Early in 2017 KTM announced a bold plan to step it the emerging Electric Motorcycle market, but there was a twist. They would import less than 100 bikes into the US and only 11 dealers would have the units available for purchase. Roughly one in each region of the country. That’s where we at Edelmann's come in!
Upon first glance there are a few things immediately noticeable. The electric motor is in the same chassis as KTM’s Freeride 250R, which is a cross over of sorts, between an enduro bike and a trials bike. Although it does have a 21 inch front and 18 inch rear wheel, the seat height and wheel base are shorter than a true enduro bike (Seat height 36 inches and a wheelbase of 56 inches). The second thing everyone notices is that both levers on the handle bars are brakes! Front brake on the right as it should be, and rear brake on the left. That’s right, hand brakes no foot brake! And finally, no shifter. This all adds up to create an interesting riding experience.
With help from NETRA’s fastest electrician, Jim Senecal, we had a 220V outlet installed at the dealership, so we could charge the batteries. The 2017 comes with the charger but you must use a 220V outlet similar to that of a household appliance like your clothes dryer. It takes less than an hour to fully charge the battery. In our experience, you could get well over an hours ride time out of a charge just play riding, but there are many variables that will affect this (more on this later). The multifunction display informs you of the current charge state of the battery pack with a light display. Changing from green, to orange, to red, and then flashing red when the battery is on it's last legs.
Riding the bike, the most noticeable difference between the electric motor and your gasser is that it's quiet. Really quiet! You can hear things you’ve never heard before while riding: the chain and sprockets meshing together, slapping on the chain guide. Sticks, rocks, mud hitting the fenders
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KTM FreeRide E-XC