From Motorcycles to a Different Kind of Two-Wheeler: Erik Buell's "Longest Range E-Bikes"

Whenever someone declares they've designed something fit for a title such as "World's biggest, best, fastest, longest anything," you can bet your bottom dollar all my research bells start ringing. Especially since I've been covering the e-bike industry extensively over the past few years. But we'll get to that statement shortly. For now, let's focus on the FUELL e-mobility brand created by Erik Buell and his team of like-minded individuals.

If you've been keeping up with the news over the past few months, you may have spotted the FUELL name several times. Most notably, the Flluid-1S platform that's responsible for three models based on the same base structure. Think of the Flluid-1 as a VW MEB platform or what Mercedes is doing with their own high-end EV lineup.

Well, the 2S and 3S are the next evolution of the FUELL brand, so they come to the mobility game with an upgraded design, components, and capabilities. For example, the 2S is equipped with two removable battery packs allowing it to achieve a range of 225 mi (362 km). That's insane! But is it enough to grant this machine the title mentioned above? Hold that thought. As for the 3S, because it's built around a step-through frame, it only has one possible tube-mounted battery pack. Thus, it only squeezes out 110 mi (177 km) of peak range.

Now the two bikes are equipped with mostly the same components, except for the second battery, of course. One system we need to take note of is the drivetrain. If you happen to check out the BB area on the Flluids, you'll notice a contraption that the tubes are attached to. This is nothing more than Valeo's mid-mounted Cyclee motor.

Aside from being new on the market, the most noticeable feature of this motor is its power. Overall, the 2S and 3S are both pulled along by a 750 W powerhouse capable of squeezing out 130 Nm (96 lb-ft) of torque. That's more than some low-budget cars! Oh, and all this power is enough to fly around town at speeds upwards of 28 mph (45 kph). Throttle control is also there to help you reduce the amount of work you put in.

But there's a tad more to this motorization that needs to be explored. Because the Flluids are equipped with a belt drivetrain from Gates, shifting is basically a no-no. Not unless you're running an internal gearbox. Well, that's precisely what the Valeo Cyclee achieves for you. Built around a 48 V motor, controlled by "predictive" software, and completed with an integrated and automated gearbox, the Cyclee doesn't just handle everything for you, but because of its power level, it handles up to 315 kg (695 lb) of total weight. Considering there are cargo racks on the Flluids, it's really nice to have this much power. Back to the Gates drivetrain, these babies are known for taking any worries off your mind with traits like 19,000 mi (over 30,000 km) lifetimes.

What does all this mean for future riders and owners of a Flluid EV? It means a pretty damn worry-free ride. You've got yourself a solid belt drive and a motor that does everything for you. What more could you want? Oh, a suspension system? Yup, the Flluids have that too. For both the 2S and 3S, a Suntour XCR34 is in place and brings 120 mm (4.7 in) of travel to soften up your ride. Since this is a city bike, the rear is best left without any dampening components to drive all your power straight into the ground.

Speaking of power, safety is also a huge factor whenever we talk about this much power on a bicycle. Thus, a pair of hydraulic Tektro brakes are in place with calipers pinching down on 180 mm rotors. As if to help justify the $6,000 (€5,500 at current exchange rates) price tag of the 2S and $5,500 (€5,000) for the 3S, the name Pirelli is also spotted on these bikes, and I don't feel I need to mention what component comes from this brand.

Now, I do need to mention that these figures are the price you'll pay only once the pre-order campaign is over on IndieGoGo. As for the time being, you can currently grab a 2S for a cool $4,000 (€3,650) and a 3S for $3,700 (€3,400). Once you factor in things like the display, theft warning, App, and GPS systems, it looks like there's a new e-bike in town, and it means business.

As for the final point of discussion on today's menu, that range! Anytime a manufacturer says something like this, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are folks like me out there that say, "Really?" While the 2S displays massive range, probably achieved in optimum test settings, Delfast set a Guinness World Record of 228 mi (367 km) on an e-bike without pedaling and on a single charge. So close! Then there's the R22 Everest, topping out at a whopping 300+ miles (483+ km) of range with two batteries, claimed by the manufacturer. But that's an $18K machine. I think I'm going to settle for the 2S instead.

Don't get me wrong, the range you can achieve with the 2S, and the ease of use with which you can achieve it, more than justifies the current pre-order price tag, but is it enough once we're back to $6,000? That's for you to decide, but from what I've seen, these things are promising indeed.