An Australian class win, three manufacturers on one podium, and the highest outright finish an electric bike has managed at the Tennessee Knockout.

The 2026 Red Bull Tennessee Knockout (TKO) wrapped up in Sequatchie, Tennessee, marking a turning point for high-performance electric dirt bikes on the world stage. Across both the dedicated ECR eMoto categories and the open Pro knockouts, electric platforms proved they are no longer a novelty — they are running at the sharp end of the outright classification, and an Australian took a class win.

Aussie Spotlight: Giles Wins Sportsman, Hennessy Fourth in Prologue

Australia was represented by Adam Giles and Conor Hennessy, racing for the RFN Global Factory Racing Team on the RFN E15+.

Giles won the eMoto Sportsman class outright. Making his TKO debut, the international hard enduro veteran put the E15+ on the top step — on a bike RFN says only launched last November.

Behind him, Bonnell took second and Isaac Johnston third on a Zero, putting three distinct electric manufacturers on a single class podium.

Hennessy, back at the TKO after finishing second in the electric class in 2024, contested the Pro eMoto class alongside the Stark Future factory pair, and set the tone on Friday with fourth in class in the Prologue, a single second off third, and 25th outright against the full Pro field. “I made a few mistakes, but I definitely think there’s a chance for the podium tomorrow,” he said afterwards.

The organisers have posted finishing positions for the Pro knockout heats and the Final only, and neither eMoto class result has been published in full. We will update this piece with Hennessy’s final class placing once it is released.

Stark Varg Factory Push: Karlsson Fourth Outright

Stark Future brought its factory-level intensity to the Tennessee rocks, led by Eddie Karlsson and Toby Martyn. Both made the Sunday Main Event.

Karlsson delivered the headline performance of the weekend, taking fourth overall in the seven-lap Pro Main — beaten only by Manuel Lettenbichler, Trystan Hart and Billy Bolt, and finishing ahead of Jonny Walker and Cody Webb. It is the highest outright result an electric motorcycle has recorded at the TKO, twelve months on from Karlsson becoming the first rider to qualify for the final on an electric bike.

Toby Martyn backed him up in seventh, showcasing the Varg’s instant torque through the brutal rock gardens and the upper creek beds. Two electric bikes inside the top seven of a twenty-rider main event is the clearest signal yet that the platform belongs in the outright class rather than a category alongside it.

Bonnell on the Podium

Following their public debut at AIMExpo, the Perth-founded manufacturer went a step further than a pit presence, taking second in eMoto Sportsman behind Giles. Brett Baldwin took that second place, six seconds behind Giles.

Bonnell also entered Nathan Bilbrey and Rex Newton in that class, with Maxwell Beaupre contesting the Pro eMoto division alongside Hennessy and the Stark pair — real-world competition data for the 805 and high-output 902 platforms ahead of their late-2026 production rollout.

Overall Race Results

Manuel Lettenbichler claimed his fourth TKO crown and his third in a row, from Trystan Hart in second and Billy Bolt in third. Karlsson’s Stark Varg completed the top four, with Jonny Walker fifth, Cody Webb sixth and Martyn seventh on the second Varg.

Sources: Trackside Results (2026 Tennessee Knockout), RFN Global Factory Racing