KTM Freeride E 2027 on test

The first climb comes sooner than expected. A quick twist of the throttle, the rear wheel digs into the ground and the Freeride E pulls cleanly up the slope. No clutch play, no two-stroke screaming, no revving engine. Instead, all I hear is stones under the tyre, the crunch of the surface and that quiet electric hum.

And right at that moment something surprising happens: after just a few metres, I stop thinking about the fact that I'm riding an electric bike. The Freeride E simply rides like a proper enduro. Not like an experiment. Not like a compromise.

Anyone who thinks KTM wanted to build an electric EXC or a rival for the Stark VARG EX is wide of the mark.

The Freeride E takes a completely different approach. It's a playbike, somewhere between enduro, trial and training bike. Road-legal, uncomplicated and built precisely for those moments when you head into the woods straight after work.

With 19.2 kW peak power (26 hp), 37.6 Nm of torque, a 95 km/h top speed, 112 kilograms ready to ride, a 910 mm seat height and 360 mm of ground clearance, it still brings everything you'd expect from a full-sized KTM off-road.

There's no gearbox, by the way. No clutch either. Instead, three riding modes and three levels of regenerative braking are available.

In technical off-road terrain, peak power or top speed barely interest me anyway.

Far more important is how precisely a bike can be controlled. And this is exactly where the Freeride E scores.

The engine responds instantly, builds grunt immediately and delivers exactly the power you need on steep climbs, over roots or when clearing larger obstacles. During the test ride I rarely found myself wishing for another ten or twenty horsepower.

Of course, the absence of a clutch changes your riding style. Anyone who has ridden two-strokes for years uses the clutch snap almost automatically to catapult the bike over steps or obstacles.

Here it works differently.

Throttle, weight transfer and traction take over that job. After a short period of adjustment, it feels surprisingly natural.

Up front, a WP XACT fork with 250 mm of travel does the work, while at the rear a WP XPLOR shock with PDS and 240 mm of travel handles things. Braking is taken care of by Braktec components, and Michelin supplies the Enduro Medium tyres.

I like the setup.

The Freeride E doesn't constantly push you to perform at your limit. Instead, it builds confidence. It soaks up roots, rocks and smaller edges cleanly and motivates you to tackle increasingly difficult sections.

You ride more relaxed – and as a result often even cleaner.

Of course, even this concept has its limits.

Anyone who starts hunting for big jumps or attacking blown-out hollow lanes at race pace will notice fairly quickly that the chassis is reaching into its reserves. On harder landings the suspension bottoms out, and over successive hits the Freeride E loses some composure.

For classic hard enduro trails or technical training sessions, that's absolutely no problem.

Anyone who wants to run timed special stages, however, will eventually find themselves looking at an EXC.

At first, the rear brake on the left handlebar feels unfamiliar.

After a short while, though, I wouldn't want to be without it in slow-speed sections. Especially on hillsides or in tight hairpins, it lets you control the rear wheel with great precision, regardless of where your left foot happens to be.

The regenerative braking works well too. Depending on the setting, the KTM rolls almost freely or generates a pleasantly familiar engine braking feel when you close the throttle.

Beginners in particular benefit enormously from the complete absence of clutch, gearbox and gear selection.

You can focus much more strongly on vision, balance and body position.

Experienced enduro riders do lose one tool, but in return they gain a bike that works in an incredibly uncomplicated way. The Freeride E takes work away from the rider without making them feel like a mere passenger.

The swappable battery stores 5.5 kWh and tips the scales at 29 kilograms.

KTM claims two to three hours of enduro operation – which holds true depending on riding style; after one hour we still had just under 60% battery remaining. Charging is handled as standard by a 660-watt charger that takes around eight hours. With the optional 3.3 kW Power Charger, the charging time drops to approximately one and a half hours.

The price in Germany and Austria is 9,999 euros, with delivery and registration costs on top. The battery and standard charger are already included in the package.

The Stark VARG EX makes an impressive case for what's currently possible with electric power. With up to 80 hp and a 7.2 kWh battery, it's clearly aimed at performance-oriented riders chasing maximum performance. However, depending on specification and homologation, it also costs significantly more than the Freeride E.

The KTM Freeride E takes a different approach. It doesn't ask what's technically possible, but rather what you actually need for an after-work ride, a technical trail or an enduro training session. With 26 hp, 112 kilograms and 9,999 euros, it stays much closer to what many hobby riders are prepared to invest.

Anyone who races regularly, hunts big jumps and wants maximum power reserves will continue to reach for a classic sports enduro. But anyone looking for an uncomplicated, quiet and comparatively affordable electric bike for technical trails and recreational riding will find the more coherent overall package in the Freeride E. The price in particular makes it a considerably more realistic option for many enduro riders.