Extreme sports event X Games, which features BMX, skateboarding and rally cross, has banned electric motorcycles from the freestyle motocross parts of its competition. The MX events aren’t races, but a series of artistic jumps and tricks performed indoors, with medals up for grabs. Three riders competed on Stark electric motocross bikes in the X Games last year, and two of them won medals.

X Games letter to this year’s entrants stated: “Our current competition formats are designed around the performance and characteristics of traditional gas-powered bikes, which remain the global standard for elite competition.” It’s thought that riders of battery bikes have an unfair advantage, with better acceleration on the short approach ramps to jumps. But the organisers have not ruled out including them in the future, adding: “We’ll continue to monitor the evolution of the sport and assess how new innovations fit within X Games competitions.” The 2025 Summer Games take place in Osaka, Japan in June.

Jim Freeman, chair of the BMF said: “I’ll bet that the organisers aren’t ruling them out, this sounds like a case of existing ICE competitors and their supporters using the ‘rules’ to exclude ‘unfair’ competition. That’s an old story in competition circles whether in AMA classes or the CMRC, instances which I didn’t have think about for more than a second. Be careful what you wish for, would be my advice.”

Written by Peter Henshaw

Image: Stark Future