The Beast: Solar Powered Off-Road Fun

[Aushiker]

Resembling something brawnier than a scooter yet not quite a chopper motorcycle, the Beast cuts something of an unusual figure. Inverted suspension forks hold the first of the 10-inch alloy rims and bear a 4,500 lumen LED headlight on the front. The alloy frame sits atop two 19.7-inch off-road tires, measuring 6.3 ft (1.92 m) from end to end, with a height of 3.75 ft (1.1 m) and weight of 55 kg (121 lb).

It features 15 W-hr solar panels which complement power from the grid by channeling energy to the 60-V 12-AH lithium battery with continuous trickle charging. While one full charge is good for an electric range of 40 km (24 mi), Daymak says that the solar panels can deliver 10 km (6.2 mi) of range for every eight hours they are exposed to ambient sunlight. This means that plugging the Beast into the outlet could be something of a rarity for those traveling only short distances.

Running on a modest 500 W (0.67 hp) gearless hub motor, the Beast has a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph). This adheres to the legal limit for e-bikes in motor-only mode, meaning that it can cross from off-road to the city streets without raising any flags.

Source: Gizmag

Andrew

 

[peerjay56]

Off road? Fnaar fnaar. Alright on the beach and streets maybe, but small wheels and long wheelbase excludes anything gnarly.

 

[pdarnett]

I like the solar battery idea, think their charging figures might be a bit optimistic though.

 

[flecc]

the Beast has a top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph). This adheres to the legal limit for e-bikes in motor-only mode, meaning that it can cross from off-road to the city streets without raising any flags.

Aren't the new Australian rules the same as the EU ones Andrew, 25 km maximum assist speed? I think that's true of the State of Victoria and thought that had become country wide law.

 

[Geebee]

It was a USA article originally form Gizmag.
I would love to see it tackle a steep hill.

 

[Aushiker]

It was a USA article originally form Gizmag.
I would love to see it tackle a steep hill.

Yep. Source link provided in the opening post.

Andrew

 

[amigafan2003]

I don't think the solar panels will work when the bike is locked up in my garage ;-)

 

[Daniel Daymak]

I don't think the solar panels will work when the bike is locked up in my garage ;-)

The Solar/Battery pack is removable and you can just bring it into your place and sit it by a window, it will charge inside if there is ambient light from a window. It will also charge with ambient light on a cloudy day.

Regards,
Daniel
Daymak Inc.

 

[Daniel Daymak]

It was a USA article originally form Gizmag.
I would love to see it tackle a steep hill.

Right now we are still working with the prototype, as seen in the video.

With a 500w motor & a proper controller, the bike will do almost any hill.

We have been selling ebikes for 12 years. We sell several types of ebikes with 500w motors on them, like the Vienna, which can make it pretty much on any incline see video [

]

We have also sold 15w solar panels with a carrier case on other bikes in the past. The feedback has been great on all of the above.

Regards,
~ Daniel
Daymak Inc.

 

[Daniel Daymak]

I like the solar battery idea, think their charging figures might be a bit optimistic though.

Right now we are working with the prototype, which has parts that are based off of parts of products we have had in the past in our lineup ...

Which part of the charging figures are you suggesting might be a bit optimistic ?

Regards,
~ Daniel
Daymak Inc.

 

[pdarnett]

I was meaning the 10km per eight hours of sunlight. I run 3 10w panels to charge a 36v pack and really struggle to add even 5km into it. I'm now charging a 40Ah Gel battery in my garage and then using my charger off that. The solar didn't charge fast enough for me! Must be the lack of sun in the UK.