Except for a number of one off projects by individual builders, electric motorcycles tend to be something either sporty and racer like or built for off road use. Companies getting into the e-bike business usually avoid cruisers, until now, that is, because Voxan, the newly revived French motorcycle company, just introduced the Wattman at the Paris motorcycle show. (Whether this is the same company or just someone who bought the rights to the name, I’m not sure.)
I’ve mentioned before that big bikes seem to me a natural starting point for electrics because they have more room for batteries than some racer trying to be light and flickable, and this is definitely not a racer. A 240mm rear tire and 771 pounds means we have a big bike more focused on straighter lines and slower turns, though 200 horsepower and 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and 0-100 in 5.9 is a lot better then you would expect from something of this size. It’s single speed and belt drive.
Batteries are lithium ion, range is 112 miles and they say an 80 percent recharge takes less than 30 minutes. I didn’t see any photos of the plug, but they call it a Combo 2 socket, so I think they’re referring to this one. This is evidently aimed at the European or international build to order client, so how prevalent those charging stations are will depend on location.
Price? Do you need to ask? Is this what the cruiser of the future looks like?
Thanks for the tip, Bob.
Link: Voxan
Clawbrant says
I think I’ll just take a Black Magic, thank you.
Tom Lyons says
Seems like a good combination to me.
Big fat heavy cruiser is what the cruiser people want. A natural fit.
Pretty fast too
Still short distance range, but for some folks it would be enough.
MeanMonkey216 says
to: Tom Lyons,
Yeah, after about two hours on surface roads I need to get off to ease my back and backside (I’m in my 60’s) for a bit. I’d have to convince my favorite greasy-spoon joint to put in a fast charge outlet.
As for the solo seat, the French designers must not take their spouses along for the ride.
S3bird says
I have to say it looks kind of neat. Reminds me of something from “Batman the Animated Series” of the 1990’s
jon spencer says
Not enough range for my regular ice cream cone run.
That takes around 180 miles, or more if I feel like it.
By the way, the captcha is getting hard to read.
Any chance of putting a remember me button so that once we comment and it is ok, we don’t have to do the captcha thing again?
Mark L. says
This looks interesting, and with max torque at 0 rpm, I’ll but it’s he’ll for stout from a standstill.
Also, It looks like the rear suspension is a parallelogram design. As physically big as it appears and with its advertised weight, you could put a huge battery pack in it.
A different approach to electric bikes.
Richard Gozinya says
The new Voxan has nothing to do with the old Voxan. Some guy bought the name, for the sole purpose of building E-Bikes. I doubt any of the people from the Voxan of old had anything to do with this bike, judging by the poor design. The metal siding, and that ridiculous dual swingarm (As well as a shock for each swingarm) scream car designer to me. Not someone who knows bikes. The Voxans of old were by and large really beautiful designs, a sort of simple elegance, with the motor fully on display. This thing tries to hide too much of itself, for no apparent reason.
You can make an electric motor look however you want, really. Same with the battery pack, shape the case however you like. This though, it’s as if it’s ashamed of its drive train, of its battery pack.
BigHank53 says
That “ridiculous” swingarm design manages to eliminate torque-induced drivetrain squat. If you don’t believe me, you might believe Mert Lawwill, who owns the US patents on them.
Richard Gozinya says
Oh, and the charge time really isn’t anything special. The Mission onboard charger is faster, as it can charge up a 17kwh battery pack in roughly the same amount of time this thing takes to charge 12kwh.
Tin Man says
Everyone is different, but myself, I enjoy shifting gears and the sound of an engine doing its job. Even in cars the CVT transmission has been a sales failure, there is more to riding than just getting somewhere. I like to be involved in driving/riding as do most people I know.
Hawk says
Looking at 350 kg, I think I’d like 50 to 60% larger front rotors.
blackbird says
That appears to be a four rotor setup so swept area will be enough.
Cab says
Awesome, I always felt my dishwasher was home lonely, now I get to drive it around!!!!!
Cameron says
brutusmotorcycle.com
I know nothing about them other than the web site but they look very American.
Paul Crowe says
We wrote about Brutus here.
zipidachimp says
I’d ride it with a gun to my head, but not otherwise!
zipidachimp says
what I meant was, life is too short to design, or to buy ugly things. Let beauty prevail! this wattman and the yamaha bolt fall into the ‘ugly’ bin.
Doug says
No. This is a prime example of what is wrong with e-bikes (as Richard G eluded to above). Zero & Brammo are doing similar things too with completely boring aesthetics.
Only Mission, (and to some degree Yamaha’s recent concept), has designed aesthetics that actually attract you to the product. The Mission’s trellis frame, motor, & swingarm are enough to get someone to take a step closer. Every other street ebike has been a complete bore & they aren’t doing anything to take epower to the next level. Its not the petrol-head’s fault. Give them something deserving of that closer step to your product. Without those sales, will ebikes ever reach their development potential?
This is totally frustrating since aesthetic pieces are not the hardest part to get right.
tim says
Richard,
swing on over to the wiki site for voxan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voxan
Voxan is now owned by Venturi Automobiles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venturi_Automobiles
a maker of e-sportscars
go figure right?
Tirapop says
The “dual swingarm” was used by MV Agusta on their 500cc GP bike back in the ’50s. Arturo Magni, who worked on those bikes, went on to use paralelgramo rear suspensions on his small production custom Magni bikes. The same kinematic idea is used in the BMW paralever swingarms.
The shocks for each side of the swing arm is something that MotoCzysz used on their C1 MotoGP prototype.
I look at a Yamaha C3 scooter and then their V-Max. It isn’t difficult to mix those design elements to end up with something like the Wattman. Neither of those bikes are to everyone’s tastes and neither would a mashup of the C3 and V-Max.
rohorn says
Is this what electric bikes will look like in the future? I doubt it – but nobody knows – yet. Like any immature genre, it’ll take a few design mistakes to learn from before the look matures and becomes “right”. There’s also the problem of “credentialed” and “qualified” (Not to mention fashionably oriented) designers with zero passion, talent, or vison, but that’s another matter.
Another problem is that anything new tends to be discussed on the internet by those whose only experience with the subject is a 700×467 pixel image. Seen one in person? NO. Ridden one? NO. Have to live with one and clean it? NO. And the point of any bike is to just look at its 700×467 image on the internet and fantasize? If the disconnect of the content of the trendier look-alike blogs and what actually sells is anything to go by, the answer isn’t a healthy one.
But should an electric cruiser look like a Harley with a battery in it? If anyone thinks so, please read some brochures from the nursing home conveniently located nearest you, make end-of-life arrangements, and fade away quietly.
FREEMAN says
Man…. Nobody’s got anything nice to say here.
Bicho says
Well,i just saw the new Confederate 10MEGATONS thermo nuclear device……and,………..all of a sudden Wattman looks like a MASTERPIECE!
ednilson says
Eu adorei …
Recentemente motos eletrica são sinominos de motos feias, mas esta custon, ficou na medida. Encorpada com grande motor, rapida e bonita … Perfeita.