Radian EXR comes for the Stark Varg ... with 30-sec tool-free battery swaps

I must have covered about a dozen electric enduros in the span of the last few months, and that’s just scratching the surface. That should tell you about just how rapidly the electric enduro motorcycle space has blown up of late.

Much of the credit for that feat goes to Stark Future, which was pretty much the pioneer for global mass-produced electric enduros. But now, there’s a certain Radian that seeks to challenge that status quo.

The Dutch company actually does know a fair bit about electric motorcycles. The inception of Radian dates back to 2017, with the birth of Electric Superbike Twente. The company started out creating high-performance electric racing motorcycles, and it was even successful in its first season, winning the 2018 MotoE championship. It was in 2021 that Radian was established as a standalone motorcycle company.

The EXR has just been launched as the brand’s first motorcycle, and I have to say, it looks like Radian is off to a solid start. For starters, it comes powered by an Internal Permanent Magnet (IPM) with a carbon-sleeved rotor that delivers around 70 hp, producing around 781.8 lb-ft (1,060 Nm) of torque at the rear wheel.

But more than the numbers themselves, Radian argues that control is what it has focused on with the EXR. Almost all of the bike's riding characteristics can be adjusted to accommodate varying terrain and user preferences. Plus, there’s a handy-dandy reverse gear on board too, which is becoming more commonplace on e-motos.

Even more impressive than the motor is what Radian calls the InfiniPack dual battery system. This is basically the company’s quick battery swapping system, which pips the Stark Varg EX’s plug-only capability.

Not just that, it’s also about how fast you can swap a battery. Less than 30 seconds – without the need for any tools. As for the battery capacity, it’s 8.6 kWh, which provides a range of 37 to 70 miles (60 to115 km) off-road, or one to seven hours of riding, depending on your usage and speed.

Radian says the battery's lifespan is around 2,000 riding hours before it depletes to 80% of its initial capacity. As for charging, the 3.3kW charger takes around 90 minutes to go from 20% to 80%. It’s a great thing that Radian will already provide the InfiniDock charging port, which will enable you to continue riding with a different set of battery modules while charging them outside the bike.

Right then, that’s the motor and battery. As for the rest of the bike, the spec list is quite impressive. It sports an aluminum frame and subframe, with a cast aluminum swingarm that helps limit the weight to just 275 lb (125 kg).

That frame also functions as an integrated heatsink for the drivetrain, as part of the cooling system. Using a patent-pending radial mounting mechanism, the motor is integrated into the bike's construction and mounted inside the battery pack's arch. Radian claims this helps with stiffness and keeps the rotational mass near the center of gravity.

Suspension comes from KYB. You get a 48-mm closed cartridge coil-spring fork with adjustable compression and rebound damping up front. At the rear, there’s a KYB shock with a 50-mm piston with high- and low-speed compression adjustment, rebound adjustment, and adjustable preload. You get 11.8 inches (300 mm) of wheel travel both at the front and back. That’s a proper enduro setup.

Braking is courtesy of Brembo, with a double 24-mm piston floating caliper and 260-mm disc at the front and a single 26-mm piston floating caliper and 220-mm disc at the rear. It should be noted that braking is activated via a left-hand lever, however – not a foot pedal.

The EXR comes with 0.24 cubic feet (7 L) of on-board cargo storage, which is perfect for carrying spares, protein bars, a tire inflator, and a first-aid kit. You also get small things like a skid plate and rear grab handles as standard, which shows Radian does care about the consumers. Paltry things that you would have spent extra bucks on after purchasing the motorcycle.

I really like the small touches – an LED headlight that doubles as a charging indicator, the integrated enduro timekeeping system built into the dash, and the small but very functional display that can be operated with your gloves on.

The bodywork is very neat, and visually, the EXR looks more polished than most start-up electric bikes we’ve seen. This by no means looks like a brand’s first motorcycle.

The pricing is set at €14,450 (US$16,788 at direct conversion) and is expected to be available starting in the last quarter of 2027. Availability outside of Europe does look likely, but there’s no information on it just yet.

On technicalities alone, this looks like a serious choice for an electric enduro. Of course, the industry standard has long been the Stark Stark Varg EX – which, even though it generates more peak power of 80-hp on the Alpha trim and is a tad bit lighter at around 265 lb (120 kg) – comes with a smaller 6.5 to 7.2 kWh battery, depending on the trim.

What works for Radian is its quick-swap battery concept, which does seem like it should solve the range anxiety and long charge-time off-road electric motos struggle with. Do we finally have a challenger for Stark’s crown?

Source: Radian