Munro Motor is about to make a big splash in the world of small electric motorcycles. The Chinese company has developed one of the coolest-looking e-bikes around, called the Munro 2.0. The bike is styled after the iconic Indian motorbikes, and its name is in honor of Burt Munro, who set a land speed record on an Indian motorcycle.
It weighs about the same as some of the electrically assisted bicycles out there at 35kg. The problem with those, of course, is that when you run out of battery, biking a 75-pound monstrosity around is anything but pleasant (if a tremendously good workout, if it happens to be leg-day in your workout regime).
Munro gets around that by not even giving you any pedals. Instead, you get motorcycle-style pegs for resting your feet, a luscious retro look to impress your friends and shock absorbers front and back to keep you rolling along in comfort.
“As people become more and more environmentally conscious, people are changing their transport options,” Zack Wong, the company’s founder says, explaining why he’s keen to get people off notoriously heavily polluting small motorbikes and onto electric versions instead. “It’s forseeable that electric vehicles will be the mainstream in the vehicle market.”
The company has gone out of its way to create a bike that will stand the test of time, too. All the paint is covered in UV-protected clear coats to make sure it will keep its sparkly shine. The battery packs are replaceable and come with the clever addition of a USB port so you can charge a mobile device as you zip around town.
The company is using a powerful Bosch motor in the rear wheel to propel you forward at speeds up to 28 miles per hour. Munro claims that a pair of batteries gives riders a range of up to 30 miles — or up to 60 miles if you have two battery packs.
Of course, zooming along is only part the battle, you also have to be able to stop again. Luckily, the Beijing-based company has your back there, too. The bike brings you safely to a stop by giving you a set of four caliper brakes — two on each wheel.
In China, prices range from $800 to $1,200 depending on configuration. In the U.S., the price tag will be “above $1,700.” The company hopes to start shipping the bikes in the U.S. by the end of April.
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