2027 Bonnell 805RX E-Moto Review

The e-moto segment is ever-evolving, and new players continue to emerge. Bonnell is one of these new manufacturers establishing themselves with a premium midsize option. Now-CEO Matt Wauters felt underwhelmed after souping up his own personal e-bikes and decided to build one to meet his needs. Thus, the 805RX was born.

Photos by Justin Lee

The 805RX is the brand’s first bike to market, with another full-sized “902” still in the works. The Australian-based company takes the 805 namesake from the 805 newton-meters of torque produced at the bike’s rear wheel. Our calculations put that at about 17 times more than a modern 450cc motocrosser. Despite being called a “midsize” moto, it rides on a traditional 21-inch front and 18-inch rear-wheel setup with a 35-inch seat height. This is about 2.5 inches lower than most of the full-size 250cc motocrossers. The bike weighs 218 pounds and sports a claimed maximum power output of 42 kilowatts or about 56 horsepower.

It rides on a forged aluminum frame with a hydroformed aluminum swingarm and a matching removable aluminum subframe. Sirris handles the suspension department with its F43 front fork and R46 rear shock, both offering 9.6 inches of usable travel. Sirris says they developed this setup specifically for Bonnell and did not simply bolt on the same suspension used on another model. A 240mm front rotor and 220mm rear are both mounted to Bonnell-branded brake calipers with dual pistons.

Five different ride modes come standard, all with varying power levels. There is also a reverse function as standard. The brand’s smartphone app allows riders to tune each mode individually, along with other factors like engine braking, battery regeneration, traction control and boost. Another unique feature of the Bonnell is its trigger finger lever mounted on the left-side handlebar. This trigger can be programmed to control the aforementioned special functions or act as a backup throttle if the bike suffers damage in a crash. It’s the only e-moto we know of with this option.

The 805’s display offers three layouts, plus a neutral function to limit surging when at rest. You select riding modes up or down with the buttons on the left-hand side of the bars, and pressing them simultaneously puts the bike into neutral mode. There’s a clear, audible beep each time you select a new mode.

At $8250 MSRP, the Bonnell 805 is on par with or just below most modern 250Fs. A growing network of dealers is helping fulfill orders, or you can simply order a bike through its website and have it shipped directly to your house. A full tool kit for your Bonnell comes standard, and a spare swappable battery is also available for around $1100 extra. Bonnell says swapping batteries is fast and easy and lets users keep riding once the battery dies.

For a full-grown adult, this thing is “midsize.” Even with the 21/18 wheels wrapped in Kenda tires, the ride height isn’t intimidating, and it feels comparable to a supermini or a capable trail bike. Think along the lines of a larger TT-R, CRF-F or KLX. The cockpit configuration is nice and neutral, with the handlebars, seat and footpegs all aiding in a comfortable riding position. At six feet tall, I thought the bike was on the smaller side but never felt too cramped. It feels like a larger pit bike and being “midsize” makes it feel flickable and easy to maneuver on track.

Setting up the 805 to ride is simple. Turn it on, select your power mode, and you’re ready to go. The bike makes a clear “beep” when changing power modes, and I toggled between modes one, two and three. Modes four and five were simply too much for this vet-style Supercross track during our test day. The display is bright and easy to read when you’re sitting still, but the bike’s compact design makes it impractical to check while riding. I never once looked down at the display during our test.

Power delivery is a positive for the Bonnell. The “engine” character is the closest to a real motorcycle, as the 805 lacks the “on-off” feeling most other e-motos have. Throttle input is smooth and consistently ramps up through the rpm as speed increases. Most e-bikes have a “surgey” feel at low speeds, but the Bonnell stayed calm throughout. It also minimizes the engine-brake feel when you cut the throttle. This was a huge plus as traction was limited on our hard-packed track.

Overall, the motor was definitely impressive. Even in mode two, I could jump over every obstacle with ease and tear down the fast start-straight on our tamed-down Supercross-style course. With no gears and no clutch, the 805 delivers near-unlimited power as soon as you twist the grip. Careful with that right wrist, though; once you open the cork, it’s like drinking straight from a firehose. I didn’t go higher than mode three, as I felt it was too fast for this track. Personally, I wouldn’t want to ride this bike in full 56-horsepower mode because of its compact size and smaller chassis.

Sirris suspension handled the track with ease. This brand is already a big player in the e-moto world, and its stiffer fork and shock for the Bonnell were up for the challenge of some “aggressive” motocross riding. The fork impressed me most, offering great small-bump comfort and a connected feeling with the front wheel. It never bottomed out, even when I overjumped or slammed through the rollers. The shock was a bit on the soft side, but at 190 pounds in full gear, I’m no doubt on the larger end of the midsize’s target market. With a fully adjustable fork and shock, I would keep tweaking these components if I owned a Bonnell.

No doubt the 805 is the best e-moto I’ve ridden in this midsize category. Battery life, however, is one major complaint. Even when fully charged, I was draining about seven percent of the battery per lap on this one-minute-long track. That means you’re only getting about 15 minutes of riding in the second power mode. Increase the power, and the battery life only decreases. Sure, you can swap batteries back and forth, but a spare battery is another $1100, and it won’t charge up fast enough in that 15-minute interval. This is still the inherent flaw with electric power, and unfortunately Bonnell doesn’t have the fix.

The brakes are another area that needs improvement. The 240-mil front and 220-mil rear discs look like those off a full-size motocross bike, but the power from the calipers simply isn’t there. For low-speed situations, they work fine, but at the top end of mode two, I struggled to get this thing stopped in time to make the turn. This bike has the power of a full-size moto, but the brakes feel like those of an engine-less mountain bike. I wouldn’t want to test these brakes in full-power mode.

Even with these constructive critiques, I call the 805RX the “pit bike pit bull.” It’s small in stature but packs a serious bite. The parts quality is evident, and there’s no doubt this team did their research building this bike from the ground up. It is by far better than a Surron and feels much more capable of meeting the demands of real motorcycle riders. I could see owning one as a serious backyard racer, but the price and battery life don’t seem ready for a true off-road adventure.CN

VIDEO | Bonnell 775MX First Ride Test – Is It Moto or MTB?

2027 Bonnell 805RX Specifications

Bonnell 775 MX E-MTB

Bonnell’s other two-wheel option is the 775 MX electric mountain bike. You might find yourself double-taking at this thing, as it appears to be some kind of franken-bike, like an e-moto meets a two-wheeled downhill pedal bike. And yes, it is all those things combined.

The 775 rides on a 4130 chromoly main frame with a 6061 forged aluminum rear end. A Suntour Rux 38 RC+ fork and Suntour Voro Coil shock offer 8.66 inches and 6.69 inches of travel, respectively. The bike is powered by a CYC X1 Pro Gen 4 motor, which puts out 280 Nm of torque and 6000 watts of peak power at the cranks. Magura brakes are mounted to a mullet-style 29/27.5-wheel combo and a single-speed drivetrain. Pedal-assist is available along with a more moto-style throttle on the handlebars. The 775 has three different power modes and weighs 75 pounds. It comes in three different sizes for riders of varying heights and has a starting MSRP of $5895.

For those brave enough to try, pedal-assist is an option on the Bonnell 775 e-MTB, but the single-speed drivetrain means you’ll spin out early and have no other gears to use when encountering a climb. For that reason alone, most riders will certainly opt for the throttle. With eight horsepower at your right hand, this thing is more motorcycle than mountain bike, and riders find themselves moto-ing on a downhill MTB chassis. Dirt jumps, fire roads, and pump tracks don’t stand a chance as the 775 eats up anything in its path.

This thing combines pretty much everything two-wheeled, and it screams fun. However, it is still pretty niche. It’s not exactly a mountain bike and can’t be ridden on most public trails. It’s also not exactly a motorcycle, and it won’t keep up with any mid- or full-size gas-powered moto. It’s somewhere in between the two and blends aspects from both of our favorite things, moto and MTB. Come to think of it, that might be what makes it so unique.CN

Click here to read the 2027 Bonnell 805RX E-Moto Quick Spin in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.