Land Moto District: A 70+ MPH E-Moto Anyone Can Ride
Paul Somerville
Rider Guide’s Editor-in-Chief is a seasoned expert in the electric scooter industry. With a wide-ranging background that includes managing scooter warehouses, selling thousands of motorcycles, and restoring high value (+1M) European sports cars, his expertise is unmatched. Having personally tested more than 100 electric scooters, he offers invaluable insights and recommendations to our readers. We are fortunate to have him as part of our team, as his diverse skill set and extensive experience ensure top-notch reviews.
When I’m not testing electric scooters, ebikes, etc., I spend a lot of time riding motorcycles.
My favorite is a 100 hp Triumph Street Triple, a bike I love for city and highway, and I can honestly say, after riding the Land District through the streets of Santa Cruz: this 72-mph street-legal electric motorcycle could replace my favorite gas-powered Triumph for city riding. It’s just that good.
Unlike a gas-powered motorcycle, however, anyone can ride this thing. The Land District has no clutch and no gears, and its four modes make it an e-bike, e-moped, and e-moto all in one. Ramier has never ridden a motorcycle before in his life, and after riding the District for miles, he agreed, “anyone can ride this.”
Is the Land District a Real Moto? Yes
It’s no wonder the Land District feels like a real motorcycle. CEO of Land Scott Colosimo, started out making gas-powered bikes in 2009 with Cleveland Cycle Werks.
When Colosimo switched from gas to electric in 2020, he did so, he said, because electric battery and motor technology had surpassed the traditional motorcycle engine.
It’s got no passenger pegs, but otherwise it feels like a traditional motorcycle build. In fact, each Land is still hand-welded in Cleveland, built with a familiar motorcycle frame and conventional motorcycle controls (except the start button changes modes!).
Let’s talk about other traditional moto hardware: we’ve got a proprietary 120mm Land fork, a Domino throttle, tapered, dirt-bike-style bars, Magura brakes, a 100mm Fox float EVOL air shock, and 17” wheels with a Pirelli 90 up front and 100 on the rear.
The bike is chain-driven, with haptic feedback that lets you know it’s running, and the sound of its drivetrain is authentic – no speaker emulation anywhere. It comes in two classic styles Street or Scrambler, with the same price and performance. The Scrambler has knobby tires and a higher front fender for off-road riding.
Although the District feels like a real bike in every way, it weighs over 150 pounds less than my Triumph, and you can feel the difference. Smaller is more maneuverable in the city, and much easier for beginners to handle. No beginner should start with my 415-pound Triumph.
It’s hard not to keep saying “Land Moto” since it’s such a cool name, and Land makes such great motos.
But, they’ve actually changed the brand to Land Energy to reflect the fact that they make their own battery packs by hand, in-house, just like their bike frames.
Batteries come in three sizes: 1.8kwh, 3.6kwh, and 4.8kwh. You get the same level of performance with each battery, only different mileage numbers, and battery packs are swappable and interchangeable so you can upgrade and charge your bike indoors without hauling it indoors.
Can Anyone Ride the Land District? Also, Yes
Aside from its battery and trim spec options, the Land District is itself customizable simply by switching modes. It’s actually three bikes in one.
In its first mode, it can be ridden just like a Class-3 e-bike, with all applicable regulations – meaning, in nearly all cases, no need for registration or an M1 motorcycle license. (Check your local laws.)
In mode two, the bike functions like an e-moped, with speed up to 38 mph and all applicable restrictions – meaning (in most cases), no registration or licensing required.
You could simply keep the bike in these two modes and it’s a perfect city ride, with enough torque for serious acceleration in mode 2.
Shift into modes 3 and 4, however, and you’ll need a license plate, insurance, and a motorcycle license.
In its last two modes, the Land performs at highway speeds and will command much higher prices for registration, depending on where you live.
We don’t get to keep our District – we just borrowed it for the day – and I’m not going to buy one (yet?). But I priced one for myself in California.
If I picked it up locally in Ohio, saving $650, the total package with registration comes out to around $10K. Again, it’s comparable to the price of my Triumph, and – incredibly – it performs just as well in the city.
The Land District, we have to say, definitely lives up to its name so far. I literally can’t think of anything my gas-powered bike does better for city riding, and I certainly wouldn’t miss hitting the gas pump with the Triumph. Check out the latest prices on the Land District below and see our full video impression of the e-moto above.
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