From the Race Track to the Trailhead
Bonnell may be new to the production bike scene, but the team behind it is anything but green. If you’ve been following the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup, you’ve already seen the Bonnell name on the podium. Their race team recently clinched Team Champion honors while battling it out on electric bikes from KTM, Stark, and SurRon. Now, they’re stepping away from other brands and building something of their own.
Founded by Matt Wauters — also the brains behind EBMX — Bonnell has made its intentions clear: to deliver race-developed, high-performance electric motorcycles and mountain bikes from the ground up. Their first offering, the 775 series of electric mountain bikes, are already available, but there’s more coming. A lot more.
This year in Moab, Utah, we sat down with Matt for an exclusive look at the future of the brand — specifically, two new electric dirt bikes: the Bonnell 805 and 902, both slated for release in late 2025.
A Desert Reveal in Moab
We met up with the Bonnell crew while they were filming launch content for the 775 electric mountain bike lineup. While the team was focused on capturing action shots of their new e-MTBs, our focus was squarely on the dirt. Matt gave us the details of the upcoming 805 and 902 dirt bikes and a deep dive into what makes them different from anything else currently on the market.
Though we didn’t ride the bikes, yet, we got an up-close look at the details, asked every question we could think of, and came away impressed by what’s coming.
“We’ve learned so much racing and tuning through EBMX,” Matt said. “So now, we’re applying all that knowledge and building the full package — motor, battery, chassis, suspension — everything is purpose-built for off-road performance.”
The Bonnell 805: Mid-Size Muscle
The 805 is Bonnell’s entry into the mid-size category — a fast, playful dirt bike with serious power but scaled-down dimensions. It’s meant to strike a balance fit right into the mid size category, with geometry that’s more agile and approachable, but enough horsepower to keep experienced riders entertained.
The 805 puts out 30 kW of peak power (roughly 40 horsepower), controlled by the new EBMX X30 controller (the upcoming controller update to replace the trustworthy EBMX X9000). Power comes from a 3.1 kWh swappable battery pack designed for quick changes in the pits or on the trail.
With a 1350 mm (53″) wheelbase and full-size 21″/18″ wheels, it’s compact but still fully moto in feel. Suspension is handled by custom-tuned Sirris components: 245 mm of travel front and rear via a 43 mm inverted fork and R46 rear shock. The narrower 100 mm rear tire keeps things nimble and responsive.
Bonnell 805 Specs:
- 30 kW peak power (~40 hp)
- EBMX X30 controller (New version of the current X9000 model)
- 3.1 kWh swappable battery
- 1350 mm wheelbase
- 245 mm travel (Sirris 43 mm fork / R46 shock)
- 21″ front / 18″ rear wheels, 100 mm rear tire
This is a bike that looks ready to fill the gap between lightweight electrics and full-size MX, especially for trail riders and aggressive weekend warriors who want a more maneuverable machine without sacrificing performance.
The Bonnell 902: The Premier Machine
The 902 is Bonnell’s halo bike — a full-featured, near-full-size electric dirt bike designed to push the boundaries of eMoto performance. Everything on this machine is custom-built, from the frame to the drivetrain, with numbers that rival or exceed 450-class gas bikes.
Peak power is a staggering 46 kW (over 60 horsepower), delivered through the new EBMX X42 controller and a custom high-torque motor. A massive 6.6 kWh swappable battery provides the juice, and Bonnell is also developing a lighter “race pack” battery option for competition use with a focus on saving weight and increasing performance.
The chassis is built around a 1440 mm (56.5″) wheelbase and features a hydroformed aluminum swingarm, integrated gearbox, and a high-clearance frame designed to tackle aggressive terrain. Suspension travel is 285 mm front and rear, using custom-spec Sirris components developed specifically for the 902 after more than a year of R&D.
Bonnell 902 Specs:
- 46 kW peak power (60+ hp)
- EBMX X42 controller
- 6.6 kWh swappable battery (race packs in development)
- 1440 mm wheelbase
- 285 mm travel (custom Sirris suspension)
- Hydroformed swingarm and integrated gearbox
- 21″ front / 18″ rear wheels
From what we saw, the 902 isn’t just a showcase for raw power, it’s also packed with thoughtful design, like a swingarm wide enough to clear big off-road tires, and a frame layout that keeps weight low and centralized. It looks like it was built to go head-to-head with anything on a starting line.
Shared Features and Smart Tech
Both bikes share a handful of innovative features that highlight Bonnell’s tech-forward approach:
- JoyCon bar-mounted controller: A programmable index finger lever that can be used for regen braking, electronic clutch simulation, or inabling/disabling other custom functions. Riders can set it up however they want.
- Three display modes: Precision, Performance, and Race — each offering different data layouts depending on the ride style and scenario.
- Built in lap timer: The display has a built-in lap timer mode where you can log lap after lap and have easy access to view lap data and current progress while on a lap.
- Five fully tunable ride modes: Controlled through a smartphone app, each mode can be adjusted for power delivery, throttle response, regen strength, and more. Flash updates happen automatically when you reconnect to the bike.
- Traction control: Both bikes monitor front and rear wheel speeds to help manage grip in loose terrain, reducing wheelspin without dulling the throttle.
- Wheelie mode: Using the onboard IMU data from the 6 axis gyro and level sensor, you can fully customize wheelie mode to let the bike manage the lean angle while on one wheel to learn how to ride wheelies better or to help keep that front wheel just off the ground when going for the hole shot.
These aren’t just high-performance machines, they’re built to be rider-adaptable and user-tunable, giving riders real control over how they want the bikes to feel on any given trail or track.
What’s Next for Bonnell
While we didn’t get to test the dirt bikes firsthand, everything we saw in Moab points to a brand that’s doing things the right way: testing in the real world, building from clean-sheet designs, and drawing from years of racing and aftermarket experience.
Bonnell’s 775 mountain bikes, including the 775 MX, Touring, and All-Mountain models are available now. The 805 and 902 electric dirt bikes are expected to launch in late 2025, with final testing and development currently underway.
We plan to be among the first to throw a leg over both models when that time comes. Until then, stay tuned. We’ll be following this story closely as Bonnell continues to bring their next-generation electric machines to life.
