Electric off-road motorcycles could be the solution to saving the sport, as more and more off-road recreational parks are forced to close due to noise complaints from nearby residential areas. Electric off-road bikes are also a lot of fun, as they tend to be lighter and cheaper than their gasoline-powered counterparts. As such, it’s no surprise that bikes like the Sur-Ron Lightbee have become quite popular.
There’s a new element on the electric off-road bike scene and, like other models we’ve seen in the past, it combines the best of both worlds of mountain biking and motocross. It’s called the Rawrr Mantis and it offers a surprising amount of technology and performance, especially considering its price.
Rawrr chose Caleb Tennant, six-time South African Motocross champion, to test the Mantis. Judging by the POV footage of Tennant riding, it’s clear that this bike is a competent machine in the right hands. Rawrr assures us that the Mantis has been tested for more than 20,000 kilometers and jumped more than 50,000 times.
As far as performance is concerned, the Rawrr Mantis has a mid-mounted electric motor that drives the rear wheels via a chain. It produces 7.5 kilowatts, which equates to around 10 hp of power, and an impressive 50 Nm of torque. Given its relatively low weight of just 75 kg, it’s sure to be a real success off-road. The battery consists of a 2.6 kilowatt-hour unit that weighs 15 kg. It is removable and can be changed for longer sessions on the track or trails. Rawrr claims a range of 75 km on a single charge.
The Rawrr Mantis gets a unique aluminum frame that is largely responsible for its tall, athletic stance. The bike’s seat height is 850 millimeters, which is quite high for an electric bike in this class. However, it has all the off-road-ready geometry you could ask for, with 200 millimeters of suspension travel and an impressive 310 millimeters of ground clearance. Other technological features of the Mantis include driving modes, connectivity with smartphones and the ability to adjust settings via a mobile app