BMW Motorrad has bought into Slovenian electric motorcycle start-up Venna, signalling its interest in the burgeoning electric off-road market. Could this be the Bavarian manufacturer’s way back into the dirt-bike business? We think it might.
The partnership will combine Venna’s electric motorcycle development expertise with BMW’s vast engineering, manufacturing and industrialisation experience. Venna will remain an independent party, retaining its own development programme and operating structure while benefiting from BMW’s backing and global expertise.
Neither company has disclosed the size of BMW’s investment or exactly what the partnership will produce, but the focus is clearly on battery-powered off-road machinery.
BMW is no stranger to dirt bikes. The company has tried to crack the off-road market a handful of times over the years, without ever quite sticking the landing.
Its acquisition of Husqvarna in 2007 proved successful between the tapes at least, with Antoine Meo and Juha Salminen delivering world titles in 2010 and 2011. But despite those competition accolades, the Bavarians sold the Swedes to KTM’s parent company in 2013, bringing BMW’s brief ownership spell to an end.
In between the Husqvarna years, the G 450 X tried to reinvent the off-road wheel and, while it wasn’t without success, the bike had more than its fair share of gremlins and never quite hit the mark as a commercial endeavor – likely not helped by star man David Knight parting ways with the factory team just four rounds into his first season with BMW.
This latest move brings promise, at least – leccy bikes are becoming big business, if perhaps not quite so at the racing end of the sales spectrum. Venna, formerly known as Flux Performance, is not another rebadged Sur-Ron producer for the balaclava brigade, instead producing kit à la that of the likes of the Stark Varg, Bonnell and Radian.
For reference, the Primo (Venna’s current flagship) features a pukka aluminium twin-spar frame with full-sized KYB forks and an Öhlins shock out back, an 85bhp water-cooled motor in the middle paired with a two-stage straight-cut transmission, and a virtual clutch lever that also doubles as a regenerative braking control. It churns out a claimed 553lb.ft of torque at the back wheel or 369lb.ft when measured at the output shaft and features customisable throttle maps, plus a substantial (and swappable) 7.92 kWh battery. All that comes with an early reserve price of €12,500 (£10,800) ($14,700).
The company has also been building an experienced team, bringing in people with backgrounds at Alta Motors, CAKE and Stark Future, including the latter’s former chief vehicle engineer César Ferreira, who joined the Slovenian side as CTO in 2025.
If the two can strike the right balance between Venna’s innovation and BMW’s industrial might, the partnership could be a lucrative one. And should BMW stick its badge on a full-sized enduro or cross machine built around Venna’s technology, it would become the first of the old money manufacturers to bring an electric competition bike to market.
Yamaha and Honda are still holding out despite possessing what looks like the finished article. Suzuki being Suzuki has yet to even consider electric start on its RM-Z, let alone an electric powertrain, and Kawasaki has seemingly put its eggs in the hydrogen basket since initially filing electric patents back in 2024.
For now, BMW has confirmed no new production plans or launch dates as part of the deal, though the marque’s CEO Markus Flasch has described the venture as one which “opens opportunities for us in a new segment and helps us inspire new target groups with the fascination of motorcycling.”
Marko Ukota, CEO of Venna, added: “Our ambition is to build high-performance electric motorcycles across all riding categories that will unlock new levels and possibilities to our riders. BMW Motorrad’s investment is a huge seal of approval to our passion and our technological approach. This partnership supercharges our ability to deliver advanced technology, reliable industrialization, and to do it fast.”
