Dust Moto Hightail Gets Ready For Delivery
With around 40bhp the Hightail is less potent than the Stark Varg but should still be a riot to ride
With the off-road sector still looking like the most viable current home for battery-powered bikes, the soon-to-be-delivered Hightail from Dust Moto looks like an exciting option.
The off-road MX machine isn’t as potent as something like the Stark Varg, which boasts around 80bhp compared to the Hightails 40bhp, although that lower peak power (and torque) should make it a slightly more accessible machine. It is though a bit of a featherweight, at least in the electric motocross sector, given its 100kg weight, some 18kg down on the aforementioned Stark. And when I mention less torque than the Stark, the Hightails custom-made motor and controller still deliver a stump-pulling 485lb ft at the axle!
Powering the bike is a 4.4kWh battery, which is removable from the bike meaning it can be charged elsewhere or swapped out for a fresh item once the powerpack runs out. The range for the bike isn’t stellar, with Dust claiming around 40 miles at a continuous 25mph, but it should be more than enough to allow you to break a sweat at the track given the bike's claimed top speed of 75mph. Once the battery is depleted, the recharge time on a standard domestic outlet is a claimed four hours.
One area where the Hightail doesn’t seem to be lagging behind the competition is with its chassis, which looks to be very high-spec. The front end is suspended by 43mm closed cartridge forks which boast full adjustability and a whopping 260mm of travel. The rear gets a 46mm piston rear shock mated to a progressive linkage. Adjustability at the rear includes compression, rebound, and spring preload. Wheel sizes are a 21-inch front and 18-rear, while the braking system comprises a four-piston calliper and 260mm rotor at the front and a single-piston calliper and 220mm disc at the rear.
The bike can be ordered now via the Dust Moto website, although there is no confirmation as to whether they will ship outside the USA. The price of the bike is reported to be around $10,000, which for many will be the biggest sticking point.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
