A team of racers, enthusiasts and engineers are developing a motorcycle that will change the world of off-road on two wheels, the Flux Primo machine.
The Flux Performance team is made up of four Slovenian experts, bringing NASA award winning know-how on electric powertrains in aerospace (yup, flying electric ultralight planes!) and motorsport experience together, to create next level electric motorcycles.
In true startup tradition, they have developed their first prototype in a garage, called Primo (which means ‘first’ in Italian). It’s not just an assembly of off-the-shelf components though. They designed and custom made the complete battery pack including electronics, control unit, water cooled drivetrain and transmission, as well as the software that makes it run.
The end result is a motocross bike with 85 HP peak power, a swappable battery with more capacity than any other MX bike on the market, while retaining a comparative weight. The power is customizable via smartphone connection, so you can enjoy the riding experience regardless of your skill level.
It also features an active regen brake, meaning you charge the battery during rear braking. An interesting feature more experienced riders will appreciate is a virtual clutch. It essentially mimics how a traditional clutch works, without bringing its extra cost, complexity and overheating issues.
“There are three unbeatable reasons for wanting an electric off-road motorcycle” explains Marko Ukota. “First, noise is the sport’s biggest enemy. In Belgium, the world’s cradle of motocross, there used to be around 60 MX tracks in the 1970’s. There’s only 6 of them now. And we see the same trend around the globe. Second, the engine maintenance requires skills, is very expensive and time consuming. All time and money that could be spent riding. And third: the controllability of the electric drivetrain in combination with smart technology has such potential that I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t put all of myself to finally create … To co-create the future of my passion that gave me so much in the last decade. With the electric drive, off-road motorcycles can expand to people and places currently unreachable, it could become as abundant as e-bicycles are today.”
The vehicle control unit is packed with sensory inputs and intelligence. “My 450 is too slow, said no one ever” remarks Ukota. The real challenge is getting the power to the ground consistently, this is where an electric drive enables more opportunities than any gas bike could. Testing will provide data and enable development of special programs to increase performance, safety and fun.
The Primo isn’t a production motorcycle yet. It is the first prototype, a developmental tool and a technological platform. It proves what the team can do in a garage and serves as the foundation for targeted development of the production motorcycle.
Flux Performance is currently building a list of interested people to create a pool of professional and amateur riders that will help to test the prototype and create the successor to the Primo. “There’s so many accessories, modes and options we’d like to test, not just with pro riders, but also with the actual customers, as their desires matter the most. They will also have an impartial testimony to how the bike works” says Ukota. Testing will start this summer and they plan on delivering the production bikes in 2024 with a target price of 12.000€. Interested test riders can sign up now on www.fluxmoto.co.
