HAMBURG: Electric mopeds are ideal for cruising through the city in a super-relaxed way and getting to a destination with a smaller carbon footprint, but these days it's near impossible to look cool when riding one.
Enter the Metorbike from Hamburg, which revives the cafe racer tradition of the 1960s with neat styling, a laid back riding position and fancy features.
These include a fancy LCD display and a unique soundbox which recreates various six different heady engine roars of yore for an authentic riding experience.
The hand-built Metorbike weights a mere 75 kilos and its battery allows a range of 60km between charges. Performance is lively, although top speed in Germany and some other markets is restricted to 50kph.
Electric vehicles are either silent or sound pretty boring so the Metorbike has been given a whole package of noises to suit its looks.
Using a CAN-controlled sound module with a power amplifier, the suite includes up to six engine noises which "offer an emotional experience for all senses." The audio software simulates a gearbox that emulate four mechanical gear changes and the sounds to match.
The Metorbike competes against the rivals such as the electric Black Tea moped made in Bavaria and the Famel E-FX from Portugal in a class that is popular with teenage riders who can drive one from 16 years of age.
The zero-emission two-wheeler is the brainchild of young engineers Michael Szpitalny und Marvin Rau from here. They came up with the idea of adapting the frame of a long defunct Puch petrol-driven moped to make the new machine.
So why cafe racer? "As friends from school, we have always been fascinated by the café racer style motorcycles," reads the website blurb.
"During our studies, we gained our experience with the conversion of combustion mopeds. The necessary machines and tools gradually came together. 'How about a one-of-a-kind electric café racer?'"
Cafe racers were a breed of fearless young men who gathered at eateries around London in the 1960s before tearing around the streets on their petrol motorbikes in a show of speed, status and rebellion.
They certainly did not wear business suits and a tie as shown by the dapper young man testing the Metorbike on a spin through Hamburg's harbour on the firm's publicity video.
The look is very streetwise and it earned the Metorbike praise from the Playboy Mobility Guide 2, which said the moped is "cool, sustainable and un-compromising".
The Metorbike's price reflects the exclusivity and for €7,749 (RM37,000)the first 50 customers can configure their own bike using the company's website.
Once EU type approval has been obtained, series production can begin, said Szpitalny.
