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Electric motorcycles are springing up in every corner of the two-wheel world, and this CRF-E2 mini dirt bike from Honda is arguably the most legitimate kid-sized option on the market today. So, is it worth buying?
As we reported last year, the CRF-E2 is built by Greenger Powersports, a company based in California with manufacturing in China, and Honda licensed the use of its name and the CRF brand. You can buy one through a Honda dealer.
The usual team of testers at Common Tread are typically more or less equipped to analyze a machine and give the readers a snapshot of what to expect. This little electric motocross bike was a tricky proposition because even our tiniest staff tester was simply too big. Our solution was obvious: child labor.
Meet Onyx Allen, son of our Comoto colleague Nicole. Onyx is six years old, weighs 47 pounds and is just under four feet tall. He’s also a certified badass on two wheels, racing BMX for more than half his life now and placing third in the Stacyc World Series last year. In a predictable twist of fate, for the past four years he’s been learning by riding the same Yamaha PW50 that his mom used years ago — yet another tale in the saga of the loveable PW, but that’s another story.
His testing on the CRF-E2 included some driveway time, as many parents will surely experiment with, as well as time on three local motocross tracks in Southern California, and at OHV areas in the nearby desert.
This electric CRF rolls on 12-inch wheels and weighs a little more than 100 pounds. The seat height is adjustable between 24.8 and 25.5 inches, and there’s 7.8 inches of ground clearance. For context, that means the saddle is 3.5 inches taller than Honda's CRF50F and around 6.5 inches taller than a PW50, but a couple of inches shorter than the KTM SX-E 5.
Riding impressions
The report from the saddle was good, especially at first. Not surprisingly, the E2’s suspension is a huge step up from the super-low PW50, which makes for big gains on rough terrain or a motocross track. It’s heavier than Onyx’s PW, but he reported that it still feels light. Another big plus is the power delivery — there’s much more torque on tap, especially at low speed. Basically, the overall capability of this bike is higher than the bike Onyx has been riding, and that means a boost in confidence.
There are also two ride modes, to take the edge off for riders who are new while supporting more experienced kiddos who want to let this little sucker rip. Onyx’s experience with speed meant he jumped almost immediately to the more aggressive of the two modes and stayed there most of the time he was riding. Again, confidence was high.
One area where that wasn’t the case was the seat height. Despite being around the 80th percentile in height for six-year olds, Onyx felt the seat was too high. Even in the lower of the two seat-height settings, it seemed like he struggled to confidently peel into corners with the ground so far away. Mom noticed too, saying “they really need to figure out how to make it shorter if five, six, seven years old is the age group they are going for.”
As with any electric motorcycle, the elephant in the spec room is battery life and charge time. With Onyx whipping around an OHV area in mild sand, the CRF-E2 lasted about an hour. At the MX track, where the riding is more on/off throttle and with breaks in between sessions, it lasted between two and three hours. Once the battery was toast, a full charge took roughly five hours — a fast-charging setup allegedly cuts charge time down to 2.5 hours, but costs extra (how much extra depends on the dealer).
Oddly, when the bike showed 25% battery life it often showed an error code on the screen, “E081.” Our Greenger rep said that simply means the battery is dead — probably a hard lesson for a young rider to learn when the dash is displaying one quarter of the charge remaining. In other words, having a spare battery is the right call, maybe even two. MSRP on the spare battery is a cool $999, but the good news there is that swapping them is “super easy,” according to crew-chief/mom Nicole.
To E or not to E
In addition to the things that this particular family liked about the bike, there are certainly some benefits of the CRF-E2, some of them too obvious to mention for veteran motorcyclists. For one, the gentle whir of the motor and the chain running across the sprockets is much less likely to get you in trouble for riding around your neighborhood than a gas-powered bike (provided it’s not illegal where you live).
Electric also means no fluids — no engine oil, no two-stroke oil, no gas cans whatsoever. You’ll want to lube the chain (not necessary on a PW50, for what it’s worth), but aside from that parents will be blissfully insulated from noxious liquids. And that makes it much more attractive to stuff in the back of the family wagon or minivan, which is reasonable considering it’s only 36 inches tall and 55 inches long.
As with any vehicle purchase, every consumer’s situation is a little different. Is Onyx going to keep this bike? Signs point to no. Even though the E2 is light, not terribly expensive, and plenty capable, the Allens can’t find enough pros for their two-wheel life and experiences. From Nicole’s parental perspective, she essentially said that if you’re going to ride it within walking distance of a plug, it makes sense. But, if the riding radius expands beyond where there’s an RV, or off one’s own property, the cons are too heavy.
Which is to say, the right customer is out there. Greenger and Honda might have some work to do in order for the physical shape and the environmental or social benefits to add up, but it’s yet another sign of what’s to come. And a decent one at that.
| 2022 Honda CRF-E2 | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $2,950 |
| Motor | Air-cooled 48 V brushless DC motor |
|
Transmission, final drive |
Single-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | 3.4 max; 1.3 nominal @ 2,000 rpm |
| Claimed torque | 18.4 foot-pounds max; 4 foot-pounds nominal |
| Frame | Aluminum twin spar with double cradle |
| Front suspension | 33 mm fork; 3.9 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | Single shock; 3.8 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Single-piston caliper, 190 mm disc |
| Rear brake | Single-piston caliper, 190 mm disc |
| Rake, trail | 25 degrees, 1.25 inches |
| Wheelbase | 38 inches |
| Seat height | 24.8 / 25.5 inches |
| Claimed range | NA |
| Claimed battery capacity | 0.96 kWh |
| Claimed charge time | Standard (110 V): 4 Hours; Quick Charge: 2.5 Hours |
| Tires | Kenda Millville K771; 60/100-12 front & rear |
| Measured weight | 113 pounds |
| Available | Now |
| Warranty |
Powertrain: 12 months / 3,000 miles Battery: 24 months / 1,000 charges |
| More info | greengerpowersports.com |
