E-bike in test: Porsche with handbrake on – Auto & Mobil

You can’t miss the big letters on the frame: PORSCHE. Anyone who invests almost 10,000 euros in an e-bike obviously also wants to see immediately who it came from. Although other cyclists should mainly see the rear light integrated into the seat post. Because the Porsche E-Bike Sport is fast. Very fast. At least when it comes to accelerating from a standing start. This is where the pedelec literally shoots forward. Until speed 25 is reached – then the support of the engine is over. The legislature no longer allows. This is the case with all pedelecs, but feels particularly limiting with a bike that bears the Porsche name. A little like a 911 with the handbrake on.

But what’s the point, a Porsche e-bike? Of course, that’s mostly marketing. Electromobility and thus also bicycles with e-support are trendy, and the image can also be polished up with it. The Porsche brand may have a sentimental collective perception of sports cars, but in truth the group has been selling SUVs in particular for years – which large parts of the population are even less sympathetic to than flounders roaring loudly through inner cities.

The Porsche e-bike is inspired by the Taycan

The reference for the e-bike is therefore not a 911 or the Cayenne, but the Taycan electric sports coupé. “The organic shape” was inspired by its “roof line”, according to the press release on the bicycle. What can not be seen even with a lot of imagination. But it is correct: the frame design is actually very elegant and puristic. All cables are hidden in the frame, the 504 Wh battery sits in the down tube. The e-bike was designed by Porsche Design, who have built an entire lifestyle brand around the car manufacturer, from bags to watches to hookahs. The implementation was carried out by the noble bicycle manufacturer Rotwild, whose bikes are similar in price to the pedelec for the car manufacturer – without any Porsche logo.

Accordingly, no savings were made on the components. The Porsche E-Bike Sport has huge Magura MCi brake discs, the beefy EP8 motor from Shimano and a Shimano XT Di2 gearshift with eleven gears. The pedelec weighs a total of 21 kilograms and has full suspension, although it is designed to be taut. There are no mudguards, reflectors or even a stand in the basic equipment. That only disturbs the simple look – but turns out to be a disadvantage in everyday life: The tires, a kind of bicycle slick, drive almost silently and with minimal rolling resistance, but due to their width do not fit into a conventional wheel stand. On the other hand, they shine on the roads, they are acceptable off-road, but can slide quickly on scree. Alternatively, Porsche offers the e-bike as a cross version – at just under 8,000 euros, it is at least 2000 euros cheaper than the racing version.

Open detailed view

Expensive, but sold out anyway

In order to move the bike a little more in the direction of the car brand, the e-bike has a few gimmicks: for example, the start button typical of the brand’s models, which sits on the top tube of the pedelec. In addition, the gears are clearly audible, and the Porsche E-Bike Sport has a particularly loud idle so that the bike can be heard from afar. As a bonus, as with many new e-bikes on the market, there is a switchable high beam for the pedelec. Customers know this from the left lane on the autobahn. What is rather strange is the front fork, which, together with the wheel, cannot even be turned 45 degrees. This means that it is difficult for the Porsche bike to fit in the trunk without dismantling the front wheel.

To prevent this problem, there is an extra special rear rack for the Porsche Taycan Cross. If it’s already in the garage. All that’s missing to complete is the right bike from the brand. According to Rotwild and Porsche, like many e-bikes, this is sold out due to delivery problems. But Porsche customers are already familiar with longer waiting times from the brand’s limited-edition special models.