This Canadian Military EV Motorcycle Has An Old Front End, And Three Swappable BatteriesRideApartinfo@rideapart.com (Jonathon Klein)Mon, September 14, 2026 at 12:13 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleNorthForge Dispatch EV Army MotorcycleGirder forks on an electric military motorcycle? Sure, why not.The world's special operations forces rely heavily on being sneaky as hell. You want to be in and out before anyone knows you were even there. Cause if you're loud and obnoxious, well, the mission you were tasked with can become the premise of a movie that goes on to win two Oscars.That need to be sneaky requires specialized equipment and training, with the former being one aided by the rise of electric vehicles in the last handful of years. And especially that of EV motorcycles, as they're light, agile, and offer a great blend of capability and field fixability—they're simple things, for the most part. Yet, while off-the-rack EV motorcycle options exist, i.e., your Zeros and Starks, sometimes world militaries need something far more specific and robust.And Canada's NorthForge thinks it has the answer with the company's latest design called the Dispatch, which features three swappable batteries, a design that wouldn't look odd outside the world of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and a girder front end.Pew, Pew, But SilentThis Egyptian Army ATV is Actually a Polaris Snowmobile With Wheels and a Machine GunWhat Does the Recoil Feel Like When You Fire a Heavy Machine Gun Off a Polaris RZR?AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Dispatch is centered around three swappable batteries, aimed at being quickly removed in a field situation, as well as if one fails, the others back the bike up, and won't leave the military forces stranded.According to NorthForge, "Dispatch is developed as a lightweight electric platform for defence, security and demanding dual-use applications with energy, equipment and field support considered as part of a wider battery-based fighting system." And diverse applications is correct, as the company claims that you can adapt the Dispatch to whatever the mission needs, including UAV support, logistics and resupply (they're aiming for a 440-pound payload capacity and 125-mile range), recon missions, and forward operations. The latter of which we've seen a host of world special forces utilize EV motorcycles for in recent years.But it was NorthForge's design, and its girder-style front end that made me stand up and take notice when I first came across it on our friends over at NewAtlas, as it's industrial brutalist, but that front end looks heavily inspired by girder-style forks of old. Or those used by Janus, as well as the old Confederate folks which became Combat Motors. It's a cool throwback, and one that I wouldn't have expected from an army-bred machine. Not because it's inherently bad or anything, just because when you're out in the field, you want off-the-shelf parts or something you can swap out relatively easily anywhere the mission might take you.This ain't that. That said, according to NewAtlas, "The Dispatch is made with an all-aluminum monocoque construction that helps simplify field repairs, assembly, and modification using basic tools. Apparently, you'd be able to disassemble the entire bike with just one tool, and then even reassemble it from a 5 x 3 x 2-ft crate in a matter of minutes."AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Dispatch is still in development, so things could change with that design. However, the Dispatch is part of Canada's recent investments into its defense infrastructure, and it's want for home-grown machines, so there's more than just smoke here. Also, it'd be cool to see an army-spec motorcycle with a girder front end.
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