When discussing electric motorcycles, there are the, let’s call them “classic” advantages of an electric powertrain such as the absence of emissions and the instant power. Then there are the unsuspected advantages like complete freedom of design, not limited to the usual bits and pieces combustion engines require. Looks like we found another unsuspected advantage of electric bikes: they make decent submarine. 

Think about it: electric bikes don’t have air intake, exhaust, mechanical parts inside the engine, an actually combustion process, air filters, etc. These components found on gasoline motorcycles are also the ones that don’t interact well with water and cause any vehicle that uses them to stall when water gets in. Not having to worry about water seeping into the engine and ruining everything allowed this daring rider to tackle a pond with confidence. 

Russian company Milandr SM, a division of microelectronics development company Milandr, specializes in the design of electric motor and powertrains (from what we’ve been able to gather from the all-Russian Website). You see where this is going. One of the company’s multiple projects is an electric dirtbike, the SM 250. To put its creation to the test and showcase its abilities, the team decided to put the bike through its paces and to make a video out of the session.

What starts off as a nice ride off-road through the woods quickly turns into a swim when the rider testing the bike leaves the dirt behind to tackle a pond. If your first reaction is to gasp, don’t worry: remember, it’s electric. The bike soldiers through, only slowed down by the buoying front wheel and the rear wheel caked in mud. 

Once the wheel is cleared, the rider is back in action and can be seen tossing the bike around in the water again. And again. And again. 

The video culminates with the rider speeding his way back in the water and gliding on the surface of for a few dozen feet until the bike stops and sinks to the bottom of the water basin. All the Milandr SM team needs is a make-do plastic bottle buoy attached to the bike with a rope to reel the bike back to the shore at which point the wet rider jumps back in the saddle and scoots away. Just in case we doubted the bike was still in working order. 

Obviously that demonstration is a bit extreme but makes for some pretty spectacular footage. We don’t recommend you try this at home but now you know that chances are your electric bike will gladly cross water obstacles next time you take it out for a ride. 

Source: Milandr SM

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