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.
