Bikes Of The SEMA Show

For car buffs around the globe, the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas (November 5th. 2019)  is a must-attend event. Manufacturers from around the globe converge on millions of square feet of floor space taking over the entirety of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Wall to wall, you’ll find a selection of extravagant hot rods and performance-related accessories to mull over. 

Though the show is dedicated to anything and everything that can provide the most performance and best-looking products for gas-powered cars, there’s a growing interest in all things electric. In fact, this year the show promoters created a specific e-zone called SEMA Electrified, which was a small, hidden part of the show that you had to actively seek out. Among the notable show-offs was a Porsche 911 that had been converted to electric and an electric dragster driven by legendary racer “Big Daddy” Don Garlits.

SEGWAY 

We were shocked by Segway’s motorcycle.  We didn’t see that coming. Segway, originally the brainchild of inventor Dean Kamen, has been known for their two-wheel, scooter-like products. The company has changed hands a few times, eventually being acquired by Chinese company Ninebot. They’ve had a few tweaks to their line, but now they’ve entered the fray of electric off-road motorcycles and UTVs. The new Segway dirt bikes come in two models—the X160 and X260.

The X160 features a 3-kW peak motor that helps the bike top out at 50 km/h (31 mph). It has a range of 65 kilometers (40 miles) from its 48 volts and 1-kWh battery. The slightly larger X260 has a stronger 5-kW peak motor and a higher top speed of 75 km/h (46.6 mph). Its larger 60-volt and 1.8-kWh battery offers a higher range of 120 kilometers (74.6 miles).

Both bikes use belt-driven primary reductions and chain-driven secondary reductions. Both also offer suspension comprised of a multi-link rear hydraulic shock and a front inverted suspension fork. The X260 has larger 19-inch wheels compared to the 17-inch wheels on the X160. The X260 also gets a double crown fork, compared to the single crown fork found on the X160.

They borrow a lot of technology from Sur-Ron, but that’s no surprise. Ninebot also is a major shareholder in Sur-Ron. The X160 will retail for $2999, and the X260 is priced at $4999. E-Moto is getting very interesting.

Expect delivery should commence in early 2020.

Cake Ösa

Cake brings us a new motorized scooter called Ösa. Like Cake’s unique motorcycle, it features a very clean design. What sets it apart is that it is smaller and lighter, and featuring a uni-bar clamp system that’s an integral part of the frame. They sent us one of these clamps, and it is beautifully designed and engineered. With these clamps, you can attach a multitude of things—from baskets to lights to bags. Cake claims that there are 1000 different possible configurations.

The battery is meant to not only power the bike, but to serve as an off-grid power station. That may have come in handy for us here in California with our rolling blackouts.

The Ösa will come in two versions—the Ösa Lite, which operates as a moped with a top speed of 30 mph, and the Ösa+, which will operate as a motorcycle, with a top speed of 63 mph. The Ösa Lite will be priced at $6000, and the Ösa+ will be $8000.

ELECTRIC BOW TIE

It’s not just little startups that are getting into electric powertrains. Chevrolet debuted an electric-converted classic C-10 pickup—called the E-10—the first to feature Chevy’s new version of an electric crate motor. It’s huge when a company as big as GM gets behind electric conversion kits. The double-stack motor fits into any engine bay that will hold a V8 motor and can connect to any ICE drivetrain.

We saw several electric bikes used as a way to showcase adventure products, often on the back of pickup trucks. Ford had a Giant Trance E+ in the bed of a new Ranger pickup and McGaughy’s suspension had a lifted 4×4 pickup, with a Pivot Shuttle adding some credibility. In the Overlander Experience area, there were a matched pair of Magnum bikes on an adventure rig.

As it seems to play out at every car and motorcycle show we attend, the battery-powered populace continues to grow, and we expect that we’ll be seeing more and more electric mobility at shows we plan to attend in the future,
so stay tuned.

ADDED EYE CANDY

There was a smattering of other electric bike stuff at the show. We saw Cab Motorworks, out of Huntington Beach, California, showing off their electric Eagle and the Recon bikes.

The Eagle has a 10-Kw motor and boasts up to 100 miles of range with a 2200-Wh battery. It’s overbuilt to handle the rigors of riding such a machine, including motorcycle wheels and tires. Beefy suspension offers 8 inches of travel in the front and 9.5 inches in the rear. It’s priced at $6499, with $400 shipping anywhere in the U.S.

The Recon is the new flagship for the company. It features similar wheels and tires, but doubles the power of the Eagle with a 20-Kw system. A larger, 2500-Wh battery can offer up to 120 miles of range between charges. It has really powerful regeneration, actuated at the brake levers, which they claim provides enough braking power that you may not have to use the brakes much at all. The Recon will set you back two grand more than the Eagle.

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