KTM->ke1954 has officially taken the covers off of the Freeride E-SM electric super motard->ke298, adding yet another model to the company’s growing Freeride-E->ke3639 electric family.

The electric super motard is being packaged as an ideal entry-level bike and its arrival gives KTM a new model to throw to young riders who are just breaking into the motorcycle scene. It only weighs just 243 pounds, making it a suitably lightweight machine with the agility and nimbleness of a do-it-all bike. It’s hard to imagine a machine that can provide what KTM has promised with the Freeride E-SM. A small liquid-cooled engine allows it to achieve 15 horsepower on the throttle, although its peak output can go as high as 21.4 horsepower and 31 pound-feet of torque with 17-inch supremo wheels added in for good measure These numbers don’t suggest all-world power, but for what it is and what it stands for - electric super motards aren’t rocket launchers, you know - the Freeride E-SM is expected to earn its way into a lot of garages really soon.

KTM hasn’t released pricing details for the Freeride E-SM so interested buyers might have to wait for the number to come out. That said, whispers within KTM have suggested that a price of about €13,000 is a likely starting point. That’s not yet official so consider it as an educated estimate for now.

Now for the bad news. KTM hasn’t said whether the Freeride E-SM will make it in the US so those who were looking forward to seeing it cross the Atlantic will have to wait for more information on that front. Otherwise, the electric super motard is all set to hit dealerships in Europe no later than May 2015.

Get your finances in order, ladies and gentlemen. You’re potentially looking at a significant purchase this month with the KTM Freeride E-SM.

Continue reading to read more about the KTM Freeride E-SM electric super motard.

Why it matters

As with most bikes that are being launched elsewhere and not in the US, KTM's launch of the Freeride E-SM is being met with a mixed bag in this space.

On one hand, I'm pretty excited to see what the Freeride E-SM is capable of, not just as the newest member in that family, but as a stand-alone model for young riders looking to get acquainted to the world of motards.

KTM seems to think highly of the bike as well it should. They wouldn't launch it if they didn't think it would do well, right?

On the other hand, I still don't understand why the US market is repeatedly getting left out of new bikes recently. Granted, I understand that regulations and market conditions play a big factor in cases like this, but isn't it safe to say that the Freeride E-SM, with all of its supposed electrical benefits, will make for an attractive option in the US. Maybe the US will eventually get it, but it still stings knowing that we're being given the cold shoulder when a bike like the Freeride E-SM already translates in this market from a perception point of view.

All that being said, I'm eager to see how the Freeride E-SM does in Europe. I'm confident that it's going to be a sales success in some capacity, but just how successful it's going to be is still up in the air.