Mugen Goes Prehistoric With The E-Rex Electric Dirt Bike

Recently, at the 2017 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, Mugen unveiled the latest version of its Isle of Man TT-Zero racer, the Shinden Roku, the bike that’s heavily favored to take the top two spots on the podium this year with riders John McGuinness and Guy Martin. The Shinden Roku is an impressive bike in its own right, with claims of 160.9 hp and 154.9 lb-ft of torque, and a weight savings of more than four pounds compared to last year. However, as impressive as the Shinden Roku is, as far as sheer “Wow Factor” goes it’s got nothing on the other bike Mugen unveiled: The E-Rex electric motocrosser.

Using the frame and swingarm from Honda’s CRF250R, the E-Rex shocks the senses with its outlandish styling inspired by, as the name would suggest, dinosaurs. The front fender and number plate are one unit designed to look like something resembling a pterodactyl beak, with the signature Mugen eye balls giving a face to the number plate. But the real head turner is the rest of the bodywork, which is shaped and colored to look like a prehistoric pterodactyl skeleton, with its ribbed slats exposing the airy void beneath the seat.

As for the rest of the bike, the internal combustion engine and its associated components were pulled in order to fit the electric drivetrain. No details about the battery or motor were released, but looking closely at the photos the battery and motor are stacked vertically in the red enclosure (zoom in on the picture and you can see where they join together). The motor’s liquid-cooled, too, as a radiator on the left side of the bike is clear to see, and its hoses lead directly to the motor. There’s a fan on the right side of the motor, which would surely get clogged up during a moto, so the actual functionality of the bike is questionable. Nonetheless, it still sports Excel rims, Dunlop Geomax rubber, Showa suspension, and brake levers at each handlebar.