http://gas2.org/2015/12/03/jay-leno-gets-a-charge-out-of-vintage-electric-bicycle/ Jay Leno Gets A Charge Out of Vintage Electric Bicycle December 3rd, 2015 Steve Hanley
[video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCPy0d2KRSc Vintage Electric Bicycles - Jay Leno's Garage Jay Leno's Garage Nov 29, 2015 Andrew Davidge started his electric bike company in high school and now, four years later, he and Jay are cruising the Cruz and E-Tracker - at 36 mph in race mode with a 30-mile range! ] If it rolls, explodes, or makes noise, Jay Leno likes it. Recently he came across a young man named Andrew Davidge who started Vintage Electric while he was still in high school. He came across an electric bicycle, tore it apart and rebuilt it the way he wanted it to be — a retro looking beach cruiser machine that looks like it belongs in a Old Gold cigarette ad from the 30’s. As things happened, people saw Leno riding his bike around town and asked where they could get one like it. (That’s the original bike in red.) Before long, Andrew had designed two other bikes, one with an Art Deco battery case and another that looks like an early Harley Davidson V Twin engine. Each bike has a 3,000 watt hub motor sourced from Vespa and powered by a 52 volt lithium ion battery. Range is 30 miles (more if you pedal hard) and the battery takes just 2 hours to recharge. Davidge admits that when he pushes the bike to its 36 mph limit, his range drops to 26 miles, but he says his father, who rides very gently, can go 32 miles with ease. Legally, the bikes are limited to 20 mph when travelling on public roads, but there is a key switch that allows them to travel at 36 mph. That’s only for “off road race usage”, Davidge says with a sly smile. Brakes are hydraulic mountain bike units, but the rider also has control over a regenerative braking function that slows the bike almost to a complete stop while also recharging the battery. There is also a small 12 volt battery for the LED headlight and tail lamp. With help from Leno’s exposure, Vintage Electric has already sold 400 bikes and is shipping 10 – 15 more every week. Starting price is around $5,000. Some of the bikes use a chrome-moly frame, others use hydroformed aluminum. The frames are all made by hand at the factory in San Francisco. The fabrication work is first class, with beautifully done welds and excellent paint work. Davidge says the bikes are popular with RV owners, who use them to get around when they get to their destination. The bikes are almost silent while in operation, except for the chortles they elicit from their riders. What a fun way to get around with zero emissions. [© gas2.org] http://www.autoblog.com/2015/12/01/jay-leno-vintage-electric-motorcycles-video/ Vintage Electric bikes mix modern and classic on Jay Leno's Garage Dec 1st 2015 Chris Bruce Jay Leno is already familiar with high-performance electric motorcycles after inviting bikes from Lightning, Mission Motors, and even the Harley-Davidson Livewire into the garage, but he slows things way down for a look at the retro-inspired bicycles from Vintage Electric. Founder Andrew Davidge started the company while he was still in high school and grew the business to include two models in the lineup. The company's comfy looking Cruz and race-inspired E-Tracker pack a 3,000-watt hub motor at the rear and a lithium-ion battery where an engine would usually go on the frame. They offer a range of about 30 miles and an unregulated top speed of 36 miles per hour. If the cycle runs out of juice, the rider can also pedal away. It's a concept and style quite similar to the Icon E-Flyer. While the these bicycles lack the tremendous power of most of the vehicles in the garage, Jay still seems to get a kick out of cruising around on one. He even finds out if these quiet electric bikes can manage a burnout. Check out these modern two-wheelers with a vintage twist in the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage. [© autoblog.com] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Vintage-Electric-bicycles-on-Jay-Leno-s-Garage-tp4679115.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
