Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Rieju is best known for its enduro and dual-sport models geared towards both beginners and seasoned riders alike. With more and more enduro manufacturers embracing electric, Rieju has gone all out with its newest creation called the EMR. In terms of sheer performance alone, the EMR outdoes even the bigger 450cc four-stroke machines.
Indeed, more and more electric enduros and dual-sports have been popping up left and right, most of which geared towards beginning riders, and configured somewhere between an electric mountain bike and a dirt bike. Rieju’s new E-MR is anything but a beginner-friendly machine, and while you won’t need to worry about fiddling with a clutch and gear shifter, its performance figures will surely give you a thrilling, if not harrowing ride. It packs an air-cooled, mid-mounted electric motor with a peak output of 60 kilowatts, or the equivalent of 81.6 horsepower.
As for other features, the E-MR utilizes a conventional enduro setup and is outfitted with 47-millimeter inverted front forks with 270 millimeters of travel and full adjustability. Out back, a linkage-type monoshock provides 121 millimeters of rear-wheel travel. The bike rolls on 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels with burly enduro tires. As for the brakes, it’s equipped with a pair of Nissin enduro-specific disc brakes.
Naturally, being electric, a bike like the E-MR will have two major disadvantages when compared to its gasoline-fueled counterparts. The first of which is weight. While a conventional 450cc dirt bike tips the scales at around 105 kilograms, the E-MR’s heavy battery means that it’s 120 kilograms. Granted, it makes up for this with more power, and having the battery positioned closer to the bottom of the bike for more stability.
The second disadvantage would be its range, which according to Rieju, is around 62 miles on a single charge. Indeed, not all motocross circuits—let alone trails—will have the infrastructure to charge your bike should you run out of juice, so you’ll need to plan your rides with just a tad more detail. That said, the E-MR’s battery takes just three hours to fully charge.
Nevertheless, bikes like the Rieju E-MR could very well spell the future of not just enduro and motocross, but for-sport motorcycling in general. As you probably know, many motorsports parks and circuits around Europe are facing the threat of closure due to noise complaints from nearby residential areas, not to mention the ever-growing awareness for environmental preservation. Indeed, the Rieju E-MR eliminates both of these issues, and allows enduro riders to enjoy their passion in silence and potentially with a smaller environmental footprint.
At this point, it’s worth noting that Rieju showcases the E-MR at EICMA in November 2022, but has yet to release any information about pricing or availability. Nevertheless, the bike looks like it’s pretty much ready to hit showrooms by tomorrow, so expect more information on the E-MR to drop at any moment.
