2025 KTM Freeride E

[Beagle]

Barely an update in 10 years, let's see if KTM are becoming more serious about this. For the record, the current "2nd generation" freeride specsheet is 24 hp, 3.9 kW, 111 kg, 13 000 €

I'd be very surprised if it's even remotely close to the Varg performance but I'd love to be wrong.

Official launch on October 17th.

 

[Erwin P]

It's still a Freeride so will use the Freeride frame. Wich is a trails/beginner bike.
Nothing wrong with that, but not in Stark Varg range.

 

[Beagle]

It's still a Freeride so will use the Freeride frame. Wich is a trails/beginner bike.
Nothing wrong with that, but not in Stark Varg range.

You're right, they're not competing for the same market, they're probably not aiming for 80 hp.
At least we'll see how much they increase the battery capacity, should be pretty easy given improvement by suppliers. Also watching overall weight and price, now that the Varg alpha is at 12 000 €.

A road homologated Freeride, a little heavier, less power than the Varg (but more than current Freeride) with more range could be a great trail bike, if priced right.

 

[Erwin P]

Weight won't come down i guess since you'll be in the (roughly) same frame and ride components. Might loose a few kg's, but that's about it. Having 80, 60 or evn 40 hp in that bike would be a dissaster. Ridden the Freeride E and 350 4T. Both are great for exploring and rock crawling, but even at their current hp (30 for the 350 4T) it's a bit so-so when you push it.
Battery will stay the same size i guess, but as you said tech improved so it might have more charge.

But it was KTM to push the FIM against E racing so i wouldn't get my hopes up on them doing big on E all of a sudden, if you invested big on E you wouldn't be pressuring to keep it out as that backfires when you release something.

 

[Beagle]

Weight won't come down i guess since you'll be in the (roughly) same frame and ride components. Might loose a few kg's, but that's about it. Having 80, 60 or evn 40 hp in that bike would be a dissaster. Ridden the Freeride E and 350 4T. Both are great for exploring and rock crawling, but even at their current hp (30 for the 350 4T) it's a bit so-so when you push it.
Battery will stay the same size i guess, but as you said tech improved so it might have more charge.

But it was KTM to push the FIM against E racing so i wouldn't get my hopes up on them doing big on E all of a sudden, if you invested big on E you wouldn't be pressuring to keep it out as that backfires when you release something.

Thanks for your insight.
Regarding KTM (and Honda and others), maybe they're just stalling it until they get ready for E racing, like MXEP starting in 2026?

 

[Erwin P]

Might be true, but comming out and ''convincing'' racing organisations in multiple country's the bikes are dangerous might not be in your best interest when releasing one in the upcomming years. Image telling everyone some restaurant is terrible and some time later trying to convince everyone to go there.

As far as i known no of the other brands were so hostile.

 

[Beagle]

They're maybe lobbying that it's dangerous to race E against ICE (which is obviously BS since it wasn't dangerous to race the Alta or the Freeride in AMA Endurocross and FIM superenduro, and also dozens of countries are allowing the Varg to race).

They won't necessarily need to change their tune when they release their own e bike, they know separate e class makes no sense when there's only one manufacturer, which is why Stark is against it. But whenever they join the fun they could be happy to race their ICE and e bikes in separated dedicated series or classes, catering to different crowds with different bikes.

Ironically it would have the unintended consequence to kill ICE racing faster whenever electrics become faster (be it 5 or 10 or 15 years from now). Separate class means no adjustment of the rules to benefit ICE, no artificially holding back the electric performance, pro riders won't stick too long in the "second fastest class", especially when their manufacturer races electrics as well. ICE will stick around for amateurs and the like, also remain popular for some "show" disciplines for a spectator point of view, but the top athletes will always go for the fastest bikes, maybe they'll miss the noise but they'd rather be the fastest guy out there.

 

[UKLee]

We have a 2020 freeride E-XC electric it is not a lot slower around our quite tight track compared with our stark but it has been a hell of a lot more reliable, I would not buy a modern ktm ice bike but only had one problem with the freeride which was the loom where it goes around the headstock, seems one thing after another with the stark.

 

[Philip]

Regarding KTM (and Honda and others), maybe they're just stalling it until they get ready for E racing

They are stalling it, exactly. There is no good reason why a Freeride-E can't have a normal MX frame and suspension, so the reason why KTM makes it not raceable is so that guys like us do not upgrade it to a higher voltage and go racing it with bigger bikes.

 

[Theo]

Years ago, when I wished there was an electric motocross bike which wasn't an Alta (I didn't want to buy a Redshift despite liking it because the manufacturer didn't exist anymore and it was hard to find it in my country) I considered the Freeride.
This guy posted some videos in which he utilized it for motocross:

and I thought that doing something similar would have meant to spend a lot of money on the bike and on parts to end up with a bike having questionable safety and disappointing performance.
It surely seems to me like a nimble bike suitable to have fun on trails or in some small private track without annoying the others with a lot of noise, but the price is really high.

 

[Erwin P]

They are stalling it, exactly. There is no good reason why a Freeride-E can't have a normal MX frame and suspension, so the reason why KTM makes it not raceable is so that guys like us do not upgrade it to a higher voltage and go racing it with bigger bikes.

Yeah for MX it just needs another frame, better suspension, a stronger motor and a bigger battery. Maybe they can reuse the valve caps..

 

[UKLee]

Yeah for MX it just needs another frame, better suspension, a stronger motor and a bigger battery. Maybe they can reuse the valve caps..

Depends how you look at it, No it is not the bike for full on mx races. We had ours mainly for the kids to run around the small track we have right behind our house close to other houses which would not be possible on ICE bikes due to noise, bought the kids riding on no end and no need to load a van drive to a track and pay to race or practice. We have taken it to some lower level MX practice days and done lap times only a second or 2 slower per lap than they have on there full on mx bikes.