I never know what to expect when people switch industries to start making electric bikes. E-bikes are hot right now and everyone wants a piece of the pie! However, in the case of motorcycle racer Eric Buell, the resulting e-bikes are simply excellent. I got to test ride a prototype of the 3S in the summer of '23 and even though it was a little rough around the edges I was blown away by the quality. The 2S is the "so long range it's extreme" variant, rocking dual batteries for a whopping 2,000 watt-hours of total capacity. Combine this with the responsive and efficient mid-drive motor from VALEO and you've got an insane amount of range potential. These Class 3 e-bikes can easily cruise at 28mph, and feel safe even on congested city streets thanks to a certified motorcycle-grade loadout of lights, signals, and mirrors - rare in the US but legally required for such a powerful e-bike in Europe. Kudos to the FUELL team for keeping those high standards on both sides of the pond!
I never know what to expect when people switch industries to start making electric bikes. E-bikes are hot right now and everyone wants a piece of the pie! However, in the case of motorcycle racer Eric Buell, the resulting e-bikes are simply excellent. I got to test ride a prototype of the 3S in the summer of '23 and even though it was a little rough around the edges I was blown away by the quality. These bikes have mid-drive motors from VALEO, a French company I hadn't heard of before. I love these motors! They're incredibly powerful and their responsiveness rivals that of high-end Bosch systems; they have an "auto mode" that intelligently adjusts not only the motor power output (which is fairly common) but also automatically shifts the gears of the internal hub. It's an incredibly elegant system; just turn on the bike and ride, and never fiddle with controls. Electronics aside these are kitted out to motorcycle specifications with surprisingly bright lights and a full suite of signaling controls, plus the usual fenders and sturdy rear rack, and even a rearview mirror!