Spotting Powersports Trends at AIMExpo 2024

This year’s American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo)—the largest gathering of the US powersports industry—took place from February 6 to 8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Here are a few notable trends from the show.

Growth of Electric Motorcycle Brands

The most significant trend at AIMExpo was the overwhelming number of new electric offroad and street motorcycles on the showroom floor. Most of the presenting brands were from Asia. The list includes Arctic Leopard, Caofen, Champ, GoWow, Icebear, Kollter, NIU, and Nicot. The electrification revolution is in full swing—and the electric power sports segment will only grow in the coming years. New providers will help drive innovation, disrupting the market with more affordable zero-emissions bikes.

Caofen F80 Offroad (Photo: Buzz Media)

For example, in August 2023, Arctic Leopard, a global supplier of high-performance electric off-road motorcycles, introduced the E·XE880 Cheetah Series, a full-size 450cc equivalent electric dirt bike available in 27 kW (37 hp) and 37 kW (51 hp) models. The company then competed in the 2024 Dakar Rally, the toughest multi-stage, multi-day rally race in the world. The rip-roaring 51-hp Cheetah has a relatively modest retail price of $10,999, with the 37-hp model priced at only $9,399.

By comparison, Stark Future’s 60-hp Varg motorcycle retails for $12,900 for its 60-hp model or bumps up to $13,900 for the 80-hp model.

Kollter CS1 Street Classic (Photo: Buzz Media)

That places the Chinese-produced Arctic Leopard electric dirt bikes in the same price range as most 2024 internal combustion engine dirt bikes, such as Kawasaki’s KX450 ($10,399) or the KTM 450 SX ($11,099). The market will only get more competitive. More brands mean more choices, including new models with lower and higher price points. Expect more electric motorcycle brands to arrive in 2024 as more manufacturers enter the two-wheel EV market.

GoWow Alpha All Terrain (Photo: Buzz Media)

The Resurrection of a Legendary Brand

The MSR brand is back. MSR, which represents “Malcolm Smith Racing,” is named for Smith, the off-road motorcycle racing icon. The 1971 motorcycle documentary On Any Sunday captures a previous era of free-spirit motocross riders, including Smith.

The MSR line includes helmets, boots, race wear, and goggles (Photo: Buzz Media)

MSR was one of the leading off-road riding and racing apparel brands in 1972—not long after Malcolm won the Baja 1000. In the 2010s, top motocross and enduro racers proudly wore the brand’s pants, jerseys, gloves, and other protective gear. MSR expanded to include a robust line of parts, including handlebars, grips, levers, shift levers, and luggage for dirt bikes.

MSR’s 2024 Axis line (left) and new ADV adventure apparel and bags (right). (Photo: Buzz Media)

Authorized Tucker Rocky dealers continued to offer MSR products until 2018, when the distributor sold the rights to online retailer Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. Shortly afterward, RMATVMC reintroduced MSR riding pants, jerseys, gloves, boots, helmets, and gear bags. Fast-forward to 2024, and MSR is again in the parts business with original designs that focus on quality and style and budget-friendly prices that will appeal to the moto masses.

Configurable Personal Mobility

In 2022, the Personal Mobility Device (PMD) segment surpassed $10 billion. The power sports industry now includes these PMDs—small vehicles used for daily urban transportation or by people who are injured or disabled. Aging baby boomers are also expected to use PMDs increasingly.

Although PMDs may seem like a boring, utilitarian sub-segment of an adrenaline-fueled industry, there were surprisingly unique models at AIMExpo that have the potential to transform the personal mobility space by making a vehicle that’s both practical and fun.

ENVO UPT (Photo: ENVO)

Enter ENVO, a Canadian manufacturer, brought its Utility Personal Transporter (UPT) to AIMExpo 2024. The UPT allows users to evolve the vehicle to personal needs via a base platform. For example, a user might purchase the UPT for quick, short trips to the grocery store or to help with yard work. Later, the owner can reconfigure the device into an electric wheelchair. The device was a lightbulb moment for me, as I could see the vision of one vehicle that could be reconfigured in numerous ways.

Ali Kazemkhani, chief executive of ENVO, told us:

There is a big gap in e-mobility between e-bikes and EVs like cars. To fill the gap, we could offer hundreds of niche products or a single platform customized to various use cases, from an electric ATV to a microcar. We’re introducing a micro truck configuration for anything you would do with an F-150 truck, such as garbage collection, material handling, tradesman stuff, and snow plowing.

The ENVO UPT offers mulitple configurations (Photo: ENVO)

In other words, consumers can buy a single flexible platform instead of multiple individual vehicles. They can then install accessories like carriers and trays, various seating options, gear racks, weather protection, and rear hitches for plowing and mowing. Instead of filling up your garage with multiple vehicles, the UPT uses an adaptable do-it-all vehicle design to evolve with its owner. Trick it out as you go.