Electric off-road motorcycles are fun. They are powerful, agile, easy to maintain, and best of all, silent.
That’s why I’ve been paying attention to companies like Dust, which is launching over 100 vacancies for its next electric off-road motorcycle.
I say “launching” because Dust is small and doesn’t have the manufacturing power of Triumph, Ducati, or Honda to support it. Few do. But the company has adopted the innovative approach of building its motorcycles and its business through crowdfunding, and it seems to be working, as the first 50 motorcycle subscriptions – paid monthly until you receive your motorcycle – were like hotcakes. And, according to the officials, there are more people wanting to join Bend, Oregon, as supporters of the company, as well as to experience its business model. Hence this launch.
The F100 campaign, which is what Dust calls this launch, will not only give supporters a 15% discount on the final price, but they will also receive “access to monthly member meetings, regular newsletters, and additional behind-the-scenes updates. When production is underway, they will also receive delivery of motorcycles from the first batch of production motorcycles with custom special finishes.” Dust also said that the company “has found significant success with member involvement in their design and development process, which has helped propel them to a validated Alpha_1 prototype.”
As for the motorcycle itself, Dust says it falls between a 125cc and a 250cc, but with the best attributes of both. That may also be true, as the company’s Alpha_1 prototype has already reached some selected hands, with virtually universal praise for the motorcycle. The specifications point to 91 kg, 35 horsepower, 406.7 Nm of torque, all from a replaceable 3.5 kW battery. Similarly, it will have a 20-inch wheel in the front and an 18-19 inch wheel in the back.
