The man on the pedelec really gives everything. He steps on the pedals so that the soles of his sneakers are about to smoke. But he has no chance, we just let the brisk cyclist stand like an amateur. We also pedal on two-wheelers. Effortlessly. Loose flaky. In the rearview mirror we see the supposed wearer of the yellow jersey slump and roll out. What the ambitious cyclist does not know: We are out and about with a mixture of pedelecs and motorcycles. In other words: the appearance of a classic bike and the power of an e-machine with up to 16 kW / 21.7 PS.
The cool thing about this e-motorcycle is that you accelerate by turning the handle of the steering wheel, but by pedaling harder. “But that is not stronger than level one on the fitness bike, we do not want people to come to the office sweaty,” explains CEO Andreas Zurwehme, who describes this interplay of muscle power and propulsion as a “human hybrid” and announces that it will as part of a software update in the future, there will be a function in which you can define the resistance yourself, i.e. also athletically with more power.
eRockit: On the move with the fastest bike in the world
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The pedal-propulsion reflex is a lot of fun. Even in the normal drive program, thanks to the continuous output of 5 kW / 6.8 PS, it makes good progress. As soon as you crank really fast, the speed also increases. As soon as you let the pedals spin with full use, the brushless permanent magnet synchronous motor gets everything out of it and you can go up to 90 km / h. If you switch to “Sport”, things get down to business right from the start and some scooter riders have to dress warmly. “The eRockit is the only bike in the world that you can ride on the autobahn,” says CEO Andreas Zurwehme.
Thanks to the 17 inch wheels and the full suspension (front: adjustable 37 millimeter upside-down fork, rear: 203cmm oil pressure shock absorber with adjustable spring preload) the eRockit can handle sleepers and transverse joints more easily than many conventional two-wheelers. In addition, there is the narrow design of the vehicle and an agility that almost comes close to that of a classic bicycle. Almost because you can’t argue away the weight of the eRockit of 120 kilograms, and because you need a little practice before you take very tight bends.
6.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery
The eRockit bike looks like a leftover from the good old mechanical days: the shock absorber forks, a carbon cover, pinion and toothed belt drive. Wonderful. But under this archaic-looking shell is a 6.6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that can bring the disguised bike up to 120 kilometers. At a normal household socket, it takes around three hours to fill the built-in batteries from 20 percent to 80 percent with energy. It’s two hours more from zero to 100 percent. The best thing to do is to charge the bike overnight and then start with full cells in the morning.
As cool as the vehicle is, it still has a few weaknesses: Due to the design, there is no luggage rack. “The eRockit is a classic backpack vehicle,” explains co-founder Sebastian Bruch. The digital display is difficult to read in direct sunlight. And then there’s the price. The e-two-wheeler currently costs at least 11,850 euros as a “Limited Edition 100”. Not cheap, but having a special taste has never been cheap. With larger quantities, the price should fall below the magical 10,000 euro mark. The eRockit is manufactured almost entirely by hand in Hennigsdorf, Brandenburg. The vehicle also impressed soccer professional Max Kruse, who joined the start-up.
As cool as the vehicle is, it still has a few weaknesses: Due to the design, there is no luggage rack. “The eRockit is a classic backpack vehicle,” explains co-founder Sebastian Bruch. The digital display is difficult to read in direct sunlight. And then there’s the price. The e-two-wheeler currently costs at least 11,850 euros as a “Limited Edition 100”. Not cheap, but having a special taste has never been cheap. With larger quantities, the price should fall below the magical 10,000 euro mark. The eRockit is manufactured almost entirely by hand in Hennigsdorf, Brandenburg. The vehicle also impressed soccer professional Max Kruse, who joined the start-up.