Damon Reveals the HyperFighter Colossus

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Damon Motors has expanded its lineup to include the 200 hp HyperFighter Colossus naked, which will have a limited production run. (Damon Motorcycles/)

Canadian startup Damon has already made headlines with its promised HyperSport electric superbike, and now the company has pulled the covers off an unfaired derivative called the HyperFighter at the CES 2022 show in Las Vegas.

Initially shown in range-topping form as the limited-edition HyperFighter Colossus, the bike promises remarkable specs that make its $35,000 MSRP seem surprisingly reasonable, though it’s not clear exactly how long the wait will be to receive your purchase if you’re brave enough to put down the $250 deposit to reserve one.

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Like the earlier HyperSport model, the HyperFighter also utilizes a central HyperDrive electric powertrain. (Damon Motorcycles/)

Under the skin, the HyperFighter shares its mechanical parts with the HyperSport that Damon first showed two years ago, and which has been edging toward production ever since. The heart of the bike is the “HyperDrive,” which is Damon’s name for the monocoque chassis that incorporates the batteries, motor, and control electronics, allowing all the other components to be bolted to that central hull.

The initial Colossus version of the HyperFighter features the highest specs of the range, and Damon only plans to make 100 examples. Its specs include a 200 hp version of Damon’s liquid-cooled electric motor, powered by a 20 kWh battery pack and delivering more than 200Nm of torque. The result is a claimed top speed of 170 mph—30 mph shy of the similarly powerful but fully faired HyperSport—and a range of 146 miles between charges. Those battery top-ups will take as long as 15 hours on a 110V supply, but the built-in fast charger will allow that time to be slashed to as little as 45 minutes (to 80 percent battery capacity).

Less plastic and angled LED lighting give the HyperFighter a different expression. The 32-inch seat height and 17-inch wheel size mimic the HyperSport’s specification. (Damon Motorcycles/)

Visually, the Colossus is set aside from the lower-priced versions that Damon says it will offer by its single-sided swingarm, carbon fiber wheels, and the usual combination of Öhlins suspension and Brembo brakes that virtually every high-end bike tends to adopt. The firm plans to have a lower-cost, full-production version with the same performance, called the HyperFighter Unlimited 20, which will lack the single-sided swingarm and high-end wheels, brakes, and suspension, but will ring in at a $10,000 cheaper price of $25,000. At the bottom of the line, Damon is also introducing the HyperFighter Unlimited 15 with a less powerful, 150 hp motor, smaller 15 kWh battery, 150 mph top speed, 120-mile range, and $19,000 price tag.

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Innovative rider electronics carry over too, with onboard AI, radar, and cameras delivering warnings to a dash display. (Damon Motorcycles/)

Although the HyperFighter’s electric powertrain and impressive performance claims would be interesting on their own, Damon is also promising an advanced suite of rider aids and electronics. Going under the “CoPilot” name, the system uses cameras and radar to monitor surrounding traffic, keeping track of up to 64 nearby objects in a 360-degree scanning area around the bike, and predicting their path. A cloud-based AI system promises to learn both your riding style and get better at judging the movements of other vehicles with time, helping improve the bike’s judgment in alerting riders about risks. When the AI spots danger, a combination of dash lights and haptic feedback through the bars brings it to the rider’s attention.

The HyperFighter also incorporates an adaptive riding position function, which moves the bars and pegs via a button. (Damon Motorcycles/)

And the innovation doesn’t stop there, as Damon is also determined to bring the idea of an adaptive riding position to production. While that’s an idea that’s featured on multiple concept bikes, right back to the 1989 Yamaha Morpho, we’ve yet to see production machines adopt it. Damon calls its version of the idea “Shift.” It electrically moves the bars and pegs up or down at the touch of a bar-mounted button, switching between an upright, comfort-oriented riding position and a race-style crouch. All versions of the HyperFighter are intended to have the system, as is the HyperSport (which also alters its screen height at the same time to suit the Shift setting).

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The HyperFighter series will also include the lower-priced HyperFighter Unlimited, which will be available in two power options. (Damon Motorcycles/)

Damon says that it will have an online configurator for the HyperFighter Unlimited models on its website before the end of Q1 2022, allowing customers to spec out the machine to their own tastes with an array of body kits and graphics options. However, early-adopters prepared to put their names down can already reserve them via damon.com, with a refundable deposit of $250 for the Colossus or $100 for either of the Unlimited models.

Breaking into the motorcycle market as a new manufacturer isn’t easy in the best of times, and Damon’s combination of ambitious technology and high performance from an electric powertrain makes it even harder, but what the firm has shown so far looks impressive; we’ll be watching very closely to see where the project goes from here.

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