🏍 Sur Ron’s Got Competition

Plus, thrilling new rides from Segway, Gogoro, Honda, Zero, and more.

Heads up: The first elimination round of the Riders’ Choice Awards is less than 1 week away on November 15th, at which point the bottom 30% of vote-getters will be cut. We have almost 2,000 contenders in nearly 100 categories to choose from. Vote now to ensure your favorite nominees advance to the next round.

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What You Need to Know Today

The electric trail bike maker Talaria, which began silently snatching away market share from Sur Ron a few years ago, just released its latest model, the Talaria Dragon, which expands beyond a mere recreational trail bike into full-fledged electric dirtbike territory. The bike (which comes in street-legal and off-road versions) has an impressive peak power rating of 28 kW (37.5 hp), a top speed of nearly 70 mph (110 km/h), and exceptional rear wheel torque at 630 Nm (464 lb-ft).

Meanwhile Chinese OEM Niu just announced the XQi3, a street legal electric dirtbike with off-road capabilities. Key features of the XQi3 include a peak power of 6000W (8000W with ultra boost), a range of 55 miles (90 kilometers), and a top speed of 75km/h (47mph) for off-road use or 45km/h (28mph) for on-road use.

Gogoro is working with Apple to incorporate some of the company’s features into its scooters, including keyless unlocking through Apple Wallet.

California-based electric moto-maker Zero Motorcycles unveiled its 2024 model line. Among others, the flagship lineup of the SR/F, SR/S, and DSR/X claim a peak power of 84kW to reach a top speed of 124 mph (200 kph).

German bike brand Roland Werk released an innovative new accessory called the Paxxter E, a motorized bike trailer. The Paxxter E propels itself with a 250W electric motor so it feels like you’re pulling nothing at all.

Legacy motorcycle maker Royal Enfield just teased an off-road-focused adventure machine called the Electric Himalayan Test Bed.

Segway revealed their highly anticipated, ultra powerful new hybrid side-by-side, the Super Villain, with 330 hp.

Forget folders. This ebike from the U.K. has a sliding frame design that allows you to slide the drivetrain, rear wheel, seatpost and saddle backwards and forwards along the central beam as a single unit, and lock it in position.

Nakamura is out with a new electric gravel bike that includes Shimano GRX components and a mid-drive motor with 80 Nm of torque. The bike claims a range of 62 miles 9100 km) and weighs in at 129.5 kg (43 lbs).

Honda’s new concept e-MTB made its debut recently at the Japan Mobility Show. It’s a downhill electric dirt bike with full suspension, a SRAM Eagle AXS drivetrain, and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.

Rumor has it that Shimano might be developing a lighter, more compact ebike system for road and gravel.

Chinese brand Fiido’s new fat tire ebike, the Titan, carries three batteries, giving it an insane claimed range of up to 400 km (250 miles). The bike reaches a top speed of 28 mph (45 kph) and can carry up 200 kg (441 lbs).

On the latest episode of the podcast, James talks with Jason and Camila Iftakhar of Swifty Scooters (aka the winners of the Startup Awards at Micromobility America 2023) about the brand new the G500, a big-wheeled electric scooter that incorporates LFP batteries, which are known for their safety and long lifespan.