
I think the wrong angle is being looked at. Instead of E bikes replacing ice bikes the would be an option to them.
The thought that they will come in and just replace them is flawed thinking.
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8500rpm
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SE
2/15/2021 1:50pm
I had a KTM freeride E. Sold now.

It's a great fun plaything in the woods, fun. You can even practice in you back yard. The battery on the new version lasts well for 2h riding in the woods, but never more than 45min on mx track. So question becomes, do you buy a second battery for what, 3000 euros/dollars? I didn't and mainly due to geometry of frame not working for Motocross (but fun on trails) and suspension is not even close to what is needed.

In summary, e bikes are coming, but too expensive and too much lacking still, but I guess in 5-10years many of us will buy e mx bikes.

For me the Ktm was a fantastic plaything butnot a mx bike.

If the big 4 would release an e version on same frame, suspension at same cost as current and I could ride 3*30min on one battery then I'm a customer immeadetely.

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