Electric off-roaders could be the saving grace of the sport, as more and more off-road recreational parks are forced closed due to noise complaints from nearby residential areas. Electric dirtbikes are also tons 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 pretty popular.
There’s a new player in the electric dirtbike scene, and similar to other models we’ve seen in the past, it sort of combines the best of both worlds from mountain biking and motocross. It’s called the Rawrr Mantis, and it offers a surprising amount of technology and performance, especially given its price point. According to the brand’s official website, it retails for just $4,999 in the US, and it looks like its gone through quite a lot of off-road testing.
Rawrr has topped none other than Caleb Tennant, six-time South African Motocross Champion to run the Mantis through its paces. Judging from the POV footage of Tennant’s riding, it’s clear that this thing is a capable machine in the right hands. Rawrr ascertains that the Mantis has been tested for more than 20,000 kilometers, and jumped more than 50,000 times.
When it comes to performance, the Rawrr Mantis is rocking a mid-mounted electric motor that drives the rear wheels via chain. It pumps out 7.5 kilowatts, which is equivalent to about 10 horsepower, and an impressive 35 pound-feet (50 Newton-meters) of torque. Considering its relatively low weight of just 75 kilograms, it’s sure to be quite the riot off-road. The battery consists of a 2.6-kilowatt-hour unit that weighs in at 15 kilograms. It’s removable, and can be swapped out for longer sessions on the track or trails. Rawrr claims a range of 75 miles on a single charge.
The Rawrr Mantis gets a unique aluminum frame that’s largely responsible for its tall and athletic stance. The bike’s seat height is 850 millimeters, which is pretty tall for an electric motorbike of this class. Nevertheless, 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 tech features on the Mantis include for ride modes, smartphone connectivity, and the ability to adjust settings via a mobile app.
