Bad Name, Cool Idea
Most people remember Buell. The company went limp in 2009 and has existed only to produce racing bikes recently. Now it’s back in the saddle thanks to a partnership with Sauber Motorsport to start making electric bikes. With Buell’s success in the two-wheeled world and Sauber Motorsports success in Formula E, it’s a pair up that makes a lot of sense.
The company has two new bikes. One is a pedal-assist electric bicycle called the Fluid. It’s an attractive looking bike, with the electronics and batteries all housed within the frame. While not a completely revolutionary product, in our world of e-mobility, it’s probably a smart move by the company. It does have a pretty steep $3,295 price tag, but it also has swappable batteries, which is a smart concept and there are two versions, a 20-mph one and a 28-mph one.
What really gets me excited, though is the electric motorcycle from the company called the Flow. It has a proprietary electric motor in the rear wheel. The company says the weight is housed low, and it looks like it. The bike makes 15 hp or 47 hp depending on the variant you choose.
While technical specifications for the bike have not yet surfaced, Autoblog estimates the price tag to come in around $10,995. In order to compete, Fuell will have to get over 100 miles per charge with its bike. I’d love it if they could pull it off. I’m ready for a Buell comeback.