Armotia Due R and X


Armotia is an Italian outfit with two machines, the Due R and the Due X (essentially the same machine, but one’s an off-roader and the other’s in supermoto trim).

At first glance, there’s nothing too exciting about the Armotia Due machines; they’ve got an air-cooled motor powering the rear wheel, with 5.1 kWh battery pack.  Reports say top speed for the supermoto version is roughly 88 kph, and 80 kph for the electric version. None of those facts thrill and excite (Bitubo monoshock rear suspension and Brembo front brakes do point to the machine’s quality, though).


What does make the  Armotia machines interesting is the fact they also have a 15 hp motor driving the front wheel. This technology has been available floating around for quite a while — Yamaha experimented with installing it on their dirt bikes, and Philadelphia-based Christini has mated their 2WD system with Chinese motorcycle platforms to build a lineup of machines they’re selling seemingly everywhere in the world but Canada (they’re selling quite a few to military operators, for what it’s worth).

It isn’t easy to efficiently transfer power from an internal combustion engine to a motorcycle’s front wheel. An electric motor setup is far easier, but not something the market has really explored. Armotia has pioneered the concept now, so it’s only a matter of time before another respected battery bike outfit picks up the idea. And it’s also possible we’ll end up seeing the technology mated with an internal combustion engine, to create the ultimate hybrid.


Find out more about Armotia’s bikes at their website here. We haven’t heard anything about a possibility of these bikes coming to Canada, but it would be pretty cool if they did.