We drove: KTM Freeride E-XC and Freeride E-SX
The story itself has a somewhat long beard as the project started in 2007 when a small electric motor company was tasked with creating an electric off-road motorcycle based on the EXC 250 enduro model. Over the past two years, a select group of riders have been able to compete with them in demonstration races and somehow prepare the public for electricity to become a thing of the present, and not some kind of fantasy in the world. the minds of mad scientists.
Anyone who has visited the fashionable ski resorts in Austria or Germany in the summer can already try the prototypes in the special KTM freeride parks. These parks, which are a kind of mini-motocross track, are also found in Finland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Don't ask me why this is not the case, for example, in Kranjska Gora, because there is no excuse that this is an environmentally harmful activity. No noise and no gas emissions from internal combustion.
On first contact with the test Freeride E-XC, that is, in the enduro version, it was really funny - only the drive (gear and chain drive) is heard, and then with shy zzzz, zzzzz, zzzz, zzzz, while accelerating. While riding, you can usually talk to a colleague on another KTM Freeride E or greet hikers and cyclists politely.
What I particularly like is that with the enduro version that is homologated as a 125cc motorcycle. See and with a capacity of 11 kilowatts, a teenager who has just passed a driving test of category A can be admitted to high school or gymnasium. in the afternoon, after a hard study, they take a few laps with the "photo" along the path they have made in the garden or somewhere in a popular mountain biking area. For asphalt lovers, the news that a supermoto version is coming soon with tires for better grip and a larger disc for better braking will also be welcome. Hmm, indoor supermoto in the middle of winter, ok, ok ...
The first question, of course, is how useful is the KTM Freeride E, how long does the battery last? We can write from personal experience that an hour and 45 minutes is not a very demanding enduro ride. To be more precise: the enduro track started in the city, continued along the gravel, then along the forest roads and trails came to the river, where, after driving through clear water, we headed to the ski resort, beautiful mountain slopes and filled with adrenaline for a grand finale while descending the bike path. It was not bad, it was really great and exceeded all expectations.
By the way, everyone who loves extreme tests can trust that it is possible with it under water, since the engine does not need air to work. We also tested the SX (motocross) version on a special circuit that most closely resembled an enduro cross test, and when the throttle lever was constantly tightened. The motorcycle is the same as for enduro, with the only difference that it does not have lighting equipment.
During the entire time of full pressing, the battery has life juice for about half an hour, then the charging follows, which takes a good hour, and the story can be repeated. The high quality suspension provided by the WP subsidiary is the same as the other two models in the Freeride family (Freeride-R 250 and Freeride 350). The frame is the same as the other two Freeride models, consisting of steel tubes, forged aluminum parts, and a sturdy plastic support frame for the seat and rear fender.
The brakes are not as powerful as in motocross or enduro models, but not bad. They fully cope with the task. Last but not least, the Freeride bikes are designed more for fun than serious competition, although you can still feel the 'ready to race' philosophy.
On the Freeride E, you can climb steep hills, jump pretty far and high, and, as extreme enduro rider Andy Lettenbichler showed us, also rock climb like a test bike. On the ride itself, aside from the instant torque and full power, something else impressed me: the Freeride E is a great learning tool for anyone new to off-road motorcycles, as well as helping the more experienced rider. . Crashing into the channel formed in the bend is real poetry. With excellent lightness and agility, it instantly sinks into the turn, then with a slightly tightened throttle lever and with the rear brake applied to the handlebars (like scooters), you accelerate sharply from the turn. . After a good 20 minutes of riding like this, you feel pleasantly tired and, above all, much more smiling than if you were sweating for an hour in a stuffy gym.
When I think I can make a mini motocross track or an endurocross track at home in the garden, I'm really impressed. No noise, no complaints from neighbors or environmentalists, bingo! Currently, the greatest potential for development is the heart, which is a sealed, narrow and small brushless electric motor capable of a maximum output of 16 kilowatts and 42 Nm of torque from 0 rpm and, of course, a 350-cell Samsung battery with power 2,6. kilowatt hours. It is also by far the most expensive component of the bike, expected to be around €3000, and is also the area that KTM is currently most aggressively pursuing to further improve price and battery life.
KTM offers a three-year warranty on a battery that retains its full capacity even when recharged 700 times. This is quite a lot of rides, in fact you have to be a professional who trains a lot if you want to spend all these expenses. Considering that the cost of charging is ridiculously low and that the motorcycle requires almost no maintenance costs compared to a conventional combustion engine enduro motorcycle. For example: 155 milliliters of oil goes into the transmission, and it needs to be changed every 50 hours, and that's it, there are no other costs.
text: Petr Kavchich
