Electric motorcycles have long struggled to gain a foothold in America, with most examples being too expensive with too little range for many buyers. One area electric motorcycles excel in is in the urban commuter space, where riders don’t need to travel very fast or very far. If that sounds like you, there’s a new electric motorcycle-like bike on the block that you might like. This is the Beachman ’64 E-Bike. It looks like a motorcycle and goes 45 mph, which is faster than a moped and faster than an e-bike, but it has pedals, and the manufacturer swears it’s an e-bike, so you don’t need a motorcycle license to ride it. Yeah, my head is spinning, too.
Electric motorcycles haven’t caught on as well as electric cars in America. Startup companies have been dropping left and right as Americans have largely stuck with gas burners. Even brands with tons of funding, like LiveWire, have burned hundreds of millions of dollars only to sell hundreds of bikes. A huge part of the issue is that a really good electric motorcycle might cost you $15,000, $20,000, or more. That’s a lot of money and would buy you an epic gas-powered motorcycle, or a handful of really nice used motorcycles. The issue is compounded by the fact that many electric motorcycles on the market cannot fast charge or do not carry enough range for a highway-based commute. I am a huge fan of electric motorcycles – it’s why I keep writing about them – but even I am waiting for the technology to get better.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to wait to buy an electric motorcycle. If you’re the kind of person who does most of their riding in an urban environment, electric motorcycles are actually pretty great. Some of the cheapest electric bikes are perfect for scooting around town, and because they aren’t trying to lay down 100 HP and don’t have massive batteries, they don’t cost an insulting amount of money, either.
It’s no surprise to see more companies come out with lower-cost, low-range electric motorcycles. But what I am surprised by is this new machine from Beachman, which claims to be an e-bike but, as you’re about to see, maybe shouldn’t be called an e-bike.
Born From Café Racers
You may not have heard of Beachman before because the Canadian company hasn’t been around for that long. Beachman helpfully gives its story on its website, and says the company started with a dream to build a 50cc café racer. If you’re not aware, a café racer is a type of motorcycle that traces its origins to Britain. Back in the 1960s, British motorcycle owners would cut all unnecessary weight out of their bikes and ride them between cafés. Anyway, here’s how Beachman tells its origin story:
The story of Beachman begins in 2016, as an idea for a retro brand that stood for the best in life. Experiences like enjoying an afternoon by the water or a weekend on the road. The goal of Beachman was to build incredible things that would make these moments even better. The iconic Beachman logo was designed in 2018 by Jeremy Grice after Ben described his vision over a casual Tuesday afternoon lunch. 3 years later, Beachman paid Jeremy for his pro-bono design with the delivery of his very own bike.
Fast forward to 2019, and our two founders Ben Taylor and Steve Payne have a chance encounter at a coffee shop. Ben, the creator of the Beachman name with the dream to build a wildly new 50cc cafe racer, and Steve, the wild cafe racer builder who could bring that dream to life – on the condition that the bikes were electric. This simple suggestion changed the course of Beachman forever.
In the fall of 2020 Steve completed work on the first prototype, a modified 1979 Kawasaki KZ200 which we simply refer to as “Zero”. With a battery system hand-built by Steve, a modern electric drivetrain, and authentic café racer styling, the pair knew they had something special. Around this time they found a factory who trusted the vision and was capable of building a production model. Using queues from Bike Zero and building off of a classic 70s 125cc platform, the first production bike was designed using mostly standard motorcycle and E-bike parts. After crossing their fingers, the founders ordered 30 bikes to be produced and prayed they would live up to the dream.
That’s why the Beachman looks like a café racer motorcycle – because that was sort of the point from the jump. Beachman says that the ’64 E-Bike (yes, that’s its full name) was released in 2022, with the company’s bikes being built in Toronto. Beachman entered the United States market in 2023. Beachman notes that its original launch came thanks to some major help from an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Last month, the big news from Beachman was the launch of its latest ’64 E-Bike.
The ’64 And Its Confusing Premise
The ’64 E-Bike starts off as Beachman’s custom frame. From there, Beachman stacks a café-style false tank up and top, and under that sits a removable 2.88-kWh lithium battery pack. A larger option is a 3.6-kWh pack. Beachman quotes a range of 55 miles to 70 miles, respectively. These batteries can be recharged by removing them and charging them from the wall, which gives you an 80 percent charge in as fast as three hours. They also capture some energy through regenerative braking.
The rest of the bike is a mix of e-bike and motorcycle. It has a motorcycle-style fork, seat, swingarm, and lighting, but there is also a set of pedals attached to the swingarm, like an e-bike. The pedals are placed a decent bit behind the main pegs, and stay folded away until you need to use them (which will be never, ideally).
Ben Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Beachman, says: “The DNA of this bike is a vintage motorcycle that exemplifies the feeling of freedom that can only be found on the open road with the breeze running through your hair. We feel the ’64 brings that timeless spirit into the modern era and makes it more accessible than ever before.”
Things get interesting when you look under the sweet aesthetics. Power comes from an electric motor good for up to 4.02 HP. This power is doled out in three modes: The lowest mode is “e-bike” mode, which limits you to 750W and 20 mph. Then there’s moped mode, which unlocks up to 30 mph. Off-road mode is the third option, which gets you to 45 mph.
It’s because of these power levels that Beachman calls the ’64 E-Bike a “Class II E-Bike or a Registered Moped (in most states).” By definition, a Class II e-bike is one that can run without pedal assist – just twist the throttle to go. However, because it’s still an e-bike, pedals must still be there to comply with Canadian regulations. Legally, e-bikes are limited to 20 mph. Beachman claims that this e-bike mode and pedals make it legal as an e-bike.
Mopeds are treated somewhat differently in some states. For example, in my state of Illinois, moped riders need to have a driver’s license, but not a motorcycle endorsement. Mopeds must also be registered and insured, and the vehicle must be capable of hitting 30 mph within one mile. A moped also may not have an engine or equivalent larger than 50cc.
Here’s where things get interesting, or aggravating, depending on who you are. When you receive your Beachman ’64 E-Bike, you get a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin so you can register your bike as a moped, or you can just ride it as-is. The modes are selectable at will, so technically, you can engage off-road mode and then ride in bike lanes or on paths. Yes, that is illegal, but there’s nothing physically stopping you from breaking the law.
Ignore that whole switch deal, and that advertised classification as an e-bike remains a big question mark. The Beachman makes more than the legal power limit for e-bikes, but the company continues to insist that it’s an e-bike, anyway.
Like A Motorcycle With Pedals
Something that’s pretty cool is that Beachman offers tons of customization options, from knobby tires and different seat styles to a GPS tracker and a surfboard rack. Also neat is the price, which comes in at $4,800. If you look at this as an urban electric moped, that isn’t too bad. Sure, you can buy cheaper e-motos, but those won’t have the classic Beachman style.
Things get exceptionally goofy when you squint and try to look at it as an e-bike. The Beachman ’64 E-Bike weighs 230 pounds, or much closer to a gas-powered scooter or moped than an e-bike. Common e-bikes weigh a lot less than 100 pounds. Shoot, the Infinite Machine Olto that Jim Motavalli rode for us weighs around 178 pounds.
This is really just another example of how bikes like the Beachman blur the line and muddy the waters between e-bike and motorcycle. Though this one just seems to be a motorcycle with some bicycle pedals grafted onto it. It will be interesting to see how regulations eventually catch up to these sorts of souped-up contraptions that call themselves e-bikes, but are really just motorcycles.
But for now, if you’re looking for a stylish way to get around a city, it seems like a Beachman could be a contender, but I’d consider it to be a motorcycle, not an e-bike. It’s seriously stylish, doesn’t cost a lot of money, and has a really low barrier to entry. Just be kind to others, and don’t ride this thing full chat at 45 mph down paths.
Update: Added clarifications to the post.
It’s nice-looking for what it is, and for those where the use case makes sense, perhaps worth looking into. I will say that besides a crotch rocket, cafe racers are one of the most uncomfortable kinds of bikes to ride on given the low handlebar geometry. If you’re tooling around town at modest speeds, the least you might want is to be comfortable, but maybe that’s just my bad back talking.
Anecdotally, I gather that some metro areas in the U.S. and Europe have been cracking down on ebikes in general: enforcing no-ride areas and issuing tickets/impounding bikes when they’re being ridden without the required registration/plate and insurance. Avoiding having to get a M1 (motorcycle) endorsement on your license by buying an ‘ebike’ with vestigal pedals isn’t some magical means to ride around at 40-50 MPH on public roads for free: in most places you still have to register it, keep it registered, and maintain valid insurance. And don’t forget, you’ll still need proper moto kit to be safe: a good quality helmet, etc…
I happen to be in Beachman’s exact target demo re: only making short trips around town and wanting something a bit less heavy than a traditional motorcycle. However, I don’t think I’ll be looking into this personally.
With all that said, I’d still love to read your review of this bike should you ever get the chance Mercedes. 🙂
The logo designer did a neat job; he deserved that bike.
Regulators have already caught up, “e-bikes” like this are already illegal in California.
CVC 312.5:(d) The following vehicles are not electric bicycles under this code and shall not be advertised, sold, offered for sale, or labeled as electric bicycles:
(1) A vehicle with two or three wheels powered by an electric motor that is intended by the manufacturer to be modifiable to attain a speed greater than 20 miles per hour on motor power alone or to attain more than 750 watts of power.
(2) A vehicle that is modified to attain a speed greater than 20 miles per hour on motor power alone or to have motor power of more than 750 watts.
With lights and mirrors, can it be registered as some sort of “homemade motorcycle” or kit bike?
Dunno, it’s worth a try I guess. At least you won’t have to fight for an emissions certification when it’s all electric!
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Besides emissions, mirrors, and lights, what else could they possibly want for legal registration?!
There are 10+kW spoked hub motors which would get you short jaunts at 50-60MPH with that platform, which would make for a dandy commuter and runabout like the old Zero XU.
A 17-lb Leafbike 1500W PMDC hubmotor with a 3T, 4T, 5T, or 6T wind can handle 10kW peaks for 1-5 minutes at a time depending upon cooling, winding choice, and operating parameters.
You can buy a ready-made bolt-on, finned, air-cooling solution called a Hubsink, and then install some ferrofluid inside the motor to conduct excess heat to the both the motor case and the hubsink.
The manufacturer of the Leafbike 1500W was overly-conservative with its ratings. This is actually a 2kW continuous motor(as in as long as you can provide infinite energy over time without rest), and for the duration it takes to discharge most e-bike battery packs, roughly a 4kW “continuous” motor(maybe 30 minutes constantly run at such power, the bottleneck being phase wire ampacity, which would discharge a 2 kWh pack within that duration of use). 4kW plus vigorous pedaling will get a mountainbike to 45 mph, and a velomobile such as mine if it had a very slippery shell, maybe 90 mph. So it’s plenty enough potential for power for any ebike build!
I have a design for aerodynamic wheel discs that reduce drag while still allowing decent cooling for the hubsink and motor case. They are based on the design for the 1982-1992 15×7″ Pontiac wheels, which are designed to allow rotor cooling while minimizing the drag entailed by it. I will probably have them 3D printed sometime this year.
“technically, you can engage off-road mode and then ride in bike lanes or on paths.”
Recipe for disaster. Take your 5k, use 1/3rd of that for gear, a few hundred for a safety course and the rest on a real, albeit used, motorcycle/scooter from a reputable brand.
Get trained, get licensed, get insured, obey the law and live to see your kids grow up. No one is giving out prizes for being an early adopter.
“No one is giving out prizes for being an early adopter.”
I mean, I hear Charles Darwin occasionally gives out prizes… 🙂
These on our bike path would bring instant scorn. We already have the male privilege pricks in their cosplay Tour de France get ups driving side by side and never yielding to oncoming bikers, and the occasional 30+ mph Rad bike riders not pedaling, this bastardization (although cool and for the road!) will find a twit going 50 and killing someone walking along with earbuds. Also >200 pounds? I want to see someone pedal that when the juice is used up.
I believe it was the eminent 19th-century physicist Lord Kelvin that argued: “play stupid games, win stupid prizes”.
“No one is giving out prizes for being an early adopter.”
Envious glances from a select few neighbors and fodder to blather into their ears are all the prizes those nearly adopters need.
As an avid cyclist, I can say without question that these pseudo-ebikes are truly a scourge. The only reason this abomination has peddled is to cheat the rules. It is far too heavy and inefficient to be peddled. May the people riding them on bike paths have them confiscated and crushed immediately. The people who sell them are complete assholes.
Companies are exploiting the loopholes. There is a survey related to their illegal activities:
https://forms.gle/6ZLz3doq9bXyMDYf9
That kind of scratch will get you an adorable Chinese e-scooter like an Eahora M1PS with a VIN and a plate, and no fake pedals. And those can be had with even more adorable sidecars. Or you could get a Super Cub if the e-part isn’t that important…
I’d love one to use as a low speed motorcycle. My last true motorcycle experience ended badly, with a scar from roughly wrist to elbow on one arm. E-bikes and E-cycles make me curious again.
This is exactly the sort of overpowered loophole machine I hate with the burning fury of a thousand suns because idiots ride these flat out on bike paths. Any throttle operated e-bike should be regulated like a 50cc scooter, license plate, insurance, and prohibited from bike paths and bike lanes. I ride 15-20 mph and having one of these blasting through a corner at 40 is a recipe for disaster. I almost got wiped out by a kid emerging from a tunnel knee down and using the full width of the path
Yeah… see I think the problem here is that the throttle is ever allowed to assist at speed. Throttles are actually fantastic safety and accessibility devices… at speeds which are like <10mph…. get started on a hill, get out of a busy intersection, people with inconsistent mobility constraints (keep on your bike despite the knee issue, but limited to very slow if its giving out).
This though… that's just fucking nuts.
Agreed. No bicycle should have a throttle. Pedal assist only and I personally thing they should be limited to 20 mph not 28 mph as they are today.
Yet 6,000 lb SUVs that approach 200 mph top speeds should remain perfectly legal?
If anything, ebikes should be unregulated to get people out of cars/trucks/SUVs. It would dramatically reduce resource consumption, reduce road congestion, and free so many working peoples’ budgets up that they might be able to make extraneous purchases or even save for retirement.
I’m perfectly fine with putting governors on cars too.
That said, SUVs don’t share walking paths with pedestrians but bicycles do. I’m all for alternatives forms of transport that get people out of cars. We should be spending far more on pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. However, bikes should be bikes – not electric motorcycles ridden a 45 mph or more on shared paths slaloming between walkers and actual bicycles.
I’m also well away of the glory of getting rid of a car. My wife bike commuted for 2 years before COVID and then we both were working from home in 2020 / 2021. In 2019 we cut back to just one car but had to buy a second again in 2022 when she took a different job with a 25 mile one way commute and my employer was back in office 3 days a week.
A big factor here is that the vast majority of people operating these bikes, at least where I live, are kids.
Little rich tweens in bicycle helmets and knee pads doing 45 mph on the sidewalk and then blasting through an intersection. Sometimes even at night like the damn Lost Boys.
Now that the average family truckster is built like a shunter locomotive and the average driver has all the grace of Michael Douglas in “Falling Down”, you can guess where this leads.
I can’t blame a 12 year old for being a dipshit hoon (at least without being called a hypocrite) but I certainly blame every adult involved with putting these bikes on the road.
I primarily blame the companies lying to their customers and claiming these are bicycles. Then I blame parents for not doing their research. And yes, I blame a 12 year old dipshit hoon because by 12 one should start taking responsibility for one’s own behavior.
I also blame sites like this one for parroting the sellers lies instead of flat out saying – this is not a bicycle and can never be legally ridden as a bicycle in public.
Unregulated e-bikes on roads is fine, my issue is doing 40mph on bicycle infrastructure
Yeah, if they want to be motorcycles, they can play by those rules. These sociopaths who ride these pseudo-ebikes are the equivalent of massive SUVs doing three times the speed limit through a school zone.
I’m not OK with people riding uninsured motorcycles on the road or on bike lanes / paths.
The only classification allowed on bike trails where I am is limited to 20mph.
Is there any enforcement of that rule? From other comments you have made there does not seem to be.
None that I have seen. The people who use the paths have started to get much more vocal, so hopefully that changes. The problem has only started to bubble up recently over the last couple of seasons, so hopefully the park board starts to recognize it and direct more rigorous enforcement.
I would imagine the first step would be clear signage at strategic locations that inform people of what is allowed and what isn’t. Pseudo e-bike Companies, like the one receiving the ill-advised promotion in this article, are happy to misinform potential customers in order to sell their products, and that might be the only place the buyers have ever heard about the difference between class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes.
FWIW, Beachman seems to be working on getting federal approval as a motorcycle manufacturer as an endgoal, so their product can be plated and unlock higher top speeds.
They’re extremely local to me (next to my nearest Home Depot and Canadian Tire, so I’m in the area frequently), they’re common enough running around here, so I kind of want to see them succeed in an abstract way, in the same sense that I want to see the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in my lifetime despite a complete lack of interest in hockey. If nothing else, they’re better looking than the sport bike-styled ebikes (I always get a little sad when one passes and I see the Emmo license plate on the back).
Also, recently learned fun fact – Ben Taylor’s dad is one of the founders of Steam Whistle Brewery, which has a fleet of retro vehicles, and recently had Beachman redo the electric conversion on a ’58 Chevy truck they have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9_nByzkdX4
This is not an e-bike, it’s an e moped or an e moto. Pedal does not make it a bicycle. It legally meets no e-bike standards. Surrous are also not technically E-bikes, that is incorrect.
In the United States, the federal legal definition of an e‑bike specifically a low‑speed electric bicycle comes from the Consumer Product Safety Act and is codified at 15 U.S.C. § 2085(b). It defines such an e‑bike as:
A two‑ or three‑wheeled vehicle equipped with fully operable pedals,Powered by an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 horsepower),With a maximum motor‑only speed of less than 20 mph on a level surface when tested with a 170 lb rider.
If an e‑bike complies with this definition, it’s treated under federal law like an ordinary bicycle regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)—and is not regulated by the Department of Transportation or NHTSA as a motor vehicle .
It’s important to note that this federal definition governs only manufacturing and product safety standards. When it comes to using e‑bikes—such as riding them on public roads or trails—state and local laws take over, and classification can vary widely. Many states follow the three-class system:
Class 1 – Pedal-assist only, up to 20 mph.Class 2 – Throttle-assisted, up to 20 mph.Class 3 – Pedal-assist up to 28 mph (often requires a speedometer).
Pedals do not make it a bicycle but a removable seat and flat cargo area does classify it as a “light truck”.
Not since 2012.
What changed in 2012?
The definition of a light truck in response to vehicles like the PT Cruiser.
49 CFR § 523.5 – Non-passenger automobile.(5) Permit expanded use of the automobile for cargo-carrying purposes or other nonpassenger-carrying purposes through:
(i) For non-passenger automobiles manufactured prior to model year 2012, the removal of seats by means installed for that purpose by the automobile’s manufacturer or with simple tools, such as screwdrivers and wrenches, so as to create a flat, floor level, surface extending from the forwardmost point of installation of those seats to the rear of the automobile’s interior; or
I dunno, according to the crack research team at The Autopian a vehicle that is:
GVWR of not more than 10,000 lbs
GVWR of not more than 8,500 lbs
Transport property on an open bed
Is a truck. So by that rationale a bicycle with a cargo rack is a truck.
https://www.theautopian.com/how-the-epa-decides-what-is-a-car-and-what-is-a-truck/
Damn, I never realized I have SO MANY trucks!
I suggest you read the regulation.
I did:
“523.5 Non-passenger automobile.
A non-passenger automobile means an automobile that is not a passenger automobile or a work truck and includes vehicles described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. A medium-duty passenger motor vehicle that meets the criteria in either paragraph (a) or (b) of this section is a non-passenger automobile.
(a) An automobile designed to perform at least one of the following functions:
(3) Transport property on an open bed”
Bingo!
Since a bike already meets this requirement the following seems to be irrelevant:
“(5) Permit expanded use of the automobile for cargo-carrying purposes or other nonpassenger-carrying purposes through:
(i) For non-passenger automobiles manufactured prior to model year 2012, the removal of seats by means installed for that purpose by the automobile’s manufacturer or with simple tools, such as screwdrivers and wrenches, so as to create a flat, floor level, surface extending from the forwardmost point of installation of those seats to the rear of the automobile’s interior; or
(ii) For non-passenger automobiles manufactured in model year 2008 and beyond, for vehicles equipped with at least 3 rows of designated seating positions as standard equipment, permit expanded use of the automobile for cargo-carrying purposes or other nonpassenger-carrying purposes through the removal or stowing of foldable or pivoting seats so as to create a flat, leveled cargo surface extending from the forwardmost point of installation of those seats to the rear of the automobile’s interior.”
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-523/section-523.5
So clearly I’m missing something. Care to elucidate what that is?
Bicycles are not automobiles so they cannot be a non-passenger automobile. Go up a couple levels and:
§ 523.3 Automobile.An automobile is any 4-wheeled vehicle that is propelled by fuel, or by alternative fuel, manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways and rated at less than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, except:
Vehicles with 3 or less wheels are either bicycles, motor driven cycles, or motorcycles in the USA. (A loophole used by multiple manufacturers to make things like the Slingshot)
So, before anyone goes out and buys one of these. Even though these companies claim that it can be considered a class 2 e-bike. There is no state in which this can be operated legally as a bike. Having a selectable mode does not get around that it far exceeds max allowable speed and power. Overall enforcement is questionable. It’s just wild these companies can sell you something as a bike, that is legality not-a-bike anywhere in America.
I suspect a significant number of buyers will not treat this as an e-bike in any practical sense, but will do so in a legal sense…which is unfortunate, because an electric commuter motorcycle with pedals as backup is actually interesting, but everything about this seems like it’s just an electric motorcycle with compliance pedals so that people can skirt the law.
I’d be more interested in this if it didn’t seem like they were trying to make it harder to register as a moped than to avoid registration.
It’s not skirting any laws. E-bikes are defined by having 3 classes and this does not fall into any of them. It is not legal for use on any bike trails and has to be registered to be used on the road. Having pedals does not make it a bicycle, it may classify as a moped but it goes to fast for that classification as well.
Valid. So it’s just flat out encouraging people to openly break the law:
Yeah, I will definitely avoid this company. Don’t like that they’re trying to offload the responsibility of properly classifying this to the (potentially unaware) consumer.
Yes, they are just yet another sketchy company flat out lying to their customers.
When there is an e-bike street takeover I’ll maybe begin to have some concern.
I’m not advocating more e-bike regulation. I’m all for less regulation of e-bikes, in fact. I’d rather see more regulation of larger, heavier, vehicles and those with more power than drivers are expected to know how to use and less regulation of bikes, kei cars, etc.
I’m saying this company is going to get customers into trouble. That’s what’s shady here. “Here, you can run this as an e-bike or register it properly” quickly becomes “we gave the customer the necessary documentation, but they chose to break the law.”
The regulations are clear, but the enforcement is behind. Last year QC government made it clear. No electric motorcycles, mopeds and scooters are allowed unless they are CMVSS compliant and have entered canada as legitimate vehicles. All these heavy and fast motorcycles with pedals are imported under false customs declarations as non-regulated cycles with motor below 500w and speed below 32km/h
Apparently, you haven’t spent any time on bike trails. These types of things are everywhere, buzzing by people walking and riding real bikes while moving 20mph faster and weighing twice as much.
They already have those all over the nation in large cities.
It’s what I want/need, and I’d buy one. But I despise the egregious skirting of the law (and/or exploiting legal loopholes). If they removed the pedals and gave me a MSO for a 125cc-equivalent motorcycle, I’d buy it.
Imagine if Porsche put a button in a 911 that limited it to a 20mph top speed so you could register it as a “low-speed vehicle”. They’d never get away with it. This is the same thing.
It is the exact same thing. There is no legal framework that allows vehicles to morph between vehicle classes with the touch of a button.
Beechman is flat out lying to their potential customers. Unfortunately that is not uncommon in the segment.
This is totally a moped. Unfortunately I can’t legally register it around me since it’s an “ebike”. The manufacturer has to designate it as a moped. The top speed means a full motorcycle license and insurance are also required. Boo.
You should stop featuring this junk on this website and giving the manufacturers, or retailers at least, any free advertising. These are not e-bikes and will not qualify as e-bikes.
This is electronic waste.
I put together something that does 40 mph, and is better disguised as a bicycle.
https://imgur.com/vZg7YOt
It weighs about 70 lbs and I can sprint to over 25 mph pedaling it with the motor shut off. Using the motor, it makes enough torque to do wheelies. I get a 15-40 mile range depending upon how hard I ride it.
I used leftover parts from my electric velomobile post-upgrade and a DB mountainbike purchased second hand off craigslist for $400. The cost to replicate this setup would be about $1,500 with all brand new parts today including upgrades to the tires and brakes, but not including the donor bike itself.
That also looks more useful than this one. You’ve got a perfectly usable cargo rack, which is handy.
The cargo rack was not usable when the photo was taken as that used to be the battery box, but the battery has since migrated inside of the frame triangle, freeing the cargo rack up for use.
It currently makes 2,500W peak. With Avid BB7 cable-pull disc brakes and a short wheelbase, maximum safe cruising speed is about 35 mph. It can go faster, but you really don’t want to. I’ve already gotten the death wobbles at 32 mph and managed to regain control and not wreck.
In its ultimate form, it will eventually have hydraulic disc brakes on both wheels with a motorcycle reservoir, DOT wheels/tires, downhill bike front fork and rear shock, 10 kW peak, and be set up to top out at 50 mph, while still looking like a normal unmotorized bicycle. The hub motor can easily be hidden with a disc cover.
Wow, that’s a heck of a cool project. I’m impressed (and would probably be more than a little terrified riding it).
It’s the least impressive of my projects. It’s my “backup bike”.
I built an aerodynamic 3-wheeled microcar/”bicycle” that gets the equivalent of over 4,000 miles per gallon. It would get 150-200 miles range at 30-35 mph on 1.8 kWh(the same pack which is now in the mountainbike mentioned above), and I could turn the motor off and sprint to almost 40 mph on flat ground with nothing but my legs powering it. With the motor in use, that iteration of the vehicle did 50 mph and could peel out at will, on just 3 kW.
It’s since been upgraded to 10 kW peak, has DOT wheels/tires, hydraulic disc brakes with a motorcycle fluid reservoir and lever, a 2.1 kWh pack capable of making upwards of 50 kW if I ever need it to, can now do 0-60 mph in 7 seconds, the body has been removed(range now sucks without the slippery shell, as it gets like 10 miles at 70 mph, and 40 miles at 30 mph), and will in the future have AWD with 3x as much power than it currently does so that I can mess with Hellcats. I regularly take it on bike trails, pedaling it with the motor shut off. The new body will look like a cross between a Milan SL and a 1937 Auto Union Type C streamliner, and should have so little drag that it should reach around 120 mph. The rear wheel, lifted in the air, free spun to 132 mph with the current battery while using field weakening, so the less drag this has the closer it will get to this maximum theoretical top speed
You’re in St Louis right? How comfortable is that microcar with the shell on to be pedaling on a hot, same humid summer day?
I designed air cooling for myself into it via ducts. So as long as I’m moving, it’s like being in constant shade with a slight breeze, and therefore very comfortable. Only when I’m stopped at a red light does it become an oven, and I can often feel the exhaust coming from the cars in front of me. With the body removed, it’s actually less comfortable while in motion since the air isn’t specifically directed where it is most effective at cooling(hands, armpits, neck, and face), and I now have to worry about sunburn.
STL is the “bike life” capital of the USA, and has a world-renown street takeover scene as well:
https://imgur.com/zXQXxjO
“Only when I’m stopped at a red light does it become an oven, and I can often feel the exhaust coming from the cars in front of me.”
How about putting in a blower that pulls in fresh(er) air from the outside that also automatically shuts off above a few mph? It might add a bit of weight but if it was also removable you could only have it installed during the months it’s needed.
“STL is the “bike life” capital of the USA, and has a world-renown street takeover scene as well”
I’m not sure a street takeover scene with guys popping wheelies wearing shirts that say “In Yo City F*ckin Yo Hood Up” is such a good thing for the image of cycling.
I like the choice of a Honda CG125 clone frame, can’t go wrong with probably the most popular motorcycle platform in the world.
The rear swingarm is different, but the rest is the same.
And yeah, this is a moped, that happens to be electric and not 50cc.
Treating this as an e-bike is equivalent of riding a moped without plates.
The ebike classification needs a weight limit to stop these stupid contraptions.
Until some manner of superlight batteries are invented, at least. At that point, only a proper limitation of electric-only speed will work.
With velomobiles, you don’t need superlight batteries to go long distances at surprising speeds. 1.8 kWh got me 150-200 miles range at 30-35 mph, with my pedaling accounting for about 1/3 of the overall energy used to power the vehicle. The entire battery pack, fully assembled in box with functioning 300A BMS, is at 19 lbs.
Nope. Electric bicycles are already classified by HP and top speed. Someone else here has posted them in this article.
This vehicle isn’t legally a bicycle in any of the 50 states. It also likely isn’t a moped either
My 10kW trike is right at 80 lbs, without a body, rollcage, or safety harness, but with DOT brakes/wheels/tires and axles. It’s stable at top speed, which so far has been 71 mph. This is not near its ultimate potential with just this single motor in the rear, as I intend a new slippery body for it.
It’s still easily pedaled with the electric drive system disabled, and I can maintain 15+ mph rolling averages with just my own legs. If I had my previous body on it still, that would be 20+ mph from the drag reduction, not using the motor at all and lugging around all that extra weight.
However, I’m also adding motors to both front wheels which weren’t there before. I expect my finished build with everything to be around 120 lbs. That would be about “normal” weight as far as inexpensive 750W street legal ebikes you can purchase off the shelf go, at least ones that have any decent range.
I think such a weight limit is short-sighted. There are e-bike builders with cargo-carrying builds that are 200-ish lbs out of necessity, and they aren’t using motorcycle/ATV/DOT parts in effort to turn a tricycle into a race car as I am. The motor assists them, but they only top out at 20 mph on flat ground, and they can often carry hundreds of pounds of stuff just like a pickup truck. Uphill, they’ll be lucky to be holding walking speed on a steep enough gradient, pedaling vigorously with the motor doing the rest, or using a throttle .
Looks great; useful specs at a reasonable price.
It is unequivocally a motorcycle. There is no way that a user-selectable mode limiting it to 20mph should classify this as an e-bike. The throttle is technically a user-selectable mode that limits the vehicle speed. If the upper limit of that user-selectable mode exceeds the maximum legal e-bike speed, it’s a moped/motorcycle. The “must have pedals” clause is laughable.
I buy the argument for a method of personal transportation with a low cost of entry in places without good public transport. This ain’t the way to do it. Reminds me of the carnage of postwar France’s VSP system.
It seems sensible that a two-wheeler that is capable of 45 mph should require a motorcycle license, since it requires a motorcycle-riding skill level in order to not be a danger.
I think it would be sensible to do away with licenses altogether, at least until extraneous functions to their stated mission are no longer attached to them. Someone’s biometric photo has no bearing on their capability to safely operate a vehicle, yet you’re expected to give such up to make yourself available to constant and intrusive government surveillance just for needing to drive, and now people can be identified against their will in public.
Give the government an inch, and it takes a mile…
I agree that using a state driver’s license for ID is stupid. Everyone should have passport cards for ID – available for free at the local post office.
Free passport card?
Yes, a passport card should be free to all US citizens.
“and now people can be identified against their will in public.”
Easily fixed:
https://www.fun.com/groucho-marx-costume-glasses.html
The default state for almost the entirety of human existence within civilization has been to be anonymous in public unless someone specifically knew who you were. We’ve evolved for this state of existence and our ability to rationally make decisions and even think relies upon this paradigm.
I don’t think people should have to walk around with disguises in order for this to be maintained just because at some point they needed an ID or drivers’ license(or were at one point arrested, wrongfully or not, or got a passport), but the national security state run amok and its corporate sponsors have decided that this is how things will be going forward, databrokers at the ready willing to cash in and sell location data of people spied upon without their consent, without a public debate or even a vote on the matter.
Ever hear of the REAL ID Act and its “mandatory facial image capture” benchmark? How about the ICAO 9303 photo standard? Companies such as IDEMIA, Morpho, NEC, Gemalto, or 3M Cogent? Biometric Identity Management Agency? I’m sure you’ve heard of AAMVA(they’re heavily involved in this scheme as well).
The USA calling itself a “free country” at this point is a sick joke.
“The default state for almost the entirety of human existence within civilization has been to be anonymous in public unless someone specifically knew who you were”
That default state also meant that with few exceptions most people lived their entire lives within a few miles of where they were born or traveled in groups with people who specifically knew who they were. Sure you could go out on your own but the roads were dangerous and as an unknown person you’d be the convenient scapegoat for any mishap in the village you passed through.
I have some mixed feelings about ebikes in general, but not about something like this. The pedals exist to create a loophole so people think they can ride these in places they can’t and shouldn’t. These have no business on bike trails and should not be marketed as such.
And the thing that really pisses me off about these is that they do it because they know they’ll get away with it. There’s no Bike Path Patrol out there with a radar gun to catch speeding ebikers. And honestly, is that a thing we want in our lives? The ebike industry is just begging for more enforcement of non-motorized vehicle regulations and I’m not here for it.
Coming soon, piloted by a 13 with parents who have more money than sense, to a suburban sidewalk near you!
Seriously, it is insane how quickly the teen/pre-teens on electric things escalated where I live. Two years ago, a few kids on electric scooters. One year ago, electric scooters everywhere. This year, electric scooters plus electric motorcycles flying at stupid speeds down streets, sidewalks, through public spaces, across grocery parking lots. Everywhere.
They often grow up in areas designed to be hostile to pedestrians in favor of vehicle traffic, with no transportation anywhere outside of their overworked parents agreeing to take them somewhere. Oft times, even older children in their mid teens, if seen walking around unaccompanied by an adult, can result in arrest of the parents. It’s a simple cause and effect relationship, in context of this.
I’d much rather have unlicensed kids on overpowered bikes on the road, than Karen in a massive SUV looking at the phone while she drives…
My suburb has over 200 miles of hike and bike trails. The children swarming the central area on overpriced toys mostly live within a 10 minute walk. This isn’t a “mobility solution” for kids with Karens for moms where I live.
Where in the USA will an unaccompanied teen result in their parents being arrested?
Anywhere that police receive complains of unaccompanied children and act on them, and/or in places that have curfew laws. It’s really a wide swathe of the USA, likely the majority of it.
I know this first hand because I’ve always looked very young for my age, and have been on more than one occasion harassed by police who mistook me as a minor violating curfew, in every city I’ve ever lived in, during my 20s and 30s.
Curfew laws are something very different than saying an unaccompanied teenager will get their parents arrested. Even then actually arrested parents for their kids’ curfew violations is pretty much unheard of.
Pretty much the only thing that shows up in a search are kids in the 6-8 year old range and the woman in Georgia that was arrested for letting here 10 year old walk to the store – which lead to a change to Georgia law. Nothing about letting a 14 or 15 year old play in the park or ride their bike alone.
I was walking / biking a mile to school without an adult in first grade and not way back in the 50’s or 60’s. That was in the mid-80’s when we actually had high crime rates.
if it’s got a throttle, it’s a motorcycle/moped. If it’s pedal assist (the motor doesn’t kick in unless you’re spinning the cranks) it’s an e-bike. Regulate and license them accordingly. I’m sick of assholes hauling ass on crowded bike paths on their “e-bikes”. Most often without a helmet.
The regulations are already there – they just aren’t enforced.
Most people will only find out they are riding an unregistered and uninsured off-highway motorcycle when they are in an accident and they have to pay all claims out-of-pocket.
“and they have to pay all claims out-of-pocket.”
Good luck collecting that.
Sure some people have nothing and a lawsuit is meaningless but not everyone is penniless.
My insurance paid out on a car / bicycle crash I was involved in and was found at fault – but I was riding a real bicycle. It was only about 4 thousand because there were no injuries (well except mine) Even a minor medical claim can easily reach six figures.
I’m certainly not going to mess around with riding uninsured vehicles. I carry max coverage plus an additional umbrella policy.
There is the chance they may be penniless. There is also the possibility their council will be much better than yours and you’ll end up wasting far more time trying to collect than you stand to get or worse they manage to turn the tables on you so YOU end up paying THEM.
As I’m insured it would be my medical insurance, car insurance, or motorcycle insurance looking to recoup their costs – which as I mentioned above – can be hundreds of thousands or millions.
To the limits of your coverage and assuming they don’t find a loophole to weasel out of it.
There are no limits on medical coverage anymore.
Where do you get that? From what I can see medical coverage limits are still very much a thing:
https://www.autoinsurance.org/insurance-coverage-limit/
My medical insurance has nothing to do with auto insurance.
If I’m walking down the sidewalk or shared path and get nailed by someone on one of these electric motorcycles my medical insurance is going to pay for my care – and then turn around an sue the motorcycle rider’s insurance company – which will not exist because the rider is pretending to be riding a bicycle and couldn’t even get insurance if they wanted to – which means my insurance company will sue the motorcycle rider directly to try to recover their costs.
There are no longer coverage limits for medical insurance.
Ending Lifetime & Yearly Limits | HealthCare.gov
Well then good luck to them in their efforts to get blood from a stone.
That is entirely dependent on who is riding the electric motorcycle illegally on a sidewalk.
Personally – I’m not going to take the risk of riding an uninsured motorcycle pretending to be a bicycle. To each their own
This thing would be a lot of fun on a daily commute! My top speed limit along the way is 45, meaning people do like 60 on that road. But I can avoid most of that road and then this would be fast enough, but yeah I would be using it as an electric motorcycle, not an e-bike.
I see something that looks like turn signals on the front, but not on the back, so that could complicate things, but would be easy enough to fix.
They absolutely nailed the styling on this thing though! It is beautiful! I do wish the “tank” was a storage compartment or something, it seems like wasted space here, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Nothing that goes 45 mph is legally an electric bicycle.
I agree. Legally, a Class II e-bike, which is what this claims to be, has a top speed of 20 mph. However, based on all of the “e-bikes” speeding all over the place, it seems like it isn’t enforced very well.
This is why I put e-bike in quotes. This thing is a motorcycle that calls itself an e-bike.
I see ebikes around that look like bicycles, and I think if you were riding one in 33mph traffic on a 30mph road you could probably plead ignorance if it drew any attention.
But riding what clearly appears to be a motorcycle around without plates is going to draw some attention. It has turn signals!
That said, I like the look and the concept and I’d be happy to take one without the pedals and get it registered as a motorcycle
The danger isn’t a ticket – it is someone losing everything they own and have worked for because they were stupid enough to ride an uninsured motorcycle on a road or bike path.
I’ve been in a car / bicycle collision and found to be legally at fault. My renters insurance covered the cost to repair the Civic I hit as renters or homeowner’s insurance covers legal liability for bicycle crashes. However that only applied to legal bicycles.
The legal risk is pretty much infinity because you never know how much medical bills will be. You could hit some one on this thing and get stuck with millions in medical bills.
Why give any space to a company that is flat out lying to potential customers?
Not only that, but one who uses “queue” when they meant “cue”. Absolutely fucking unforgivable.
Is it made out of aluminium and is the metal INtegral to the process. What colours does it come in? And have you lost your sense of humour?