FIRST LOOK: CHIMERA ELECTRIC BMX BIKE

Chimera is a small Los Angeles company and say were born out of a need for personal expression and a better commute. What caught our attention was the incredibly clean looking design and craftsmanship that obviously went into it. We did some digging and found some videos of the bike in action which had us even more intrigued.

The drive system is unlike anything we’ve seen yet and is genius when you consider its purpose. There are two front chain rings on the cranks that can be chosen. One is for the electric drive and one is completely separated from the electric drive and is purely used with the riders own leg power. In other words it’s all or nothing with the electric motor of the bike. There is no pedal assist. Instead you get a throttle to motor you around and when it’s time to BMX you flip over to the other front chainring and ride it like a normal bike.

“We’ve integrated our ‘High-Drive’ system (patent pending) and potted battery into an obsessively designed throttle-on-demand titanium bmx that goes from zero to 30 mph in 5 seconds (video), but weighs as little as 36lbs.”

“It pedals like a bicycle. Throttles like a motorcycle. Light enough to carry up stairs. Small enough to fit in a hatchback. Powerful enough to rocket up hills. Durable enough to backflip off motocross ramps. Simple enough to work on in your garage. Safe enough to charge anywhere.”

Chimera has nicknamed their High-Drive system the mid-drive killer. The motor is a black anodized, IP53 water resistant inrunner that weighs just 3.4lbs but can handle up to 5000 watts at around 90% efficiency. Couple this with a battery capable of 90 amps of current, a belt-driven gear assembly with silent clutches, a high-performance ASI BAC855 controller, and you’ve got a fully modular system that is plenty powerful enough. It’s also adjustable wirelessly by an easy-to-use app we’re developing.

Chimera quality controls and hand assembles each of their bikes in Los Angeles using heat-treated 4130 clutches with silent/instant engagement (video), low profile hardware, a titanium frame/fork/handelbar, potted and aluminum-encased battery, and top-of-the line components like Magura brakes, Kenda tires, and ASI controller.

1st reduction: GT3 belt 2.35:1 (40t/17t)
2nd reduction: Planetary 5:1
Final reduction: ⅛” bicycle chain 12t/16t
Total reduction: 15.9
Wheel torque: 110+ nm
Weight of motor system: 6.9lbs (including chain)

Notes: The stock 17t pulley on the side of the bike can be easily swapped for a 16t pulley resulting in a 16.66:1 reduction for 6% more torque.

Each part can be removed or installed independently of the others. This makes servicing the Chimera a breeze, and allows easy upgrades as innovations continue (video). The bike also works with standardized cranks, chainwheels, and hubs (video).

FINAL THOUGHTS

After only a few weeks of discovering this new bike we’ve seen their social media followings grow substantially. They have a few videos of some seemingly blind reactions of people after the first ride and they were incredibly positive. The e-bike smile is nothing new to us but electricity finding its way into new disciplines is always exciting. Make sure to check out there Instagram page @chimeracycles and their website chimerabmx.com