Based in Bend, Oregon, Dust Moto has built its first Alpha 1 Prototype and is planning to go to market with 100 examples of the Model 1 battery-powered dirt bike. Rather than offering a full-size motocrosser like the Stark Varg or joining the crowded ranks of mountain-bike-like electric motorcycles, the 2024 Dust Moto Model 1 is a slightly downsized dirt bike designed for noise-sensitive areas.
According to Dust Moto, the Model 1 will have full size Takasago Excel A60 rims shod with Dunlop Geomax MX34 tires. The buyers can choose between an 18- or 19-inch rear wheel to go with the 21-inch front. The wheelbase and seat height are expected to be 95 percent of what you see on a full-size ICE-powered dirt bike, and the wheel travel will be 10.2 inches in the front and 10.8 inches in the rear. Tantalizingly, Dust Moto is touting a target weight for the Model 1 of 200 pounds.
The 26-kilowatt motor puts out 369 ft-lbs of peak torque, and is fed by a swappable 3.5 kilowatt-hour battery. Top speed is a claimed 60+ mph. To slow the 2024 Dust Moto Model 1 down, there’s a 260mm front disc brake and a 220mm rear.
“This bike is not designed to replace the full-size gas-powered dirt bike in your garage,” Dust Moto Founder Colin Godby tells us. “Instead, it’s a less intimidating, more user-friendly mid-sized dirt bike that opens up new opportunities for riders to spend more time riding moto, be it backyard tracks, freeride zones, or single track. The midsized Model 1 corners like a 125 and pulls like a 250. Initial rider feedback has validated the concept, and through our ongoing development program, Dust continues to refine its concept into a category-defining electric dirt bike.”
The MSRP of the 2024 Dust Moto Model 1 is $10,095. To increase access to ownership, the first 100 bikes built are being offered at a 15 percent discount with no-interest payments spread over 15 months—about $572 a month. The early adopters will be part of Dust Moto’s First100 program, which includes a newsletter, updates from behind the scenes, and monthly meetings.
Dust Moto Model 1 Photo Gallery
