Last year, I wrote about the Zero Motorcycles' MMX Electric Bike being looked into the by US Special Operations Forces for use. Now, DARPA has been reported to be looking into a mixed-powered stealth motorcycle that can be used by Special Forces and have awarded Defense Contractor Logos Technologies and motorcycle maker, BRD.

This was annouced at Logos Technologies' website.

Compared to Zero Motorcycles' MMX, the new team will be developing on BRD'S RedShift MX, a barely legal electric race bike.  Logos Technologies will be using their "quieted, multifuel hybrid-electric power system with a cutting-edge, off-road electric motorcycle platform developed by BRD. "Once successfully implemented, they will have created the "first two-wheel-drive, multifuel hybrid capability has been integrated into a full-size off-road motorcycle."

In short, the DARPA stealth motorcycle project aims to have a motorbike that can run on electric and other fuel sources.

The question really is, why a hybrid solution rather than build a purely electric bike?

The electric motor can be used for stealthy approaches such as outflanking an enemy or doing a special operations raid where noise discipline is very much important and we all know how noisy dirt or road bikes can be. You can hear them from a mile away. However, battery technology is still not able to give enough range to the bike as relying solely on batteries for longer distances will add more weight to the bike which could have been devoted to bringing more gear. The fuel tank will provide more range when needed and noise is not much of a concern.

In a report from CNN, motorcycles are more useful vehicles for special operations where speed is very important. The experience of operators from MARSOC in Afghanistan prove the motorcycles can go to locations where other vehicles cannot, and the Taliban heavily rely on motorbikes to go into ambushes. Learning from the enemy, the MARSOC guys got some Chinese-made bikes sourced locally which they customized for operations purposes. From thereon, tactics were developed and a training program was the introduced.

The soon to be released book about the MARSOC, Level Zero Heroes, which follows "MARSOC Motorcycle Gangs in Afghanistan."

Indeed, electric motorcycles are now getting heavy civilian and commercial use these days and it won't be long that the military will be devoting more resources for electric or hybrid powered vehicles for purposes of stealth and cost-effectiveness in fuel. The DARPA project with Logos Technologies and BRD should give operators the best of both worlds packaged in stealthy dirt bike.