Posted on 01 October 2009
Alabama motorcycle manufacturer Confederate Motor Company released its new P120 Fighter Combat bike at the Quail Motorsports Gathering in California in August.
The bike maintains Confederate’s “technical and primitive” form, has a lightweight aluminum frame and a streamlined steampunk appearance. The company’s other offerings, including the Wraith, also feature futuristic designs, invoking images from classic sci-fi movies.
Read the complete article at P120 Fighter Combat Bike Continues Futuristic Motorcycle Trend.
Posted in News
Posted on 02 July 2009
San Diego, CA — An Eco-Fair took place in Montclair on June 13. Among many green displays there was a hybrid bike or two.
The Giant hybrid is an electric bike, priced at $1,500-$2,000. It’s termed a hybrid because the battery power starts assisting the rider as soon as they start pedaling. A computer calculates how much energy the cyclist is exerting, and the motor gives additional power.
No need to worry about hills anymore.
Of course, electric bikes aren’t just for the green crowd. Bicyclists who have lost their endurance due to an injury, or just plain cycling beginners will enjoy the hybrid as well.
Diamond Cycle in Montclair rents hybrid bikes seven days a week. A two-hour rental costs $35 including a helmet and bike lock. Owners Craig & Vicki Cornell commented that ”we’ll [soon] offer theme tours of Montclair with GPS-equipped bikes.”
Links
http://giantbicycle.com
http://diamondcycle.com/
Posted in News
Posted on 16 June 2009
Brisbane, Australia — The sales for electric-powered bicycles and scooters in Brisbane have been slow, but Nope electric scooter and bicycle importer Harry Samson of Brisbane expects those sales to start growing by leaps and bounds.
“In 1997 they sold 98,000 electric bikes and scooters in China. Last year it was 25 million and they’re sending bike shops broke,” he said.
In Australia, those individuals who want electric-powered bikes do not want for choice, but there are only a few scooters and, as yet, no motorcycles.
Bike conversion kits are also available, such as the eLation system from Queensland.
The only electric scooters on the market are three Nope scooters. EVT offers two scooters, which are limited to 50km/h. There is also the Vectrix maxi-scooter.
Posted in News
Posted on 30 March 2009
OHM Cycles, a bike company based in Vancouver, Canada, announced on February 28, 2009 its next generation of hybrid electric-assist bicycles for 2009.
Four power packs are now available, each one designed to offer optimum power and range for every rider. According to OHM Cycles President Michael DeVisser, “The OHM Urban and Sport hybrid bicycles are a comprehensive solution for eco-friendly mobility.”.
The OHM hybrid e-bikes, which combine BionX drive technology with a Molicel Rechargeable Li-ion cell battery pack, are the first electric bicycles purpose-built for the North American market.
OHM Cycles can be ridden as a conventional bicycle ,or with pedal assist from the intelligent drive system. They have a center-mounted power pack which provides better balance and weight distribution and maintains a standard wheelbase. Because of its ightweight components and a customized power system, OHM “will send you racing up hills and around the city, with ease.”
For 2009, new features have been added:
- 4 Power packs available – 25 to 70 miles per charge with custom OHM Quick Connect system to easily remove and recharge
- Fast Recharge – 90% capacity in 20 minutes, fully charge in 3 hours, charge over 500 times without loss of capacity
- Intelligent Sensor – Patented BionX torque sensor automatically responds to the way the rider pedals and provides a smooth natural sensation
- Suntour Suspension seat post for a more comfortable ride
- Adjustable stem and handlebars to customize riding position
- Topeak rear carry rack with QuickTrack™ MTX
Posted on 17 February 2009
Schwinn electric bikes has teamed up with Protanium Inc. to develop a whole series of electric bikes in different configurations (the Streamline Schwinn Electric Bike pictured above). They all use employ lithium polymer batteries and in-hub motors, both of which are well concealed so that the un-initiated will never be able to tell that the bike isn’t moving through sheer pedal power alone.
Schwinn Electric Bikes states that their “Plug’n Drive” system delivers approx. 40 miles of range and charges fully in four hours. They also state their batteries deliver full power until completely drained (rather than the power slowly dwindling away).
The weight of the bike ranges from 40-45 lbs. Ten pounds of that comes from the electric system alone.
There’s a review of Schwinn electric bike offerings in the North American Bike Show at EV World, by Forbes Bagatelle-Black.
Schwinn has yet to release a cost range for the bikes.
