Yesterday was important for the global E2W industry as Damon Inc., the developer of the 200mph capable HyperSport electric motorcycle, started trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker ‘DMN.’
At the close of trading yesterday, DMN had a market cap of nearly USD 50m.
Listing on Nasdaq isn’t just a financial milestone for us; it’s a powerful affirmation of our mission to transform urban mobility and future-proof motorcycling.
– Jay Giraud, CEO and Founder of Damon.
The Hypersport
Damon Motorcycles has been developing the HyperSport fully-faired sports motorcycle for some time now. They have raised funding from a host of investors, including Benevolent Capital, Indika Energy, SOL Global Investments, and Zirmania.
Developing very fast electric motorcycles is extremely difficult as the performance envelope is challenged by increasing weight, thermal management, wheel torque, and motor revs. Solving for all together is a challenge, but that is what HyperSport comes closest to doing in the electric motorcycle universe. It weighs 200kg, develops 200PS and 200Nm, and can do 200mph. Further, Damon also claims a 200-mile range on the top variant with the 20 kWh battery pack.
Damon achieves that with a precision-cast aluminum monocoque structure that uses the battery as a structural member. They call it the HyperDrive. That and a 400V architecture with a high-speed motor and an integrated reduction gearbox are the motorcycle’s key components that stretch the performance envelope in every way.
The HyperSport’s biggest contribution to the equation of large electric motorcycles is that at 1 PS/kg, it brings the power-to-weight ratio very close to that of a high-performance sports ICE motorcycle like the BMW S 1000 RR (1.08 PS /kg).
Shift™
The other innovation in the HyperSport is the Shift™ system, an electronically adaptive ergonomics setup that transforms the riding position from sport to commuter on the fly. This may be a differentiator, as most buyers are saddled with one riding triangle when they purchase any motorcycle. Adjustable ergonomics allow two settings and expand the HyperSport’s Total Addressable Market (TAM) envelope.
CoPilot™
The company’s other technology play is the ADAS system CoPilot™, an AI-enhanced 360º collision warning system. Damon was amongst the first in the business to develop an ADAS suite for a motorcycle. This technology is immensely relevant as high-speed motorcycles are vulnerable under highway traffic conditions.
Pending Orders and Industrialization
The company claims it has USD 100m of pending orders for the HyperSport and its naked variant, HyperFighter.
Damon says that the HyperSport’s high performance places the company squarely in competition with premium gas-powered superbikes, with the bulk of its orders coming from owners of Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Kawasaki, and BMW motorcycles, whose median age is 19 years younger than the American average motorcyclist. In addition, a surprising 24% of Damon’s reservations are from people who do not currently own a motorcycle, and 10% are from people who have yet to obtain a motorcycle license. Such demographics reflect a significant shift toward products that resonate with the modern rider’s values; people seek safer, smarter, and cleaner alternatives that deliver advanced technology and exceptional performance, Damon says.
Due to a funding slowdown, HyperSport’s industrialization has been frequently delayed. Damon’s Nasdaq listing is important as it likely gives the company access to funds that may help accelerate HyperSport’s production and development of future models.
Impact
Teams like the one at Damon stretch the boundaries of what is achievable today with electric motorcycles. Though not yet in production, what Damon claims for HyperSport is impressive. A structural battery pack, a high-voltage system, or a 15,000 rpm+ motor are not unique in isolation. Many brands – Livewire, Lightning Motorcycles, Stark Future, Horwin, and many more – have been developing a structural battery pack and/or a high-revving motor, sometimes both. Damon has been the leader of that pack, having developed both and set standards in lightweighting. This makes them unique. That, along with Shift™ and CoPilot™, means that we have a technology suite from which the rest of the industry can benefit and benchmark against.