There are those of us who love a great bike ride. There are also those who love the speed and rush of a fast-moving, frameless two-wheeler. Then, there are those who love both. Unfortunately, while most bikes can garner respectable speeds, especially with the assistance of downhill gravity descents, they will come nowhere near achieving the kind of velocity the adrenaline junkie needs in their life. Conversely, motorcycles might be a great option but between the maintenance and the elevated danger aspect of a more rigorous machine, it is hard for most to justify a venture in that direction. True, mopeds are a hybrid of the two, and they are an option, but if keeping this real, they are a lot more motorcycle, than they are a bike.
So what are speed lovers who fancy the simplicity and control of a bike to do? Vintage Electric has the right idea with the Roadster.
A little Vintage history
Vintage was founded from a desire to make a vehicle that was different from anything that was out there at the time. Inspired by their love of things that were ‘different’ and the desire to motivate people to use alternate transportation modes outside of cars.
Founder Andrew Davidge started Vintage Electric with the idea of building electric bikes, but the company evolved to instead developing something more akin to stylish, two-wheeled works of art. Having assembled a team of talents with varying backgrounds, who were all able to provide a piece of input into the creativity behind Vintage’s products, the members inspired and challenged each other to develop unique and advanced products to add something different to the current vehicle market.
The company, inspired by their creations so far, is looking to expand in terms of developing more future-friendly vehicles in the years to come.
Roadster design
The Roadster carries the appearance of a classic bike, distinguishing it from other electric bikes or mopeds, which lean more into a more motorcycle skewed direction. The cushy seat, covered in tight leather is form-fitting and comfortable, promoting a forward-leaning posture when riding. The tires are of the ‘donut’ variety, armed with mountain bike-like shocks, capable of absorbing many of the smaller bumps in order to create a smooth riding experience, yet not as easily compressed as those on a typical mountain bike.
While the bike’s weight (with its electric battery attached) is a relatively hefty 86 pounds, it’s a featherweight compared to motorcycles or even mopeds in terms of the riding experience. This means you can perform actions during your ride with it that the weight of a motorcycle or a moped would simply not allow (rear wheel lifts, burnouts, etc.)
With excellent attention to detail, leather-wrapped handlebars, and superbly built-in lights, the Roadster has all the makings of a product that appeals to the bike-lover. The lights do not just capture the nighttime roads to illuminate in a more than sufficient area of vision, they also have a classic headlight look from the heyday of bike technology. The frame is manufactured from hydroformed aluminum to provide a light but durable formation of the Roadster body.
Power ride
No electric bike conversation could be complete without addressing the power it has. After all, one of the biggest selling points of the Roadster product is its ability to punch the speed past the thresholds of classic bikes, while looking like one. The 72v 15.6 Ah (1123 Watt Hours) battery, which only takes 3.5 hours to charge for full capacity, provides the ability to clock in an impressive 75-mile ride from a full charge.
As to the point of going faster than the classic bike, how does reaching around 40 mph sound? Although, you can forget you are on an electric bike at times. The rear hub motor is next to silent, yet powerful enough to propel one to speeds beyond those capable of being achieved on even the most souped-up standard racing bike. (Of course, be careful to use the full speed range, it is meant for private property riding only). Having said that, you can certainly manage your speed by choosing from 5 varying power levels. But, let’s keep it real here, this bike is not typically purchased by those looking to go at the speeds they can achieve from classic bikes.
The price
Vintage Electric prices the Roadster at a $6,955 price point. While this is a significant asking price, they do offer options to finance it over 6, 12, or even 36 months. The payments can start as low as $244/mo. There is a pre-qualification process to consider, but it can be easily reached on a link from the Roadster section of their website.
For this type of money, one can acquire several souped-up classic bikes or a good quality motorcycle, but neither of those combine the best of the two, and provide the unique experiences of the Roadster.
Source: Vintage Electric
