Damon 2.0: Inside the Vision, with CEO Dom Kwong
- Buck City Biker
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Damon Motorcycles has been the subject of plenty of talk — excitement, controversy, and a long list of questions that once felt too big to answer. The company first hit the radar in 2018, and by 2020 the HyperSport had become its flagship vision, a halo product that drew serious investment and thousands of depositors eager to see Damon’s vision roll into their garages.
But as we previously reported, 2024 brought major changes: co-founder and former CEO Jay Giraud stepped away, and leadership shifted to co-founder — and now CEO — Dom Kwong. Since then, one question has echoed louder than the rest: what’s actually happening at Damon?
What’s the new direction? Who’s steering the company now? And, most importantly for riders, what’s the real status of the HyperSport?
We sat down with Dom Kwong to get straight answers to the questions everyone’s been asking. But first, a little background on Damon’s new leader.
Dom Kwong: The Engineer Now Leading Damon
Dom Kwong is an engineer at heart — calm, methodical, and firmly grounded in the belief that safety isn’t a feature, it’s a foundation. He’s also a legit rider with a soft spot for track days, but long before electric motorcycles entered the chat, he was solving problems most of us didn’t even know existed yet.
He started his career in the radio industry, building ways to move and centralise data across networks back when “connected” meant a pager on your belt. This was before smartphones, and even before the internet as we know it. Dom worked on integrating data control and management systems, helping broadcasters establish the early standards that quietly shaped modern communication.
"When I started my career in the mid-'90s, we were developing the very first wireless data systems. It was the early days of the internet. Transmitting data across the airwaves—that was just fiction at the time, and streaming was a pipe dream. I worked on high degrees of integration to have systems interplay with each other."
Dom later moved into more dynamic projects, engineering sports-focused heads-up displays for runners, skiers, and anyone who needed critical data without breaking stride. Working that closely with real users — people pushing equipment hard in real conditions — helped shape his instinct for understanding customer problems before they even show up.
"There's this old saying, an old cliché: It's about a product looking for customers. A lot of technology companies fall into that trap. If you're inventing technology first and you're trying to figure out the problem, then, frankly, you actually built it for yourself; you built a toy."
"I think that helped me early on. When we invented Damon, we started with the safety system. For Jay and me, it was a foregone conclusion because we're motorcyclists - of course we want this! And frankly, if I'm talking to another motorcyclist about the need for safety, it's a no-brainer. But the thing is, safety by itself doesn't sell."
The Damon Pivot — From Halo Bike to a Mobility Ecosystem
When Damon burst onto the scene with the HyperSport, it wasn’t just selling a motorcycle — it was selling a dream. A 200-mph, 200-hp, shape-shifting dream. But the company that exists today under Dom Kwong isn’t the same machine that set out to build “the world’s smartest superbike.”
Dom puts it plainly:
“We went from motorcycle company, to a personal mobility company.”
Rather than pouring all their energy (and all their funding) into a single high-end motorcycle, Damon is now positioning itself as a personal mobility solutions company — one that spans everything from micro-mobility and connected data systems, to last-mile delivery and high-performance machines. The focus has shifted to four core pillars:
AI-driven safety systems
Smart electrification
Connected services and data intelligence
User-driven design across multiple vehicle categories
"If you visualise Damon as a Venn diagram, it would be vehicle, technology, user experience, wrapped in safety. And we are all of that now. Our new strategy is in the areas of vehicle and technology; we can be the ones to provide both."
Damon I/O: The Brains Behind the Ride
At the core of Damon’s new roadmap sits Damon I/O — the system that turns every twist of the throttle into real, usable data. It’s the connective tissue between the HyperSport’s tech-demo role and Damon’s bigger push toward intelligent, safety-driven mobility.
"With our Damon I/O software platform, it's not just about gathering the data; it's about how we can add context in order to generate information and insights that lead to valuable actions. One action could be: how can I be safer? There are too many close calls—perhaps you need to leave 15 minutes earlier to avoid the rush."
"Whether it's traffic build-up or something else that limits your time, you're behaving more aggressively because you need to make up that time. And making up time on a motorcycle means speed and aggression - that's not safe. So how can we lower that temperature of speed and aggression? How can we give you time back?"
For a company that once took deposits from riders dreaming of a single, groundbreaking superbike, this pivot is a big shift. Damon’s new multi-platform ecosystem blends vehicle hardware, advanced sensors, machine learning, and connected services — a framework that can scale far beyond one halo product.
Dom isn’t chasing a future built on 100% proprietary hardware anymore. While Damon is still developing critical systems where none currently exist, the new strategy is about integration, not isolation: plugging into the wider industry, working with established manufacturing partners, and sharing Damon’s own technologies with the mobility sector as a whole.
"Look, I don't care whose vehicle it is. I don't care whose technology it is. Because we will go and find those technologies, or invent them ourselves. But the most important thing is putting it together in this holistic package. The user experience, the safety side of things. That's what we're trying to do. And frankly, nobody else is doing this. Nobody is looking at this holistic picture."
This shift cracks the door wide open for Damon’s tech to end up everywhere. If OEMs and service providers buy in, you could be running Damon I/O on your bike one day without even knowing it. They're not at that point yet — but that’s the road Dom is steering toward: full-sector integration, Damon’s data making riders safer, logistics smarter, and helping last-mile delivery hit with race-day precision.
If they actually pull it off, it’s the kind of industry shake-up we haven’t seen in a long time — and one that could genuinely change the sector.
Damon’s new strategy reads well for investors and industry stakeholders, and from a rider’s perspective, it’s hard to see the downsides. Safer riding, race-day telemetry, on-time deliveries — not much to complain about. But some of us ride for the disconnect, and with everything getting more connected, the question lingers: how connected is too connected? Sometimes, the open road should be just you and your bike. Call it old-fashioned, but here’s hoping there’s an off-switch.
All this talk of ecosystems and connected tech is exciting, but for many riders, one question keeps coming back: where does the HyperSport fit in now?
From Halo to Hero: The HyperSport’s New Role
"I love superbikes. My first motorcycle, which I sheepishly learned on, was a 1998 Yamaha R1. I still have it; it's in my house, but it's retired now."
That same love for high-performance bikes fuels a question every rider has been asking: Can you still get a HyperSport? When will it land? And for early supporters, what happens with deposits?
According to Dom, the HyperSport is still very much part of Damon’s future — but the picture around it has grown. Rather than being the business, the HyperSport currently serves as Damon’s technology demonstrator: the platform that validates their powertrain, AI systems, and next-gen safety architecture before those innovations filter into a full ecosystem of future vehicles.
"It's in our roadmap. But at the same time, we're taking the opportunity to re-evaluate how that vehicle makes sense for the needs of today. And so, we're building the 'HyperSport Race,' and that is the HyperSport that we have on our website, which we have been talking about for many years now. The all-singing, all-dancing version. It has all the advanced technologies that we decided to develop ourselves in-house, but it's going to take more time."
And the 200‑200‑200 dream — the one that grabbed everyone’s attention from the start: 200 mph, 200 hp, 200 mile range. Is it still on, or has Damon reined it in to fit the bigger picture?
"200, 200, 200: I think that it's great aspirationally. So when you break it down, which of these three things do you absolutely need? Some would argue none. But I appreciate those three numbers because they're from the high-performance category. That's what track days are for. I am a track day aficionado. That's what I love."
"But at the same time, this vehicle that we are producing with the HyperSport Race, it has some details that are different than the original HyperSport. The weight is much lower. It's 155 kilograms, it has a 135 peak horsepower. So, it's not 200, but it's like, hey, this vehicle, it can appeal to a much broader audience."
That’s where Damon’s MotoGP-linked program with Engines Engineering in Italy comes in. The partnership is designed to push the HyperSport Race — and its electric powertrain and AI systems — to the limit on track, gathering data and insights that will shape the next generation of Damon machines.
Timelines, Production, and the Big Question for Early Supporters
Dom didn’t commit to a public delivery timeline for the HyperSport — the hardest pill for depositors who’ve waited years without clear updates. Is it a cautious move? Probably, given the company’s past promises. He did reiterate that development is active and closely tied to the HyperSport Race engineering program.
Long timelines aren’t unusual when you're building a new platform in the e-moto world. According to Harley-Davidson’s 2013 sustainability report, the company was already ‘continuing to develop our first electric motorcycle, Project LiveWire.’ The production bike didn’t land until 2019 — a six-year development window that we know about. Harley later called it ‘a decade of learnings in the EV sector,’ which suggests the real timeline may have stretched even further before anyone outside the building heard a word.
Still, long-time supporters have legitimate questions. Many put down deposits years ago. Some are still all-in and want their bike. Others might be unsure whether the HyperSport that Damon is now talking about is the one they originally backed. So, we asked the questions riders have been asking us:
1. Can new customers still place HyperSport deposits? The company's official line is: "Damon is still accepting deposit reservations for the Premier, HyperSport, SX, and SE models. To place a reservation, head to the deposit pages." Deposit structures are still in place: For the Premier it's $1,000. and for the HyperSport, SX and SE it's $100.
2. What if someone wants their deposit back? Again, the company is clear on this: "Damon reservations are 100% risk-free and fully refundable up to the point in time you elect to apply your reservation to purchase a vehicle. Reservation deposits can be cancelled at any time." - Put simply, yes, you can get a refund.
If that's you, and you want to process a refund, you can log into your Damon user account and 'request a refund'. You can do this at any time before the bike is due for delivery, and all amounts will be refunded to the user's original method of payment. You can find more details on the reservation agreement at this link.
The Road Ahead
Damon isn’t just building a bike anymore — they’re building a blueprint for the future of riding. The HyperSport began as a halo product, a 200‑200‑200 dream that captured imaginations and pre-orders alike. Under Dom Kwong, it’s evolved into something more strategic: a platform where Damon’s AI systems, powertrain innovations, and next-generation safety architecture are tested, refined, and proven — before those lessons ripple across an entire ecosystem of vehicles.
Dom’s vision is ambitious: a fully connected, intelligent network of personal mobility solutions, from micro-mobility and last-mile delivery vehicles to high-performance motorcycles. The goal isn’t just better machines — it’s safer, smarter riding integrated with the world around us. Predictive diagnostics, connected services, and data-driven insights could benefit riders, fleets, and urban infrastructure alike.
For those who put down deposits or have followed the HyperSport saga from the start, the message is clear: the HyperSport isn’t gone, it’s reframed. The bad news is, we still don't know when it will be delivered, but for anyone who’s changed their mind, avenues exist to adjust or reclaim their investment.
The road ahead isn’t without risk. Pivoting from a halo superbike to a full mobility ecosystem is a huge undertaking, blending hardware, software, customer relations and partnerships in ways few companies have attempted. But that’s the gamble Damon is taking — the same type of bold vision that has always defined those willing to push the boundaries of innovation.
At the end of the day, the throttle is still wide open. The road is long, and whether you’re a rider or an industry observer, you’re along for the ride. The HyperSport, the technology, the ecosystem — it’s all in motion. The question isn’t just if Damon can pull it off; it’s how this next chapter might reshape the future of riding.
Ride safe, folks.
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