Electric dirt bikes have reached the point where “quiet” no longer has to mean “slow.” Bonnell is the latest company to make that argument, launching the new 805 RX as the first model in its e-Moto lineup.
And while the 805 RX is being positioned as a mid-size electric dirt bike, the numbers suggest that “mid-size” should not be confused with “mild.” The Austin, Texas-based company says the 805 RX produces 56 horsepower (42 kW), sends a claimed 594 lb-ft (805 Nm) of torque to the rear wheel, weighs 218 pounds (99 kg), and can exceed 80 mph (130 km/h). That is a fairly serious collection of numbers for something you can point at a trail and make disappear into the trees without waking up the entire county.
Before we look at details, here’s the spec list for the new 805 RX:
- Designed in Austin, Texas by pro-level riders, assembled in Taiwan
- US$8,250 starting price
- 56 hp (42 kW)
- 594 lb-ft (805 Nm)
- 3.9-kWh swappable battery
- 1,500-W charger (about 2 hours to recharge)
- Sirris F43 forks / R46 shock w/ 9.6 in (245 mm) travel front/rear
- 53-inch (1,346-mm) wheelbase
- 21 inch front, 18 inch rear wheels with Kenda K7101/101F tires
- 35-inch (895-mm) seat height
- Dual-pot forged brakes (front/rear)
- Forged aluminum frame
- 218-pound (99-kg) total bike weight
Bonnell isn’t treating the 805 RX as an electric motorcycle with a battery bolted into an otherwise conventional dirt-bike recipe. The company says it developed the motor, battery, chassis, suspension, controls and software as a single integrated system.
Those familiar with the e-bike arena will be familiar with EBMX, one of the most well-known parts replacement and conversion houses for electric bikes and motorcycles. One of its founders, Matthew Wauters, is also the founder and CEO of Bonnell. The company’s lead engineer is Cedric Heinrich, another well-known name in electrified motorsports.
Bonnell
The enthusiast’s approach Bonnell’s team uses matters because electric motorcycles have an annoying tendency to make power delivery either spectacularly good or spectacularly stupid. Instant torque is wonderful right up until the rear tire decides to go left instead of forward.
Bonnell’s answer is its Pulse Control System. This comprises five customizable ride modes for the 805 RX, plus reverse, allowing riders to adjust characteristics including power delivery, traction control and regenerative braking. The bike also has a programmable control system that can provide functions such as boost, wheel-lift assistance, speed limiting and what Bonnell calls E-Clutch functionality (more on that later). There are three display layouts and a lap timer as well.
In other words, this isn’t just a throttle connected to an electric motor. Bonnell appears to be treating software as another part of the motorcycle’s suspension system and something that can be adjusted to suit the rider’s preferences, skill, and terrain.
The 805 RX is built with a forged aluminum frame, forged and hydroformed swingarm and removable aluminum subframe. It uses a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear, with 9.6 inches (245 mm) of suspension travel at both ends. That suspension comes from Sirris, a fast-growing name in e-moto circles, with purpose-built closed-cartridge forks and a matching rear shock offering adjustable compression, rebound and preload. Bonnell also fits its own dual-pot forged brakes with 240-mm front and 220-mm rear rotors.
The result is a motorcycle that looks considerably more like a conventional competition dirt bike than some of the smaller electric machines that have appeared in recent years. That is deliberate.
Bonnell says the 805 RX was designed around adult-sized ergonomics, with adjustable footpeg and handlebar positions. The seat sits at 35 inches, while the wheelbase measures 53 inches. The idea is to give riders something that feels like a proper dirt bike rather than a glorified electric bicycle with delusions of grandeur. It’s intended to be suitable for everyone from novice trail riders to expert racers through its high level of adjustability and customization via the included app.
The standard 805 RX uses a 3.9-kWh Core Battery. Bonnell also lists a 4.7-kWh Race Battery as an upcoming option. The standard battery should get most users around three hours of trail riding. Pushing it into hard motocross-style shenanigans will knock that time down considerably, of course.
The battery can be removed from beneath the seat, which means riders don’t necessarily have to park the entire motorcycle beside an electrical outlet and hope the extension cord is long enough. It also gives the option of bringing more batteries to the ride to quickly swap out at a home base or charging location.
Bonnell says the battery can be swapped in roughly 30 seconds. The company also says the platform is designed to accommodate future battery technology, potentially allowing newer packs to be used with the existing motorcycle.
Bonnell
That is arguably more significant than the headline horsepower number.
Charging infrastructure in the middle of nowhere remains somewhat disappointing, unless your definition of “infrastructure” includes a generator, a very long extension cord and a willingness to explain the situation to confused campers. A removable battery gives electric off-road motorcycles a much more practical way around that problem.
Bonnell also uses a belt drive as standard equipment for quieter, lower-maintenance operation, with an optional 520 chain conversion available for riders who prefer a more traditional setup.
The 805 RX’s claimed 56 hp may not sound enormous compared with a high-performance gasoline motorcycle, but the 218-pound curb weight changes the equation. Bonnell claims more than 80 mph at the top end, while the enormous rear-wheel torque figure promises the sort of low-speed shove that makes technical riding interesting.
And that’s where electric motorcycles can be genuinely entertaining. There is no clutch to manage, no transmission to shift and no waiting for an engine to climb into its powerband. The motor can deliver its output immediately, while the software determines how much of that output actually reaches the tire.
For an experienced rider, that could mean a remarkably controllable motorcycle. For an inexperienced rider, it could mean a remarkably effective way to avoid discovering that trees are harder than they look.
Bonnell’s emphasis on configurable ride modes is therefore more than a technological flex. It is an attempt to make a 56-hp electric dirt bike usable by a broader range of riders. Bonnell’s approach to the E-Clutch is a part of that. Rather than just controlling throttle response, as most of these systems do on electric bikes, Bonnell’s clutch actually ramps phase amps directly, creating a more natural clutch-like feel, the company’s CEO says.
Bonnell
Bonnell isn’t the first to come to the electric off-road motorcycle arena, but its strategy is to differentiate itself through integration, adjustability and relatively low weight rather than simply trying to win the horsepower spreadsheet. Where companies such as Zero and Stark have pushed hard to gain high output numbers in order to win sales, Bonnell hopes to win them by building e-bikes that appeal to riders and enthusiasts at a more visceral level.
The 805 RX is also only the beginning. Bonnell has previously shown the larger 902, which is expected to become the more powerful flagship of the company’s e-Moto range. That makes the 805 particularly important. It isn’t merely a standalone electric dirt bike; it’s the opening move in what Bonnell hopes will become a broader motorcycle lineup.
Bonnell isn’t trying to sell the 805 RX as an exotic science experiment for people who already have three motorcycles in the garage. It’s attempting to make a genuinely usable electric dirt bike that happens to be fast, light and highly configurable.
Professional racers on prototypes (and now production models) of the 805 RX are proving the bike’s ability to withstand competitive pressure.
The internal-combustion dirt bike isn’t dead. Not remotely. But the electric dirt bike is increasingly looking less like its weird little cousin and more like a legitimate alternative. And that is probably the most interesting thing about Bonnell’s new 805 RX.
Source: Bonnell
