12 States, 271 Miles, and a New Electric Motion Lineup

This week was mostly about the rules. A model e-moto bill is heading to a dozen state legislatures, another city drew its own line, and police in two countries made the point the hard way. There's good news on the bike side too: a Zero set a range record that's hard to argue with, KTM filled a gap in its kids' lineup, and Electric Motion rebuilt its 2027 bikes around a new battery.

As always, specs below are manufacturer claims unless we say otherwise.

12 states are lining up a model e-moto bill

This is the one Surron and Talaria owners should pay attention to.

At PeopleForBikes' SHIFT'26 summit on October 16, the group said 12 states are preparing to introduce its model e-moto bill in 2027. PeopleForBikes is the bicycle industry's main trade group, and its earlier model law is the reason most states use the Class 1/2/3 e-bike system today.

The new bill does for e-motos what that one did for e-bikes. It gives them their own legal definition, separate from e-bikes. If you've followed our coverage of Utah's HB 381 and California's SB 1167, you know the idea: if it's faster or more powerful than an e-bike is allowed to be, it isn't one.

Why it matters: One state passing an e-moto law is news. A dozen states introducing the same template in one year is a pattern. Expect a lot of 2027 to be about registration, licensing and where these bikes can legally ride.

Zero DS rides 271 miles on one charge

Belgian rider Jelle Verstaen rode a Zero DS 436.5 km (271.2 miles) on a single charge and set a new Guinness World Record. That beats the previous record of 193 miles by about 78 miles.

Bike: A production Zero DS with the optional Power Tank, for 19.2 kWh in total Route: From the French Alps toward the Mediterranean, mostly overnight Average speed: About 52 km/h (32 mph) Verified by: GPS tracking and an independent witness

The catch is the speed. Nobody rides a dual-sport at 32 mph all day. But it's a production bike with a factory accessory, not a one-off build, and it shows how far a big battery goes when you ride gently.

KTM SX-E 2.12: the in-between kids' bike

We mentioned this one briefly last week. Now there's a price.

The KTM SX-E 2.12 sits between the SX-E 2 and SX-E 3, for kids who've outgrown the smallest bike but aren't ready for the next one.

Wheels: A 12-inch front wheel, up from 10 inches on the SX-E 2 Suspension: WP fork with 90 mm of travel, and a preload-adjustable shock with 70 mm Seat height: About 66 mm taller than the SX-E 2 Weight: 64 lb, the same as the SX-E 2 Motor: 1.8 kW hub motor, 50 Nm Battery: IP65-rated, charges to full in about 60 minutes on 110V or 230V Safety: A roll-over sensor cuts power, and a wrist lanyard connects to the kill switch Price: $2,349–$2,699 MSRP at KTM dealers

If your kid is growing out of a small electric balance bike or an SX-E 2, this is the next step, just in time for the holidays.

Electric Motion's 2027 lineup: a new battery for the trials bikes

Electric Motion, the French company that builds electric trials and trail bikes, has revealed its 2027 range. The big change is a new battery for the Epure trials bikes, and a bigger one for the Escape R.

Epure Race and Epure FACTOR-e (trials)

Both Epures now use one battery: a 2.0 kWh pack at 64.8V in a magnesium case. It weighs 11 kg and swaps in under 60 seconds. The old 1.8 and 2.5 kWh options are gone.

They also get a new frame with aluminum tie rods, slimmer bodywork, triple clamps with four adjustment positions, and three power maps.

Epure Race

Single-speed, with a new three-disc diaphragm clutch 72 kg, down from 74 kg 80 km/h top speed, up from 75 km/h REIGER two-way rear shock €8,990 with one battery, €10,290 with two

Epure FACTOR-e

5 kW nominal / 18 kW peak, four-speed gearbox, three-disc hydraulic clutch 73 kg, down from 75 kg 85 km/h top speed New TFT display with a Trial Mode and a built-in section timer, a start button, and EM Connect as standard Claimed range of up to 3.5 hours €9,990 with one battery, €11,290 with two Escape R (trail) Battery grows from 3.5 to 3.8 kWh Claimed range goes from 3.5 hours to up to four hours Reinforced frame and new swingarm, borrowed from the Escape X+ and XR+ 87 kg, up from 83 kg. The extra battery adds 4 kg. 18 kW peak, 740 Nm (claimed) New blue color with blue wheels €10,290

Electric Motion is also starting EM Battery Service, which lets you rent the battery on top of a bike you bought, or subscribe to the battery and related services on a bike bought without one. Prices for that haven't been announced.

U.S. pricing and delivery dates haven't been announced yet. The euro prices above are European list prices. We'll update the bike pages when U.S. numbers show up.

CFMOTO's electric dirt bike: still a concept

CFMOTO already sells two electric kids' bikes in the U.S., the CFX-2E and CFX-5E. The bike adult riders have been waiting for is the CF-X, CFMOTO's full-size electric motocross concept.

What CFMOTO has shown so far:

Power: Comparable to a 450cc gas motocrosser, according to CFMOTO (no official numbers) Electrical system: 400V, which points to fast charging Weight: 125 kg (276 lb) Seat height: 96 cm (37.8 in) Suspension: WP, with 12.2 in of travel front and rear Riding modes: Three Cooling: A small radiator under the seat, probably for the battery Battery size: Not announced

The CF-X was first shown at EICMA in November 2024, and CFMOTO said then that production could start toward the end of 2025. That hasn't happened yet. There's still no price, no battery size and no confirmed date.

EICMA is November 3–8, so if CFMOTO has news on the CF-X, that's the most likely place to hear it. At 276 lb, it would go up against the Stark Varg and Triumph's TF 250-E, not Surrons and Talarias.

The rules: who's drawing lines this week

The model bill is the big picture. Here's what happened on the ground this week.

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin passed an e-moto ordinance. E-motos are banned from sidewalks, shared paths and bike lanes. Anything that can go faster than 20 mph on motor power alone counts as a moped or motorcycle, so it needs a license and insurance to ride on the road. Riders under 18 must wear a helmet. Comox Valley, British Columbia: The RCMP arrested several young riders after a series of dangerous electric dirt bike and scooter stunts. Police didn't chase them. They identified the riders afterward, issued tickets, seized the bikes and are pursuing criminal charges. Washington, D.C.: Police started an enforcement push on e-bikes and e-scooters on October 17. It runs through the end of the year, focused on Navy Yard, U Street and Gallery Place. Traffic deaths in the city are up more than 62% from last year.

And a sad reminder of why this keeps coming up: on October 10, a 14-year-old riding an e-motorcycle in Turlock, California, died after colliding with a vehicle. Our thoughts are with his family. Crashes like this are why so many towns are writing these rules right now.

If you ride, or your kid rides: Check your local rules before you assume a bike with pedals counts as a bicycle. More and more places are deciding it doesn't.

What's next

EICMA is two weeks away (November 3–8). We're watching for CFMOTO, KTM's promised off-road reveals, and Arctic Leopard's new XC. Rerode RX deliveries should also start soon.

Sources

Bicycle Retailer: SHIFT'26 (12 states, model e-moto bill) Electrek: Zero DS distance record Visordown: Zero record, 271 miles Powersports Business: KTM SX-E 2.12 TerraVolt eMoto: Electric Motion 2027 range Cleanrider: Electric Motion Epure 2027 (prices) Electric Motion: EM 2027 New Atlas: CFMOTO CF-X concept WMTV 15: Sun Prairie e-moto ordinance Oak Bay News: Comox Valley RCMP arrests NBC4 Washington: D.C. enforcement push Hoodline: Turlock crash