Is This the Motorcycle of the Future?

“There are two types of riders: those who have crashed and those who will.”

As haunting as that old biker expression may be, a more accurate one might replace “riders” with “motorcycle start-ups.”

Diem Corp

Many have popped up on the radar, generated a ton of hype and then vanished without a single bike actually rolling off the line. 

That’s especially true regarding electric moto brands of late, with Damon Motorcycles looking like the latest example. 

Hoping for a better fate, with a long-term vision and plenty of patience, is Danish start-up Diem, creator of the drool-worthy X-01 prototype. Let’s take a closer look.

Revolutionary design

While at a glance, the X-01 resembles a super-fast sport bike, there’s more (and less) going on here than meets the eye.

Employing single-beam frame architecture, the bike is powered by a direct-drive, high-torque axial flux hub motor that is both compact and mechanically simple.

Diem Corp

The lack of complex components such as chains, sprockets and gearboxes makes it a lower-maintenance option for urban riders.

Developed in-house, the electric motor is positioned directly on the rear axle, which frees up space for a more efficient battery layout. According to the brand, it also optimizes weight reduction and structural integrity while streamlining manufacturing.

No pricing or speed estimates have been disclosed, but the targeted output is 35kW, and the targeted dry weight is roughly 360 pounds.

I can only imagine the emphasis on torque will result in acceleration on the level of top electric motos, meaning 0-60 in just a few seconds.

Diem Corp

Range-wise, the brand is conservatively aiming for 125 miles. 

“It is a motorcycle intended for urban mobility primarily, not long-distance touring,” explains co-founder and CEO Daniel Kemnitz. “But a solid range is important regardless.”

Developed in house, the 10 kWh battery allows for quick recharging on 200-800V range charging stations, common for existing electric car charging.

Forward-thinking production

Developing many components — including the drivetrain, battery and frame — in-house enables a high level of design and quality control. 

“Our core philosophy is to make the gap between concept and production bike as narrow as possible,” Kemnitz notes. “And taking into consideration mass production and global supply chains [with] every single decision we make.”

Diem sees its vertically integrated approach as a way to optimize weight and cost efficiencies while adapting to emerging innovations.

A lean manufacturing model minimizes waste, increasing sustainability from engineering to production to real-world use.

Diem Corp

The brand is currently doing a ton of testing and validation to ensure the production X-01 can go the distance for thousands of miles.

(If I have one criticism at this point, it’s that as cool as it looks, the bike does not seem like it would be that comfortable to ride, but perhaps the development process can smooth things out a bit.)

Of course, such patience must be exercised by the consumer as well, as it means the X-01, or whatever it is ultimately called, won’t be ready to ride anytime soon.

Diem Corp

“Our roadmap is targeting one-and-a-half years of further hardware development and testing, and another half year on top to reach market readiness,” says Kemnitz.

“With the current times being somewhat unstable, we may exceed this deadline a bit, which we are prepared to do if it means ensuring our final production model delivers exactly what riders expect of it.”

Welp. To revisit another old expression: Good things come to those who wait, right?

Related Topics