Electric dirt bikes isn’t a new concept. Even mainstream bike manufacturers like KTM make them. However, we think the Mugen E-Rex electric dirt bike looks too cool to be given a miss. It comes from the house of Honda’s performance partner and interestingly, is the second electric two-wheeler made by the firm. Japanese tuner and electric motorcycle maker Mugen has made a name for itself, more so after their electric racebike, Shinden won three consecutive outings of the TT Zero event at the Isle of Man TT. Now, the latest news confirms that Mugen is hard at work developing an electric motocross bike in collaboration with Honda. Mugen unveiled the E REX concept at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show recently. The E REX, believed to be based on the Honda CRF 250 follows a design language inspired by the fossilised skeleton of the dinosaur T. Rex, and so the name E REX.

The 250 cc single-cylinder Honda motor has been replaced by what is unmistakably an electric motor, although it still bears the 'Honda' name. But there's no exhaust system so this concept is completely electric. Also, present on the E REX is Showa suspension and Nissin braking components, both brands owned by Honda. Mugen's other revelation at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show is the Shinden Roku, an evolution of last year's racebike at the Isle of Man TT, and with this bike, Mugen will seek to break some records in this year's edition of the TT Zero event in June.

For starters, we love the simplistic white bodywork, red seat and black underpinnings. It might be too conventional for an electric bike but allows us to properly marvel at the unconventional bodywork. In place of the fuel tank, you have extensions that resemble the bones of a dinosaur. Hence the name E-Rex. Looks apart, these also help in reducing aerodynamic drag. The prehistoric design approach can also be seen in the tail section, especially with those zig-zag edged number plates.

Now to the mechanical bits. The bike is a collaboration between Honda and Mugen with the latter delivering the electric powertrain and battery. Given Honda’s experience with off-road motorsports, it is only logical that the underpinnings for the E-Rex come from their CRF dirt bikes. Hence, the E-Rex features long travel Showa suspension components and off-road Dunlop knobbies. This concept could very well come hit the production line soon and be sold under Honda’s CRF range of dirt bikes. There is a strong possibility of the E-Rex being seen in finished form at the upcoming EICMA motorcycle show.

No technical specifications have been released on the E REX, but reports say that the press release from Tokyo mentions that both "Mugen and Honda will proceed to work together to explore the future potential around the world for electric motocross machines." The E REX then officially marks Honda's active involvement in the electric bike space and from the announcement, it seems likely that Honda will first look at the motocross segment of the market, before moving to other segments in the electric space. Stay tuned for more information here at Nepal Auto Trader.

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