Electric motorcycle carries Graham Jarvis to Erzbergrodeo finish
Electric-powered two-wheelers are often lumped together under the term “e-bike” in the Philippines. They have become a common sight on local roads thanks to their low purchase price and the often loose enforcement of rules governing their use. True electric motorcycles and scooters, however, remain a niche choice. Despite offering performance that can rival gasoline-powered machines, many riders still see them as too expensive, while charging and battery-swapping networks remain limited.
Off-road racing tells a different story.
Jarvis onboard the JARV-E | Photo courtesy of Graham Jarvis
In hard enduro, electric motorcycles are starting to prove they belong. Their instant torque and precise power delivery can be a real advantage on steep climbs, rocky trails, and technical sections.
That was on full display at this year’s Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in Austria, a race many riders consider among the toughest in the world. Two electric motorcycles made it to the finish line, a feat that would be impressive for any machine. One of those bikes was ridden by hard enduro legend Graham Jarvis, adding even more weight to the result.
A five-time Iron Giant winner, the 51-year-old Jarvis crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 45 minutes, and 56 seconds aboard the JARV-E electric motorcycle, a machine developed with his direct input.
As impressive as the result was, Jarvis narrowly missed making history as the first rider to complete the punishing race on an e-bike. That honor went to Eddie Karlsson, who finished just over three minutes faster with a time of 3 hours, 42 minutes, and 48 seconds aboard a Stark Future e-bike.
Speaking with MotoPinas.com, Jarvis revealed that a broken chain guide cost him valuable time during the race. Aside from that setback, the bike performed flawlessly.
“Everything went well. I lost some [time] when my chain guide broke,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis did not elaborate on how much time the issue cost him, but it is hard not to wonder how the story might have ended had the bike remained trouble-free all the way to the finish.
That said, Karlsson’s achievement deserves full credit. The Swedish rider is no stranger to success, having collected multiple titles across various off-road disciplines. At Erzbergrodeo, he secured his place in the record books as the first rider to finish the Iron Giant aboard an e-bike.
15 Iron Giant finishers | Photo courtesy of Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
What makes the result hard to ignore is that Karlsson and Jarvis finished 9th and 10th overall, with only five riders crossing the line behind them, four on gasoline-powered bikes and another one from Stark. While the electric motorcycles were allowed battery swaps (where ICE motorcycles are allowed to refuel) during the race, they competed on the same course, same cutoff, and against the same field, which meant there were no competitive advantage for these e-bikes.
That says a lot about how quickly the technology is evolving. A few years ago, the idea of an e-bike cracking the top 10 at Erzbergrodeo seemed unlikely. Today, two of them did exactly that. If this trend continues, don’t be surprised to see more electric contenders in future hard enduro races.
