- The Vintage Electric Shelby
is truly the hot rod of electric bicycles.
(upbeat music)
The folks over at Vintage Electric
really wanted to capture the essence,
the spirit of the legendary race car driver
and car designer,
Carroll Shelby.
I spoke with Andrew Davidge,
lead designer and founder.
He was saying like,
"We're just a bunch of car guys
who really love cars and motorcycles."
When you look at the Shelby
and the whole Roadster Scrambler lineup,
you can really tell.
Andrew gave me his personal bike
that was actually in the showroom to test out.
It was issue one of 300.
So, it was definitely a privilege and a joy to ride.
My friend Steely and I took it out
for a spin around the lake here in Oakland,
gotta say we had a lot of fun rippin' around.
I think you gotta look at this bike
in a very particular way.
It's not necessarily geared towards people
who might be looking for an electric bike
in a very utilitarian way.
Geared towards folks who might be looking for a motorcycle,
but maybe don't have a motorcycle license
and don't want to fuss with going to all the classes,
getting a license.
It's a great alternative for folks who also might be looking
for a scooter.
When you compare it to other electric bicycles,
like say for instance,
the VanMoof or the Babymaker.
It's not really an apples to apples comparison.
For one thing, this thing has a race mode.
Once you insert the plug,
you go from 20 miles an hour
all the way up to 36 miles an hour
for off-road use, of course.
The Shelby is built on the Roadster platform,
but it's more than just a repainted rebranded bike.
It's a limited run, one of 300 badged bike.
With the release of the Shelby came a new drivetrain
that trickled down into the Scrambler and the Roadster.
Now, I'm not gonna go through all the specs.
You can check out their website for that,
but some notable specs are that it's 86 total pounds,
including the battery.
750 watt hub motor, 3000 watt in race mode.
It has a 48 volt battery and it takes 4.5 hours to charge.
It has a range of 40 to 75 miles in street mode
and regenerative braking is integrated
in the rear brake lever.
Okay, so for my likes, this thing is super fun.
It's fast, it looks cool.
The build quality is excellent.
I think they really nailed the Vintage aesthetic.
I mean, yes, it's basically a beach cruiser,
but everything else,
they've nailed the period piece with the headlights,
how they made the computer
and the battery look kind of like a V-twin.
Just the overall paint scheme with the racing stripe.
It's a comfortable ride
with leather seats and leather grips.
Now, some of the things I didn't like so much.
Well, for one it's very expensive.
It's at $7,249.
With that much money,
I feel like I could just buy another motorcycle.
I wish they hid some of the wiring and the cable.
It just feels a little messy
and it could be cleaned up a bit.
Another thing is that while minor,
the brake LED lights don't necessarily match aesthetically
with the rest of the bike.
I mean the headlight looks like a legit headlight,
and then you look in the back,
it feels very basic.
I mean, there's nothing really special to it.
Also the display,
while it's great in the sunlight,
it's fully functional, easy to read.
Aesthetically, it doesn't match either.
I wish they put it in the center
just to give it more of that motorcycle feel.
If you're paying a premium price,
everything has gotta be impeccable
and appear to be premium as well.
Would I commute with this bike?
For me to do that,
I would have to hop on Bart.
Now, one thing to take into account
is that you can't throw the bike on escalators.
You'd have to pick it up on the stairs
or use the elevator.
A lot of times, the elevators are out of service.
Other option is if I wanted to commute
would be riding down to the ferry.
Definitely more scenic,
but now I'm having to deal with the elements.
So, something to consider
(engine roaring)
It's a lot of fun, no doubt.
We did run into some issue
with the brake making noise after hard braking.
I mean, of course I'm testing it out.
You know, so, but it later went away
after just more use of the brake and more acceleration.
So, I don't think that was a big deal
and it could've been a one off thing
with the bike that I had.
These are all just nitpicks at this point
because it's a great electric bike
and it's a great homage
to Carroll Shelby and the Shelby brand.
Other than that, there's not much negative about the bike.
Now, do I want one?
Yes, but would I buy one?
Probably not.
At $7,249, it's just a little steep for a daily driver.
But, if you got the coin,
I think it would make a great second
or third bike to add on to your stable.
(funky music)