Bonnell 805 RX Finishes Second at Tennessee Knockout
Bonnell came within six seconds of victory at the 2026 Tennessee Knockout, taking second in the eMoto Sportsman class.
Brett Baldwin put the 805 RX on the podium, finishing behind Australian rider Adam Giles on an RFN E15+. Isaac Johnston took third on a Zero XE, making the top three in the class.
Six Seconds Off the Win at TKO
Held in Sequatchie, Tennessee, the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) throws riders at steep climbs, rocky creek beds, boulder fields and technical descents. It's the sort of terrain that quickly exposes any weaknesses in a bike or its setup.
Bonnell is launching the 805 RX as the first model in its new electric motorcycle range. It puts out a claimed 56 hp, with a swappable 3.9 kWh battery and SIRRIS suspension developed specifically for the bike. Rider controls are adjustable, too.
Bonnell has been putting the 805 RX through its paces in competition. On 19 April 2026, Max Beaupre won the Pro E-Moto class at the Moab Hard Enduro in Utah on a prototype 805 RX. Bonnell says the result secured him the Pro Electric class title in the US Hard Enduro Championship. That's separate from Baldwin's second-place finish at Tennessee Knockout in August.
Bonnell says the 805 RX it races is the same bike customers can buy. Racing gives the team a chance to find out what works, what doesn't and where the setup needs tweaking. TKO was another chance to see how the bike holds up when the going gets rough.
The BCB Take
A second-place finish, decided by six seconds, is a solid result for Bonnell. But the real value of competition goes beyond the podium. Hard enduro is a brutal proving ground, exposing weaknesses in power delivery, suspension, traction and battery performance that are difficult to replicate in ordinary testing.
And then there's the Zero XE that took third, with 15.5 kW of peak power against the Bonnell's claimed 42 kW. It's a reminder that the specs only tell part of the story in hard enduro. How a bike delivers that power, finds traction and handles technical terrain matters, as does the rider's skill.
Stark has shown how racing can help refine an electric dirt bike, with lessons learned in competition feeding into the development of its machines. Bonnell now has the same opportunity with the 805 RX. Every race offers another chance to learn, refine the formula and build a better bike.
The Tennessee Knockout result gives Bonnell something to build on. Now let's see how far it can push the 805 RX.
Ride safe, folks.
