Canadian company launches electric motorcycle that converts into a snowmobile

Electric powersports toys aren’t cheap. E-motorcycles can cost several thousand dollars more than their gas-powered ancestors, and electric snowmobiles aren’t cheap either. So it makes sense to want to combine the two to get the most bang for your buck. That’s exactly what Canadian manufacturer Daymak did when it rolled out the Daymak Combat.

This odd multi-role EV may look like an electric motorbike, but it’s designed to spend half its life as a snowbike as well.

That’s thanks to a clever set of track and ski attachments that can be swapped on in the winter for playing in the fresh powder. Then when spring rolls around and the weather is once again two-wheeler friendly, the wheels go back on for full motorbike glory.

Just don’t try to take it on the road, as this is a strictly off-road vehicle. It’s not intended to be street legal and so it’s meant more for private land shenanigans than commuting to work.

But at least it’s outfitted with decent enough specs to make those shenanigans look like a lot of fun.

The Daymak Combat sports a 5,000W motor that actually peaks at closer to 14,000W (just shy of 19 hp).

The bike carries a 4.8 kWh battery in the frame that matches the capacity of a number of other lightweight electric motorcycles hitting the market recently.

Daymak claims a modest 50 miles or 80 km of range from that battery, though the limited top speed of 44 mph (70 km/h) surely helps the bike ride more efficiently.

Of course anyone who has ever ridden off-road on small diameter fat tires will know that 44 mph feels pretty darn fast.

The Daymak Combat won’t come cheap, with the first 100 Founders Edition units selling for $13,995 ahead of June 2023 deliveries. Those that can wait until the end of 2023 can put down a $1,000 deposit for a $14,999 Deluxe Edition of the bike, though it’s not clear just what makes that version of the bike so “deluxe” or worth a $1,004 surcharge.

Daymak’s president Aldo Baiocchi explained that the new electric motorbike/snowbike hybrid is demonstrative of the company’s new direction:

This is part of the evolution at Daymak, to become a full fledge designer and manufacturer of great products. With over 20 years of experience, we now have the know-how, distribution, marketing, service and parts to completely build and create such an amazing product as the Combat Ebike.

The Combat ebike has been tested extensively in the Canadian wilderness over the last 3 years. Designed and tested by Steven Foster in Quebec, it can handle and fight any terrain or incline. You can ride all year long; snow or dirt!

Off-road fat tire electric motorbikes that lack street legal status might sound like an odd niche, but they’re actually growing in popularity. Fellow North American company Volcon created the Grunt electric motorcycle for just that purpose: a trail bike with fat tires that help it cover rough terrain and even cross rivers.

The Grunt can’t turn itself into a snowmobile, but at least it comes in at half the price of the Daymak Combat.

Other companies have created lighter-weight versions of hybrid street/snow bikes, such as electric bicycles that can convert back and forth between the two.

A hybrid snow and dirt machine may not be the first choice of every winter sports lover out there, but it sure saves room in the garage!