KTM is at it again with their sporty off-road hotshots and in the form of an electric dirt bike this time! The KTM Freeride E-XC is one of a kind — one of the best electric dirt bikes to come out this year, created with a mix of extreme sports and absolute silence in mind. And it retails at just $8,299 USD.
KTM is Austria’s biggest petrol motorcycle manufacturer and yes, they make great petrol bikes using highly advanced engineering. But will the company’s electric bikes conform to the standard? Will their newest electric dirt bike be a market ground-breaker? Will it be as successful as its petrol-powered siblings? KTM has actually included features that’ll make it so. Read on to find out.
What Is the KTM Freeride E-XC Electric Dirt Bike?
The KTM Freeride E-XC is an upcoming electric dirt bike in KTM’s 2020 off-roader series, KTM’s first automatic dirt bike, and the third electric dirt bike KTM has made. The KTM electric dirt bike shares the same all-out stance with its petrol-powered sibling, the KTM EXC, but does so with zero emissions and zero noise. It is a good fit for extreme sports enthusiasts due to its aggressive styling and attitude. The KTM electric dirt bike is a solid, reliable, nimble and efficient bike built to bomb trails, downhills, and dust bowls at the cost of nothing but an electric bill.
Overview
Features
KTM’s Freeride E-XC electric dirt bike bears the same general look as its petrol-powered counterparts, except for a deleted exhaust and a narrowed down style more akin to electric-powered dirt bikes. One thing to note, electric-powered dirt bikes are narrowed down to account for less space occupied by its electronics and engine and to keep it lightweight.
It also features a 5/8 x 1/4″ drive chain for solid and stable off-road riding, a liquid-cooling system which is a rare feature among electric dirt bikes, a regenerative braking system for an additional range boost, and a tapered Neken high-strength aluminum handlebar built for enhanced ergonomics and control.
Be sure to deck out your KTM bike with matching handles with better texture for easier control at high speeds.
Display
The KTM electric dirt bike features a unique heads-up-display with a digital speedometer and warning and indicator lights. The display is also located in an easy-to-see part of the bike, just on the handlebar. This helps riders stay aware of the bike’s status without taking their eyes off the road, and therefore helping to promote safety. This is a commonly overlooked feature in many electric dirt bikes.
Frame
Freeride possesses a solid and flexible perimeter steel-aluminium composite frame along with a high-strength polyamide subframe. It also features a high-strength aluminum handlebar with a steering angle of 67° which enables riders to better overcome sharp turns.
Overall, the frame’s lightweight composite design, top-of-the-line quality chrome-moly steel frame and bolt-on forged aluminum subframe ensures exceptional durability and long-term reliability.
Transmission
This electric dirt bike runs on a 1-speed automatic drive transmission that further simplifies the motocross experience using a top-of-the-line drivetrain that guarantees higher power tractability and features three available power delivery modes.
These power delivery modes include: Economy for a longer travel range but weaker power, Enduro for a balanced power-range ratio, and Cross for an extreme all-out short-range power surge. This feature is useful for when you need to customize your ride experience.
Motor
The Freeride electric dirt bike uses a powerful permanent magnet synchronous brushless motor in a disc armature design unique to the KTM Freeride E-XC production line. This type of engine is well suited to competitive riding on winding dirt tracks with its 18kW (24.5 hp) power capacity and 31 ft lbs (42 Nm) of torque. This is on par with 250cc gas powered dirt bikes except it can reach its top speed faster.
The motor also features a liquid-cooled control unit built to maintain motor reliability during intense rides by detecting motor temperature and preventing overheating. This prevents motor and system malfunctions which otherwise are common in electric dirt bikes without liquid-cooling.
The motor is also hermetically sealed to protect it from water during wet rides. The motor runs even when fully submerged underwater.
Batteries
Feeding this waterproof electric system is an easily removable 260V Lithium-ion KTM PowerPack battery located under the bike’s “fuel tank.” We prefer this battery placement because it is easily accessible by just lifting the seat to connect the charger and plug.
The battery itself has 3.9 kWh of capacity. This is good for up to 45 minutes of full power riding, or 11.5 miles of travel. It does not compare to other high-end electric dirt bikes which have over 15 miles of travel on full power. But that’s okay because the largest dirt track—the Eldora speedway—is only half a mile long, not to mention the smaller ones.
Luckily, charging is straightforward. The battery comes complete with its own separate charger and charges by lifting the seat up and connecting the charger wire. It also charges by feeding on excess brake energy due to regenerative braking.
Brakes
This monster sports the latest Formula brake system that uses a radial 4-piston front caliper on a 260mm Wave brake disc along with a 2-piston rear caliper on a matching 230mm rear Wave brake disc. Both front and rear brake levers are situated on the handlebars due to its automatic transmission no longer requiring a clutch lever. This is a great addon because it makes dirt biking simpler.
The bike also features regenerative braking on eco mode. This helps further extend the bike’s range by feeding brake energy back into the battery. This is a very useful system during long rides where an extra battery level is needed. Expect to use the brakes a lot when going downhill for it will help.
Suspension
Ride enjoyment is upscaled with WP XPlor 43 forks, a set of 43mm inverted forks with 250mm of travel and a WP Xplor PDS rear shock absorber with 260mm of travel. WP is a well-known brand in the world of motorcycles. Covering sport bikes to dirt bikes to cruisers. The KTM electric bike’s suspension is reliable.
Tires & Wheels
Propelling this monster electric bike are high-end wheels made of anodized aluminum, Giant rims, and CNC machined hubs with lightweight aluminum spoke nipples. This combination proves highly stable and light. These are also featured in KTM’s gas-powered dirt bikes.
KTM Freeride E-XC Electric Dirt Bike Tech Specifications
The KTM Freeride E-XC is a great bike built with great enthusiasm. If you want to know the things that make up this awesome ride, here’s a breakdown of the Freeride E-XC’s main parts:
| Manufacturer Name | KTM AG |
| Model Name | Freeride E-XC |
| Model Year | 2020 |
| Motor Manufacturer | KTM AG |
| Motor Model | KTM Racing permanent magnet synchronous motor |
| Motor Power | 18kW (24.5 bhp) @ 4550 rpm |
| Motor Placement | Centrally placed |
| Controller | KTM custom developed controller |
| Power Pack | 260V Lithium power pack |
| Battery Capacity | 3900W |
| Battery Removal | Easy slide out |
| Range | 11.5 miles (On unrestricted full power mode) |
| Ride Mode | Off-road, Sport |
| Regenerative Braking | Yes |
| Throttle | Twist throttle |
| Gears | 1 gear |
| Top speed | 50 miles per hour |
| Weight | 92.5 kg |
| Materials | Perimeter steel-aluminum |
| Seat height | 910 mm |
| Suspension | 250 mm travel WP Xplor upside-down front260mm travel WP Xplor PDS rear |
| Display | Digital (Speedometer, warning and indicator lights) |
| Purpose | Dirt bike |
| Connectivity | N/A |
| Security | Key-operated ignition lock |
After-Sales Support
KTM is known for its high customer-priority and provides excellent customer service. They provide repair and tuning services as well as after-market upgrades and modifications for both motorcycles and electric bikes. They also offer extended warranties for buyers.
You can visit them at KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH, Betriebsgebiet Süd, Stallhofnerstraße 3, A-5230 Mattighofen in Austria. In the slim chance that you don’t live in Northern Austria, you can contact representatives at https://www.ktm.com/en/e-ride/freeride-e-xc/. KTM also has a large dealer network in 82 countries. You should be able to find one near you.
Where Can I Get One?
The best place to get the KTM Freeride E-XC is the KTM website. You can also drop in to one of KTM’s 10 main US dealerships to talk to sales staff.
KTM Freeride E-XC Electric Dirt Bike Videos
Here are a couple of videos of the bike in action! You be the judge on whether this is a cool bike or not.
KTM Freeride E-XC Electric Dirt Bike Choice Commentaries
Still not convinced of the KTM Freeride’s coolness? Here are choice commentaries gathered from people on the internet:
“I was grinning like a child in my helmet when riding the Freeride-E on the hilly trails around the Wildomar OHV area in southern California – and doing it in near silence. It rekindled the pure element of fun that is the whole reason most of us started riding motorbikes in the first place. It’s fast enough to thrill, capable enough to tackle gnarly terrain, and manageable enough to make even an old dude feel fully in control.“
-Kevin Duke (Motorcycle.com)
“You don’t realise just how much rear brake is used when off-roading, until there isn’t one. That’s what was going through my mind as I hurtled towards a fence out of control on the KTM Freeride E-SX, legs flailing, right foot reaching for the absent lever, with a little nugget of poo threatening to escape.“
-44Teeth (44teeth.com)
“If you ignore the engine area, the rest of the E-XC looks much like a regular, run-of-the-mill motocross machine. Full-on proper knobbies and off-road-tastic wire wheels play right into the look, as does the tripletree-mount mudguard that leaves plenty of room for the front wheel to pump. A compact flyscreen doubles as a housing for the recessed headlight, and the lack of turn signals and mirrors keeps the front end clean and the gear limited to the absolute essentials. In other words; not legal for use on public streets, not even almost. That’s OK though, ’cause this thing is completely at home once the blacktop turns to brown.“
-TJ Hinton (TopSpeed.com)
KTM Freeride E-XC Electric Dirt Bike Image Gallery
If you want to see more of the KTM electric bike, here are precompiled images of only the highest quality:
Also read: How Much Is a KTM Electric Dirt Bike?
