KTM has been promising an electric off-road bike for ages. It’s been in
development in Austria, but KTM now claims that it’s actually almost
ready. They’ve even got some numbers to go with their claim.
The Freeride E is theoretically prepared to handle the most demanding
off-road use, says KTM. Extra batteries are available upon request (not
getting stuck in the middle of nowhere is always a plus). The batteries
– as well as the drive unit, with its electric motor and also the rest of the power electronics – are also supposed to be totally water- and dust-proof.
The bike’s rated power output is 7.4 kW, with peak performance of up to 22 kW.
It’s got 31 ft-lbs of torque, and charge time for the lithium ion batteries is
approximately thirty minutes. The batteries will then proceed to last all of
about an hour of off-road riding, but at least they’ll charge quickly again.
It should also be noted that the Freeride E is a master of silent off-roading,
which is good if you want to not aggravate the local residents with a lot of
noise. There’s also the whole zero emission thing, which is (I think everyone
can agree) pretty awesome.
The first bikes are already complete, but nobody can actually buy them yet.
There’s a process going on involving several hundred of the bikes and strenuous
testing at the KTM facility. (If you live in the general area, by the way,
they have been recruiting test drivers since June.) When they’re satisfied that
everything works properly (the plan is 2013), the bike will go on sale. It will
not, however, be street-legal.
Rest assured, the street version is coming – in 2014.
Source: Gas2.0
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