EICMA 2026: the e‑motos that matter

LiveWire, Harley-Davidson's electric spin-off, bought Oregon startup DUST Moto earlier this year. At EICMA it showed the Hightail in production-intent form for the first time under the LiveWire umbrella, with a 2027 launch as the target.

For context: at 235 lb the Hightail sits between a 2026 Ultra Bee (195 lb claimed) and a Stark Varg (260 lb). Its claimed power lands right around a Talaria Komodo or ReRode RX, below the Bonnell 805 RX's 42 kW.

LiveWire also showed a second DUST bike, the Spur, but published no specs for it.

TLG is the international brand of TAILG, one of China's big electric two-wheeler makers. It unveiled the Y9 on November 3 as a race-grade off-road flagship, introduced on stage by Dakar champion Willy Jobard.

55 kW puts it between the standard Stark Varg (60 hp, about 45 kW) and the Varg Alpha (80 hp, about 60 kW). TLG also introduced a riding-control system it calls T-APEX, covering power delivery, torque response and regen. Without a weight, a price or a ship date, the Y9 is a statement for now, not a bike you can shop for.

XE, now street legal. Zero's light XE dirt bike was only road legal in Europe before. The new homologated version adds a headlight, taillight, a center dash and dual-sport tires, with gearing changed for a claimed 60 mph top speed. Zero says it starts at $6,295 and arrives spring 2027.

Project Ventura. Zero's headline reveal is a light, supermoto-styled street bike aimed at people moving up from e-bikes and e-motos. It's a road bike, not a dirt bike, but it's the most interesting price point at the show.

LiveWire S4 Honcho Skate. A new mini-moto version of LiveWire's modular Honcho platform, shown next to the Honcho Trail. No specs yet; LiveWire is targeting 2027.

GR1T G1. A startup platform with street, scrambler and two adventure-leaning versions sharing one chassis: 26.6 kW peak, 130 kg and two removable 3 kWh packs, all claimed. €8,495 is the quoted start price, but GR1T is still fundraising and targets first deliveries in the first half of 2028.

Real Motors Project ARES. An electric café racer: 75 kW, a 15 kWh battery and about $20,000, with a 250-unit first run aimed at North America in early 2027.

LYVA GX05 and GX03. Off-road concepts from LUYUAN Group's new premium brand. No specs, and the main coverage we found was a sponsored article.

Royal Enfield Flying Flea, Honda EV Outlier, E-Motiv Demo 1. A new look at Royal Enfield's retro electric line, a two-wheel-drive Honda concept with no production plans, and a demonstrator bike for a two-speed electric transmission that starts real-world testing in early 2027.

The trend is clear: the gap between light e-motos and full-size bikes is filling up, and big names (Harley through LiveWire, Zero, TAILG) now want a piece of the market Sur-Ron and Talaria built.

We'll add the Hightail, the Y9 and the street-legal XE to the directory once each brand publishes a full spec sheet. Show-floor claims aren't enough on their own.