MUGEN AND HONDA have been racing their electrically powered road-racers at the TT with great success with five wins from the last five starts. But now the duo is teaming up again to take on the trails as they have announced two new dirt bikes.
Built around CRF frames and swing-arms, the machines are called the Mugen E.REX (pictured above) and Honda CR Proto (below). Although identical under the skin, both bikes are badged and styled differently, with the Mugen wearing wacky gills and wing-like flanks on the tail unit.
Both machines are suspended by trick looking, long-travel Showa front forks which, as they are likely to be identical to the CRF’s, will be 49mm items. The rear looks to be the same Showa mono-shock and pro-link setup also.
With new electric off-road machines seeming to arrive weekly, it seems we are only a few years away from seeing full electric motocross championships or e-bikes racing against their two and four-stroke opponents. The electric trials sector is already booming, with companies like Oset making bikes that can go toe-to-toe with the petrol-powered competition, while still being accessible and easy enough to ride for complete newbies.
They are also much easier to ride without pissing off the neighbours and make the prospect of an e-bike motocross track in a suburban area a very real and exciting possibility.
