It’s no surprise to anyone that electric motorcycles have arrived and are here to stay. As well as reshaping the city mobility landscape, it turns out that electric motorcycles are also very good for off-road use. For one thing, they have a lot of torque. What’s more, they’re quiet, so they don’t make noise in residential areas. They are also less likely to cause fires, as there are no flames coming out of the exhaust.
In recent years, a wide selection of electric off-road motorcycles has appeared, and at this year’s EICMA, Chinese manufacturer QJ Motor launched not one, but two electric off-road motorcycles. Both bikes are lightweight off-road-specific motorcycles that are intended to offer a captivating ride on off-road terrain. The first is the oddly named OWO, an electric off-roader that takes clear inspiration from gasoline-powered enduro machines. It features an angular fairing and simple lines, all wrapped up in a color that will make you wonder if what you’re looking at is a Husqvarna.
In terms of performance, the QJ Motor OWO is equipped with an engine that delivers five kilowatts of power, or around 6.7 hp. It’s important to note, however, that electric motors have instant torque available from the moment you accelerate, so my guess is that the OWO will be much more powerful than the spec sheet suggests. In fact, QJ Motor claims that it has a top speed of 100 km/h.
As for the battery, it’s equipped with a 72-volt, 60 amp-hour battery that should provide several hours of off-road fun. At the front, the bike has an inverted fork suspension and, at the rear, a monoshock with preload adjustment. The bike has a traditional enduro configuration with a combination of 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels. The front and rear disc brakes are also sufficient for braking. Seat height measures 895 millimeters (35.2 inches), while a respectable ground clearance of 566 mm (22.2 inches) is provided. Overall, the OWO weighs 135 kilograms.
Meanwhile, for those looking for a much less serious machine for some off-road fun, QJ Motor has also presented the Q2. Similar to the Cake Kalk, the Q2 is a mix between a dirt bike and a mountain bike, with a much more similar geometry to its pedal-powered counterparts. An air-cooled electric motor with 3,000 watts (about four horsepower) is mounted in the center of the frame. According to QJ Motor, the bike has a top speed of 45 km/h, so yes, it performs more like an e-bike than an electric motorcycle.
A 60-volt, 32 ampere-hour battery supplies the power to the motor, promising a range of around 120 km on a single charge. As for components, the bike has 19-inch wheels at the front and rear and is equipped with a standard telescopic fork at the front and a link-type monoshock at the rear. Braking power comes from a set of hydraulic disc brakes, while a more accessible seat height of 815 mm (32 inches) means that this bike can easily be ridden by shorter people. Best of all, it weighs just 66 kg.