This an article about how you can charge the KTM Freeride E-XC in the USA
KTM is headquartered in Europe, Austria to be exact. When KTM built the KTM Freeride they released more units in Europe and only did a small pilot program in the USA.
I am no electrician but I do know that Europe’s power grid is different than what we have in the USA. The plugs are different and so is the voltage.
Whenever you travel to Europe you also find out that each country typically has its own plug system and voltage as well. This leaves you with a bag of different plugs in order to charge your stuff.
When we purchased our 2020 KTM Freeride E-XC we weren’t 100% sure how to charge it.
So, we turned to the internet.
Turns out there really isn’t any good information on how to charge the Freeride here in America. We spent time watching YouTube, reading on forums, and talking to the dealership that sold us the 2020 Freeride.
In this article we talk about what we have learned about charging the KTm Freeride E-XC. If you want to see a review of the 2020 KTM Freeride E-XC -> CLICK HERE
How to charge KTM Electric dirt bike in the USA
- Make sure you COMPLETELY run the KTM battery pack out of power before charging for the first time
- The Charge pack requires 220 Volt
- KTM provides 220v L6-20 plug
- The L6-20 plug is not standard in USA
- The charger will not use 110v
*** NOTE: It’s worth mentioning again. KTM recommends that you run the battery completely out before charging it for the very first time. This is mentioned in the 2020 KTM Freeride E-XC owners manual and also the dealership confirmed this information.
Step By Step on How to Charge the KTM Electric Dirt Bike in the USA
1. Make sure Battery is completely dead
2. Plug the KTM provided charger into the KTM PowerPack
3. Then make sure KTM charger is set to Fast or normal charge speed
4. Make sure the Switch on the KTM charger cord is set to off
5. Plug the KTM charger into 220v outlet
KTM does not provide a standard plug that will easily plug into a 220v that we have here in the USA. This is a problem that I am not quite sure why KTM didn’t go a little further and provide us with a cable that would work here in the states.
The plug you get is an L6-20 Plug. At first, I had seen a plug like this and tried to find one at the local hardware stores and RV camper store. There are larger L6-30 versions that plug into let’s say a generator.
They provided KTM L6-20 is a male so we needed an L6-20 female that would adapt to a 220v dryer 4 prong plug.
This led to lots and lots of research online. Finally, I found an Adapter Cord NEMA 14-30P Male to L6-20R Female, 20A, 250V.
Parkworld Adapter Cord NEMA 14-30P Male to L6-20R Female
This is the cord I purchased to see if it would work and we would be able to charge the KTM Freeride E-XC with our standard dryer outlet.
Below is the link to the Amazon listing where I purchased this adaptor from.
CLICK HERE to BUY This adapter
Now, the question everyone is wondering…
Does the Adapter charge the 2020 KTM Freeride E-XC?
Once this arrived from amazon it was time to try it out. L6-20 Female to NEMA 14-30. The female L6-20 plugged into the KTM provided plug adapter for the Freeride battery charger.
Once I followed the 5 steps that I mentioned above, I plugged the charger in to see if it would work. I got power….and no errors.
IT WORKED! we were able to charge the KTM Freeride electric dirt bike in the USA
I chose to keep the charging setting to normal. You do have the option to do a fast charge or normal charge. KTM claims in the owner’s manual that the FAST charge setting will charge the KTM Powerpack HV in 105 minutes. The normal charge setting will charge the KTM Powerpack HV in 135 minutes.
The charging will start automatically.
In charge mode Fast, a steady current of at least 13 A is required.
In charge mode Normal, a steady current of at least 10 A is required.
On the KTM Charger, you have LEDs that show the charging level of the powerpack HV.
- LED 1 = 20%
- LED 2 = 40%
- LED 3 = 60%
- LED 4 = 80%
- LED 5 = Flashes with around 95%-100%
What to do once the 2020 KTM Freeride E-XC battery is fully charged
- Turn off the switch on the battery charger cable
- Disconnect the charging cable from the power outlet
- Disconnect the charging cable from the Powerpack HV
Once the KTM Powerpack HV is fully charged you need to first turn off the switch on the battery charger cable. Once you turn the switch off disconnect the charging cable from the power outlet. Then disconnect the charging cable from the KTM Powerpack HV battery.
Long Term 2020 KTM Freeride E-XC battery storage and charging
KTM recommends that before you decide to use the storage charging option that you need to run the KTM powerpack HV battery down below 30%.
This is recommended in the owner’s manual.
What have we learned about charging the KTM Freeride Electric Dirt Bike in the USA?
- You cannot use standard 110v it has to be 220v
- The provided plug does not work with USA plugs
- You can get an adapter L6-20 F to 14-30 M
- There are 2 batteries the Powerpack HV and a small 12v battery.
- If you take the Powerpack HV out to charge it will not charge the 12v
- Make sure you follow the process to connect and charge the Powerpack HV
Does the new longer lasting KTM 2020 battery fit the older 2017 Freeride available in usa
I have been told that it does fit the older 2017 Freeride model.
So far I cannot recommend spending the money on the bike. I have had problems with my 2021 KTM sx-e5 starting with the first day I brought it home. My son and I have now missed two weekends of riding because of some error that keeps revealing itself when we attempt to start the bike. The first time it happened we returned it to the dealer which took them a couple of days to fix. Almost 4 hours of driving to get it back home with the hope and promise that the problem was corrected. From there, we had two solid days on the bike with no issues. Third time out however, bike would not start and gave me the same beeping error as before. I do not know what the dealers nor KTM’s response to this problem is going to be yet however, the lost time riding with my son and the disappointment that comes with not being able to ride on weekends you had planned to is not what we expected or bargained for.
Can you charge it Externally?
KTM really messed up not providing normal US cables. I purchased my 2022 freeride last Friday, and ended up missing my ride on Sunday. Dealer was clueless (they thought the charger unit was a second battery, LOL), and the battery charger documentation provided was completely worthless. Saturday and part of Sunday was filled with 6 trips to the hardware store. Nobody carries the adapter I needed in stock. I ended up custom assembling by myself a cable that converts from 10-30R male to L6-20F with parts from Home Depot. Plugged it in, and it worked flawlessly. If you choose to do this, be very, very, very careful you get the wiring right, or you will build yourself an accidental arc welder.
This adapter cable can also be purchased, but there was simply no way that I was going to wait on Amazon delivery to go ride my new bike.
Upside: I learned how to make 220V power cables.
Downside: I missed springing it on my buddies as a surprise and didn’t get to ride. It was not so much “ready to race”, and screwed up my weekend plans.
KTM dealers ought to keep one or both of these adapters in stock. They would be doing their customers a HUGE favor.
I think I will also pick up the “dryer” and “RV” plug adapters so I can easily grab juice when in a campground or from a generator when I’m out for a multi-day ride.
I completely agree. I finally had to order the right cable from Amazon but it worked once I figured out. The dealership has ZERO clue how to help either.