The creator of the famous motorcycle brand Erik Buell is reviving with two projects: an electric bike that offers 200 km of autonomy and a motorcycle that promises acceleration fulgurites.
Buell … This name usually thrills fans of the big engine. And those who are familiar with the creativity and perseverance of its founder will not be surprised to learn that he is back with a new challenge out of the ordinary: a bike and an electric bike.
Erik Buell created the eponymous sports motorcycle brand in the 1980s, which was later acquired by Harley-Davidson. The latter eventually abandoned production Buell in 2009. Erik Buell then took over the torch by creating the company Erik Buell Racing which produced two other models (the EBR 1190RX and 1190SX). But the adventure ended in 2015.
Here is the return of Erik Buell with a new company, Fuell (an acronym for freedom, urban, love, live), and two new projects: the Flow-1S electric motorcycle and the Fluid electric bike. In both cases, we find the spirit of innovation of Master Buell, both from an aesthetic and a technical point of view.
Let’s start with the Flow-1S bike. Thought for urban use, it takes a line that evokes the models of the glorious Buell era. The Flow-1S is available in two engines of 11 and 35 kilowatts respectively delivering 15 and 48 horses. The most powerful version announces a torque of 750 Nm which promises a lot of sensations. The engine is housed in the rear hub, which causes no loss of transmission. We find the inverted fork that Buell was the first to introduce on motorcycles series.
On the performance side, Fuell announces 2.7 seconds for the 0 to 100 km / h and a top speed of 137 km / h. The battery life of 10 kWh (400 V) is 240 km, with a fast charge in 30 minutes. The fake fuel tank hides a 50-liter trunk that can accommodate a full-face helmet.
The Flow-1S is equipped with the latest technology regarding security: blind spot detection, collision avoidance system, rear camera, braking with ABS and recovery of energy. The modular design of the bike is supposed to promote scalability over time. This way, the customer will be able to change the battery pack, the motor or the fast charging socket according to future technologies. The price is $ 11,995 for the 35 kW model and 10,995 for the 11 kW. Deliveries will start at the end of 2020.
The Fluid is equipped with two removable batteries
Now let’s go to Fluid-1. At present, it can not be said that e-bikes are particularly attractive. The integration of the battery and motor is visually often unsightly. Fuell offers an original and technically astute aesthetic approach. The manufacturer has managed to integrate not one, but two removable 48 V batteries into the top and bottom tubes of the frame.
The result is quite harmonious, especially since the electric motor 500 W (250 W for the European version) fits perfectly to the pedal. As a result, thanks to the presence of two batteries totaling 1,008 Wh, the Fluid-1 has a range of 203 km using the first of the five modes of assistance.
This e-bike will be available in two versions in Europe: Fluid-1 with a top speed of 25 km / h and Fluid-1S with a top speed of 45 km / h. This Fuell electric bike project is the subject of a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo that has largely exceeded the initial target: 260,000 euros against 67,900 euros planned.
On this occasion, the Fluid is offered at a discounted price: 2.541 euros for the Fluid-1S instead of 3.385 euros and 2.051 euros for the Fluid-1 instead of 2.939 euros. The first deliveries will be honored from August 2019.