This New Electric Motorcycle Costs Under $5,000, But There’s A Bizarre Catch

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.