Volcon Runt Is A Child-Sized Version Of The Grunt Electric Off-Road Motorcycle
Hot on the (w)heels of Volcon ePowersports’ release of its off-road electric motorcycle comes news of the company’s newest model, a child-sized version of the fat-tired, high ground clearance, quick recharge time, and ruggedly-built Grunt, with the appropriately named Runt.
Moto-riding parents often hear from their kids, “But mom and dad, where’s my motorcycle?” so it’s probably a sure bet that those who have reserved a Grunt model for themselves are either going to put down a deposit for the forthcoming Runt, or hide all mentions of this kid-friendly model. I’m guessing more people will go with the first option, considering that the Runt is built with a host of features to help ensure a safer riding experience for their kids, but then again, at an estimated price of just under $3000 for the Runt, it’s also likely that those kids get told to start saving their lawnmowing money if they want an electric off-road motorcycle of their own.
According to the specs available so far, the Runt will have a lower top speed of 35 mph (56 km/h) and a shorter range of 35 miles (56 km), a slightly lower amount of torque (60 foot-pounds vs 75 foot-pounds for the Grunt), but with the same 2-hour recharge time and swappable 60V batteries as the full-sized Grunt, so families that ride together on their e-motorcycles aren’t constrained by differing charge times when out on the trails.
The Runt has a lower seat height (27 inches / 68.5 cm) than the Grunt for easier mounting and riding for young ones, and the bike comes with built-in “app-driven geo-fencing controls, remote monitoring, performance limiters and tip-over notifications,” which can give parents more peace of mind about their kids’ safety, and there will be accessory seats and handlebars with different heights available for the Runt, with the intent of keeping the bike’s rideability good even as the child grows.
“The no-clutch, single-speed, electric powertrain is easier for young riders to learn and the new app-based controls will give parents the ability to monitor their children and regulate the power of the motorcycle. The Runt paired with our Grunt will bring new families into the freedom and fun that off-road powersports provides.” — Andrew Leisner, Chief Executive Officer of Volcon Inc.
The one aspect of the Runt that may be an issue for kids is its weight, which at 180 pounds (81.6 kg) will be incredibly hard for a child to stand back up off the ground in the event of a spill, or to load up into a vehicle by themselves, but it’s likely that anyone who drops $3K on the bike is going to be right there with their kid while they ride it, so it’s probably a non-issue. According to Volcon, a refundable $100 deposit will reserve one of the company’s Runt electric motorcycles for purchase when they come available this spring (2021).
All images courtesy of Volcon ePowersports.
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