Featherweight Torque Monster Fun: Meet the Graft EO.12 Electric Dirt Bike

Another electric dirt bike hits the market, but this time our e-moto expert thinks it might be a winner. The Graft EO.12 is super light, loaded with power, and comes in at a reasonable price point.

The electric motorcycle market is a sea of shiny new renders and vaporware — full of empty promises and teasers. So why am I excited about the Graft EO.12 dirt bike? I’ll give you three good reasons.

The first reason is power: The EO.12 will have the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any dirt bike. The second is the team: a veteran group of EV tinkerers and racers. Third? It's a real product with 2 years of development and preparation. It's been fully tested and is ready to build to order.

The EV world was a small, awkward place a decade ago when I started following Graft's founder Azizi Tucker. He was one of the first engineers at Tesla and I was building racing electric motorcycles at the time. He's a fellow University of Michigan engineer but lives and works in Taipei where Graft is based.

I’m particularly jealous of his career with XING Mobility, a group founded around making racing machines that seem to dabble in business on the side. Endlessly curious about electric machines, we’re cut from the same cloth.

On top of the founder's heritage, Graft has been planning this move for 2 years and it's ready to build today.

"We are hardcore riders first and foremost and we push our machines very hard every ride. As result, we have designed a very robust motorcycle to deal with the realities of enduro and even hard enduro riding. We have a very unique design in which all electrical components can easily be replaced in a matter of minutes if there is crash damage. We stock full spare components and ship to customers as needed." -Azizi Tucker, Graft EV founder.

● Weight: 110 lbs.● Torque: 440 Nm● Top speed: 50 mph● Peak power: 34 horsepower● Charge time: 1.5 hours● Range: 3 hours (varies due to terrain and riding style)● Swingarm: Billet CNC machined 6061-T6 Aluminium● Wheelbase: 53.8″● Shock absorber: Three-way adjustable air shock w/ hydraulic bump stop● Front suspension: Three-way adjustable 42mm inverted fork w/ hydraulic bump stop● Battery type: Lithium-Ion● Battery pack voltage: 80 V● Battery pack capacity: 2.7 kWh● Battery pack life cycle: 2,000 charge cycles● MSRP: $8,500-12,500

Graft claims the highest power-to-weight ratio of any off-road e-moto in the market. At just 110 pounds, the EO.12 is featherweight. Pair that low weight with a peak 25 kW (34 horsepower) motor, and I don't doubt its claims.

The number that gets me excited is a whopping 440 Nm of torque at the rear wheel. Acceleration will be mentally fast up to its 50 mph top speed. Graft employs 3D-printed titanium parts to manage this torque delivery without adding weight.

I’m calling it now: Torque-to-weight ratio is the new hotness.

Fully 25% of the Graft EO.12's weight reduction comes from a full-carbon wheelset. Reducing the unsprung mass at the wheels should make this machine super lively and snappy.

However, snappy isn't always the adjective you want when talking about carbon fiber. When damaged, carbon can sometimes fail explosively. I would be very nervous riding this in a rock garden.

Graft claims the EO.12's 2.7 kWh battery will give you 3 hours of trail riding. My guess is that aggressive riding and sandy hilly terrain could cut that in half, but such is true of any e-moto.

After a couple of hours of hard riding, you’ll need to recharge anyway. The EO.12 will be ready to ride again in 90 minutes, just enough time to grab lunch and a nap.

If you’re feeling impatient, the battery can be swapped out with basic hand tools for all-day fun.

The Graft EV battery is future-proof by design. The company pledges to keep the same battery shape for the next 10 years while gradually upgrading its internals. These packs will be shared by all future Graft vehicles as it expands into other off-road segments, like UTVs and quads.

Just like most modern EVs, the EO.12 dirt bike has cellular connectivity, for over-the-air updates. It also features a color touchscreen, so you can keep your distracting phone in your pocket while shredding singletrack. A mobile app and a web-based portal are also in the works so riders can stay up to date with the health of their machine.

The EO.12 starts at $8,500 and climbs to $12,500, depending on component specs. With different riding modes, no gears to change, and a low seat height, this should be an approachable bike for entry-level and seasoned riders alike. While you could pay less for a gas bike, the quiet rush of electric torque is a serious value.

Plus, you’ll likely save $500/year on the total cost of ownership when you factor in fuel, oil, and maintenance. Does anyone else out there hate carb tuning as much as I do?

Expect shipment after you order an EO.12 to typically be 60-90 days later, but the company says this can vary based on model version and component availability. Graft EV is shipping globally, but also working on building out a dealer network world wide.

I’ve witnessed — and been an employee at — many failed electric vehicle startups, so I’m hesitant when anything new and shiny comes along. The design, power output, and performance of the EO.12 look very well thought out, exactly what I’d expect from EV veterans like Azizi. He's building the bike I’m dreaming about, and he has the chops to pull this off.

Even with good funding and smart teammates, it's no small endeavor to build and deliver a new vehicle. I would need to see a plan for U.S. service and support and a warranty agreement before buying my own. There's also zero information about the display and interface.

That said, I’m just about ready to book tickets to Taipei for a test ride! I will take my torque smorgasbord with a side of bubble tea, please.

Stay up to date with all things Graft here. I’m excited to see this company's adventure machines on North American trails soon.

Buyers who keep their finger on the pulse will get a couple key perks on the 2023 Surron Storm Bee F, the company's first full-size electric dirt bike. Read more…