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[EliteMotorsports]

Here is the official KTM Press release

MURRIETA, Calif. – As the global high-performance electric motorcycle market continues to grow, KTM is pleased to announce the launch of a READY TO RACE pilot program in North America involving the KTM FREERIDE E-XC, an electric version of the already-familiar KTM FREERIDE 250R motorcycle.

Through this pilot program, the KTM FREERIDE E-XC is available in limited quantities and sold exclusively through select authorized KTM dealers in the U.S. Each of the 11 select dealerships have been certified through KTM’s high voltage technical training in order to service this new technology.

Tom Etherington, VP of Sales, KTM North America, Inc.: “KTM has created this pilot program as a way to better understand the level of consumer interest in electric motorcycles, which will assist us in future planning when considering serial production of electric motorcycles in the coming years. The exciting part for consumers is that through this pilot program, the FREERIDE E-XC is available for a price that is substantially less than these models would sell for outside of this program.”

The MSRP for the 2017 FREERIDE E-XC is $8,299 and the motorcycles are arriving now in limited quantities through the following select authorized KTM dealers:

Moto City KTM in Avondale, Ariz.
3 Bros KTM of Orange County in Costa Mesa, Calif.
CJ KTM of Murrieta in Murrieta, Calif.
KTM of Roseville in Roseville, Calif.
Malcolm Smith Motorsports in Riverside, Calif.
Elite Motorsports KTM in Loveland, Colo.
Larsons Cycle in Cambridge, Minn.
Edelman’s KTM in Troy, N.Y.
Solid Performance KTM in Downingtown, Penn.
Adventure Powersports KTM in McKinney, Texas
KTM of North Texas in Arlington, Texas
KTM North America, Inc. is proud to venture into the zero-emission vehicle world with a purpose built motorcycle that could open the door to new and exciting riding areas and applications in the future. For more information on KTM’s dealer network, please visit www.ktm.com.

We are taking pre-orders with an estimated delivery of early to mid-August. If you have any questions or would like to reserve one please feel free to contact me:

Scott
Elite Motorsports
970-461-1022
scott@elitektm.com

[Marshm]

KTM should update their webpage to show the freeride in the USA.  Already familiar Freeride 250R?  I couldn't find that one either.  Anyway, its been a long time for this bike to make it to the USA, but I am glad it finally will.  Hopefully we will see a lot of ride reviews and comparisons.  Better yet, hopefully it starts a much larger movement to have many choices in electric motorcycles.  Its been really slow to develop in my opinion.  My guess is that it will handle really well, will be reliable and not buggy, but won't have enough range to be very practical for most people to buy.   

[Richard230]

Motorcycle.com picked up the story: 
http://www.motorcycle.com/manufacturer/ktm/2017-ktm-freeride-e-xc-electric-motorcycle-coming-to-us.html

[Ireek]

Little disappointing to see that not a single dealer on the east coast will be carrying them, looks like my closest option is about 14 hours drive from southeast Tennessee.  I think it'll be worth looking at once the program grows to more dealers and the range of the bike is addressed, 1 hour just won't work for most folks like the previous poster said.

[EliteMotorsports]

It is unfortunate that more dealers were unable/unwilling to take on the Freeride E-XC. This model year is intended to be a pilot program for KTM's future electric motorcycle lineup...Basically, they want to find out if the market is strong enough in the US to support this class in the future. The supply of bikes is very limited and dealers had to invest a significant amount in training and tools to qualify for the program, this limited the number of dealers who could bring on this lineup of bikes. If the program is a success we should see much better coverage across the country in the future.

The main reason to purchase the Freeride E-XC now is the price. The bikes that are coming in during the pilot program will be sold at a significant discount ($8,299 versus close to $15K MSRP). This puts the Freeride E-XC within reach for many consumers who would be turned away due to price.

The Freeride E-XC is not for everyone, but it is a very good model for a particular segment of the market. So, who is this bike going to work best for (in my opinion)?
 - Shorter riders who need the performance of a full-size off road bike with a lower seat height
 - Commuters who want a solid, lightweight, easy to ride motorcycle with full off-road capability.
 - Riders who prefer tight technical single track riding (range is extended significantly in these situations)
 - Riders who have property at or near their house who want to ride/practice without making the neighbors upset
 - Campers who have access to a generator and want to explore the trails around them
 - Trials riders who want a longer range and more comfortable bike that can still clear any obstacle. (trials bikes often have very small tanks and no seat limiting their usability when finding places to ride along the trail).
 - Riders who have other ICE bikes for long distance rides but want to supplement that with a fun, lightweight, and powerful bike for short rides.

Who this will not work for (again, in my opinion):
 - People who are looking to do 100-mile rides
 - Serious off-road racers (A level riders competing in Enduro/MX races). The Alta Redshift lineup works better for this application.
 - People who are looking for a high-performance road specific bike (both Alta and Zero will have better options for these riders).
 
I am excited to get these bikes on the floor and I believe they will be a great option for a sizable (but often overlooked) segment of the market. The Freeride E-XC is not the leader in range or power, but it is a solid bike that will make a lot of riders very happy. And at $8,299, the Freeride E-XC is a great way to dip your foot into the electric market without breaking the bank!

[Richard230]

I get the impression that my BMW dealer is shaking in their boots that they will be required to sell and service the C-Evolution electric scooter next year. They don't know if there is a market for the scooter and I suspect they are concerned that if one of their technicians becomes trained to work on an EV vehicle, by going through the BMW service school, they will be hired away by the local Tesla dealer who can outbid them when it comes to salary, benefits, working conditions and job stability. I have no doubt that there is going to be a huge demand for EV technicians in California once all of those pre-ordered Model 3 cars start hitting the roads.

[Ireek]

I'm curious, would the KTM E-XC be a hard sale next year when the price goes up to normal retail with the Alta coming in at $14,999?  Just seems like it would be a no brainer to go with the Alta with it's superior range and performance?  I'm not throwing rocks at the KTM by any means (I own a 2017 Duke 690 and enjoy the bike), if a dealer within a couple hundred miles had one, I'd buy it.  I worked in the industry for over 10 years and my prediction is that if and when KTM bumps the price to almost double of what it is now, well, I hope the dealers don't mind paying floor plan $$ on them for a long time, cause they'll have them collecting dust, very cool bike but not $15k cool.  But wait, I could buy a couple of them now, ride one, sell the other one next year for $12k and then I'd only be in one for around $5k, now we're talking...

[EliteMotorsports]

Ireek,

That is a very good point! I suspect the MSRP will have to go down to be competitive against the Alta. The Freeride does have a niche...But MSRP being the same, the Alta is more bang for the buck by far! At $8,299 the KTM is one heck of a deal...perhaps not as much at 15K.

I suspect that KTM has some tricks up its sleeve for future models as well (i.e. spy shots of the Duke...)

[Ireek]

I don't mean to sound negative, I'm just a little grumpy that no one close to me will be carrying them, BUT, like you say, KTM may have some tricks to surprise us with and I'm sure in time, they'll be available to folks on the south east.  In the meantime, I'll be watching this thread for future announcements regarding KTM's plans for future E products:)