Turmoil behind the scenes
Damon has undergone numerous changes since it was founded. The company has changed its production site several times, gone through waves of uncommunicated redundancies and lost key managers. One of the co-founders, Dominique Kwong, left the company in 2023, but returned in December 2024 and took over the CEO position from Jay Giraud. This was most recently followed by the departure of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Derek Dorresteyn in February 2025. Dorresteyn, previously a senior engineer at Alta Motors, was a central figure in Damon’s technical development. His departure once again raises questions about the future of the company.
In a LinkedIn post, Dorresteyn said goodbye with the words: “It’s been an incredible journey working with the talented team at Damon Motors to develop the revolutionary HyperSport and groundbreaking HyperDrive platform. We’ve filed more than 40 patents and created an EV motorcycle platform that fundamentally changes range, performance and cost.”
While his post sounded optimistic, it remains unclear whether the company will ever be able to put the planned motorcycles on the road.
Production problems and lack of transparency
Another problem is the lack of clarity about production. Originally, production was to take place in Vancouver, Canada. However, the plans changed several times. In a Reddit post, the then CEO Giraud explained that the Canadian production facility was too expensive and that production would take place in California instead. This change was not communicated in an official press release, but only mentioned in passing. In addition, a video of the alleged factory was removed from the Internet.
These uncertainties have apparently also affected the production schedule. The market launch was originally planned for 2021. The date was later postponed to 2024. In August 2024, Giraud told Wired that production would begin in early 2025 and that around 1,000 motorcycles would be delivered by the end of the year. However, the company itself has now set a new target of 2026.
A motorcycle that hardly anyone has ridden
Damon had repeatedly shown working prototypes in the past, but only a few people were actually able to test them. Journalist Tim Stevens had the opportunity to ride a HyperSport on the Thunderhill Raceway circuit. However, the prototype lacked many of the advertised features.
“My biggest criticism was that I couldn’t test any of the promised assistance systems. The bike didn’t even have basic traction control, which made me ride rather cautiously with so much power and a race track. The seat position adjustment system wasn’t on board either,” said Stevens.
Even more remarkable: according to Stevens, the bike used controls from a BMW S1000RR. Such borrowed parts are not uncommon in early prototypes, but raise questions when a motorcycle is supposedly close to series production.
Financial difficulties and falling share price
Damon’s financial situation is not good either. The company went public at the end of 2024, but the share price has fallen by 80% since then. Investors seem to be losing confidence in the company’s plans. A former employee told RideApart that production would hardly be possible without a substantial cash injection.
“Will Damon deliver bikes to me and other pre-orders? Anything is possible, but under the current circumstances I think the chances are slim.”
While the company continues to emphasize that development is progressing and exciting times are ahead, the reality remains sobering. The former dream of a pioneering electric motorcycle brand could slowly fade away – and for many customers, this may mean that they will never receive the bikes they ordered.
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