Hero MotoCorp isn’t a new name in the global motorcycle scene by any stretch. Back in its home country, the Indian manufacturer is the biggest motorcycle seller by volume, selling more than 1.39 million units in the first quarter of FY2025 alone. It’s fair to say it has a fair amount of experience churning out well-built, reliable motorcycles.
But that’s not all it does. Hero is also a relatively well-known name in racing circles. From Dakar to the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship, the company is an established presence in the global racing scene.
In 2022, Hero launched Vida, its electric vehicle sub-brand. So far, Vida has launched a few scooters, but nothing quite like its latest offering – a full-on off-road e-bike for kids. It’s called the DIRT.E K3, and is designed for kids aged four to 10, with one straightforward aim: to offer children a safe, purpose-built introduction to motorcycling.
Its unique selling point? It’s built on a size-adaptive platform, thanks to a three-position adjustment system that allows you to move between small, medium, and large size settings – thus ensuring that the bike “grows” with the child.
When tinkering with these sizes, you end up modifying the wheelbase and seat height (18 inches/450 mm, 21 inches/538 mm, and 25 inches/625 mm). All this while the riding position remains familiar, meaning your kid progresses without having to adjust to a new motorcycle each time.
The biggest advantage of this setup is that it enables you to make use of the motorcycle for several years rather than the kid outgrowing it like they do their MX boots. Vida says you can purchase both front and rear suspension as optional accessories, as per your kid’s skill level.
A 500-W motor powers the DIRT.E K3, paired with a 360-Wh removable battery. It boasts a top speed of around 15 mph (25 km/h) and comes with three ride modes: Beginner, Amateur, and Pro, all of which have their individual speed limits of 5, 10, and 15 mph (8, 16, and 25 km/h), respectively. Parents get to monitor their child's riding sessions, set speed limits, and even lock specific modes – all through an app.
As for the battery, it offers a runtime of around three hours, depending on the terrain, taking the same time to charge from 0 to 100%. That battery, by the way, is dust- and water-resistant, all thanks to a magnetic connector and a sealed enclosure.
There are also a fair few safety features on board. These include energy-absorbing materials in critical impact areas, strengthened wiring, a brake lever designed for smaller hands, and an emergency cutoff cable that shuts down the motor if the rider falls off.
The hardware, too, is fairly uncomplicated. You get a single 160-mm rear hydraulic disc brake, a 16-inch spoked wheel setup, and an overall weight of just 49 lb (22 kg). Additionally, kids can control the throttle with just their thumbs rather than a traditional wrist throttle setup.
The bike received the 2025 Red Dot Design Award and was the 2026 CES Innovation Award Honoree, too. For a sub-US$800 e-bike, that’s not too bad. Which brings me to the pricing: It’s been introduced for INR 69,990 in India. That’s just shy of US$800!
On paper, the Vida DirtE-K3 is an interesting idea, but a closer look at the hardware does raise a few questions – especially for folks who know a thing or two about motorcycles. Firstly, in its smallest configuration, the bike appears to sit deep into its suspension stroke, with very little visible sag left to work with. That’s not a good sign.
In addition to providing a rough, choppy ride, a suspension system that is on the verge of bottoming out before a rider even sits on it would eventually place excessive strain on internal parts – especially considering bumps, drops, and repetitive impacts are all part of the learning curve for a kid's off-road bike.
Next, while the adjustable frame concept is clever in theory, it does feel like a double-edged sword. While the DIRT.E K3's telescopic, scissor-style chassis allows it to "grow" with the rider, this type of design raises questions about torsional rigidity. Maintaining stiffness becomes much more challenging as the bike gets longer and higher, and any flex through the frame could result in poor handling or an uneasy feeling – exactly the opposite of what you want when teaching a young rider balance and control.
That is where its $800 price tag feels like a red flag. But let’s put it in context. The bike is meant for Indian consumers, and is priced on par with entry-level ICE scooters in the country, so it’s not exactly dirt cheap in Indian rupees. It strives to maintain a fine line between too expensive and weirdly cheap to encourage parents to opt for something like this for their kids.
It probably won’t break easily, and even if it does, parts would likely not be too expensive. If it does half of what it promises, it just might be worth a try. Would you get something like this for your kids?
Source: Vida
