Canadian moto-designer Michael Uhlarik, who’s also spilled considerable ink as a bike journo, is headed to Damon Motorcycles, as head of design.
Damon is a Vancouver-based electric motorcycle manufacturer, which made headlines in 2019 when it debuted its ideas for moto safety technology. From there, Damon began plans to actually build the motorcycles which house this technology. The bikes actually debuted at CES in 2020, just before COVID-19 hit the world. Obviously, that impacted production plans, but pre-orders were still sold out in four days.
This year, Damon’s bigwigs continue to bring in investment (they’ve raised $30M in funding and $21M in pre-orders). The company’s leaders say they’ll start production in 2021.
Now, Uhlarik is on-board. It makes sense: Uhlarik’s been working on his own electric motorcycle designs for years (including the ill-fated Amarok P1, a middleweight electric sportbike that should have changed the battery bike scene). Before that, Uhlarik worked with Yamaha, Aprilia, Piaggo, Bombardier and other companies. Most recently, he’s been working with Bologna-based Engines Engineering.
(Of course, many CMG readers will remember Uhlarik from his articles on CMG, and years in Cycle Canada before that).
Uhlarik’s resume includes creating the Yamaha TZR-50 and MT-03 designs, as well as helping with the Aprilia Dorsoduro, SportCity and M1 MotoGP bike. All sporty machines, and no doubt that experience will help at Damon, where the company’s message is definitely on speed and performance as much as it is on safety.
“I’m excited to design the Damon motorcycles of the future and push those boundaries even further to cement the company’s legacy as the leading innovator in two-wheel safety, technology and performance,” Uhlarik said in Damon’s press release.
Along with Uhlarik, Damon also brought on Doug Penman as Chief Marketing Officer and VP. His previous experience is in tech, automotive and consumer products, with brands like Microsoft, Toyota and Coca-Cola. Damon says it now has more than 50 personnel on-board.
For a full view of Damon’s HyperSport electric motorcycle line, visit the company’s website.
What was the fate of the Amarok P1 ? I followed the build up by way of articles, videos and press releases through to the Pike Peak misfortune. Afterwards the odd paragraph appeared and seemed to imply it was crashed and the project abandoned. Full story anyone ???
Basically, after Pikes Peak, I think the hoped-for funding never came through.
It’s too bad development hasn’t continued. It was innovative with the monocoque chassis coming in near 100 lbs lighter then anything comparable. Cycle Canada referenced — When a 2013 track test of the Amarok went bad, Uhlarik was crushed. “I went into suspended animation with regard to the Amarok project,” he says. “I tuned out.” He didn’t expand on that statement as to what happened and the degree of damage.
No mention of his Suru Cycles project? Having a peek at the website, I see you can “pre-order” a 2019 model, so I guess it didn’t take off.
Such is the life of the entrepreneur. “98% perspiration, 2% inspiration,” etc., etc.
I liked Suru a lot. If it had the right backers, I think it would have made a lot of sense in urban areas.