Buell is Back with Electric Bikes
Well regarded as a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology, Erik Buell is back with the new electric bike project VanguardSpark. Buell has teamed up with the New York City boutique bike brand Vanguard Motorcycles as well as Formula E car manufacturer SPARK Racing Technologies for this project.
(Image taken from Road Runner)
Based in New York, Vanguard Motorcycles take pride in their “advanced take on design and a unique approach to engineering, manufacturing and sales” in their creation of the new and distinct premium motorcycle brand. On the other hand, Spark Racing Technology is the official supplier for the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship and has been developing hybrid and electric powertrains since 2012.
Together with Erik Buell, VanguardSpark will debut two models - the VanguardSpark Commuter and the VanguardSpark SpeedBike.
With an intriguing design, the VanguardSpark Commuter (pictured above) is an electric motorcycle that seems to be housing the batteries inside the monocoque shell and with a hub-mounted unit powering the rear wheel. The company VanguardSpark has also referred to the vehicle as a “nimble and practical two-wheeler perfectly adapted to urban environments and capable of 150+ kilometers before recharging.”
Pictured below is the VanguardSpark SpeedBike, a pedal-assisted electric bicycle which the firm says it’s a step forward from the typical pedelec. Although the drawings of the models have already been released, not much else is known about the features of these two bikes. The company would also like to emphasize that the drawings merely show the design direction rather than the final styling, and has also stated that they will be filing for four patent applications around its technology, which means that we can expect VanguardSpark to be bringing something new to the table
