Would You Ride An Electric Yamaha YZ Dirtbike?

Electric motorcycles have done quite a lot to change the mobility landscape in many parts of the world. However, their impact goes beyond mere utility and practicality. Recent years have ushered in numerous electric off-road motorcycles that cater specifically to the enthusiast market. These bikes prove that there’s tons of fun to be had in the world of e-motos.

Apart, of course, from the ready-made electric dirtbikes we’ve come to know in the market, there are also folks who prefer to leverage existing platforms and convert them into electric. Case in point: the YZ-EMX from Electro & Company. Designed as a bolt-on electric conversion kit for all 2018 and up Yamaha YZ-F dirtbikes, the YZ-EMX packs quite a lot of punch, promising similar levels of performance as a 450cc four-stroke gas bike.

Diving into the tech, the YZ-EMX gets a massive battery pack that’s housed where the gas engine used to be. The 5.7 kilowatt-hour battery pack is made out of lightweight aluminum, and sends power to a compact mid-mounted motor situated at the bottom of the frame. With 35 kilowatts of power, it’s equivalent to about 47 horsepower, except that it’s making this much power from a dead stop – imagine the instantaneous throttle response of a setup like this. Furthermore, the motor peaks out at 50 kilowatts, or about 67 horsepower.

Keeping all this performance at bay is a TruMoto Zapper controller, allowing users to easily understand and adjust the kit’s various settings. The controller works with easy-to-use iOS and Android apps, allowing you to access everything you need via your smartphone. Naturally, this setup makes it so much easier to tune the bike’s settings according to the terrain you’re riding on – be it on a spirited track day at your local MX track, or an adventurous ride through the woods.

Perhaps one of the coolest things about the YZ-EMX kit is the fact that it makes use of a tried and tested platform in the dirtbike world. The Yamaha YZ-F series is among the most popular dirtbikes on the market, and is acclaimed for being lightweight and nimble. E&C incorporates key design elements of the YZ-F into the styling of the conversion kit, such as 5052 and 6061 ladder frame mounts for optimum rigidity and flex, as well as keeping the entire setup lightweight. According to the company, the entire build tips the scales at just 242 pounds, exactly the same as the gas-powered Yamaha YZ450F. Furthermore, E&C says that the bike has a near-50-50 weight distribution of 47 percent up front and 53 percent at the rear.

Buying E&C’s YZ-EMX kit is supposed to be a straightforward, bolt-on install, as all the brackets, mounts, and hardware required to achieve a perfect fit are included in the package. Of course, if you’re new to wrenching on bikes, you’re going to want to have this installed by a professional. It carries a sticker price of $4,999, but it’s important to note that you need to have your own YZ ready for transplant. The kit is expected to be made available by mid December, and start shipping out by January 2024.