QuietKat's Cafe Racer Lynx E-Bike Aims To Please With Styling, Comfort, and Speed

Folks, the name QuietKat may seem familiar to you. After all, they're the same crew that designs and builds bikes, electric or not, for a famous automotive brand, Jeep. Well, this time around, the Lynx is designed, built, and sold by yours truly (QuietKat), and it's a good thing that this crew took this course of action; this thing is unique, to say the least.

If you happen to make it across QuietKat's website, you'll notice that they consider the Lynx as the "epitome of style and versatility." The purpose of this little piece of literature is to identify if the Lynx has the power, the looks, and the price necessary to land in your garage.

Now, I like to start my deep dives into bicycles by exploring the frame design, and if I may, the Lynx has a whole lot going on. For example, the whole "Cafe Moto" inspiration is clearly visible and comes across not only in the styling we see but also in the rider position, which is really where cafe racer-inspired e-bikes tend to struggle.

Look, it's simple; a motorcycle doesn't require you to move your legs in a constant circular motion, flexing and expanding muscles as you do so. Thus, brands that aim to make their e-bikes look like these retro bikes often overlook this essential aspect, typically giving birth to two-wheelers that have you pedaling as though you're on a BMX. If you've got bad knees, these types of bikes aren't for you.

Luckily for you and anyone looking to have a different "cafe racer" experience, QuietKat didn't overlook the whole knee-crunching riding position and seems to have set the seat or saddle a bit higher than other e-bikes of this style - a win in my book.

After all that aluminum hardens, is sanded, primed, and painted, the result is a full-suspension system with internal cable routing, an integrated and removable battery pack, and the spunk to carry two people. The latter is made possible not just by the two-person saddle we see but by the rear shock's ability to handle such loads.

There's just one question I have: What could be hidden in that BB (bottom bracket) casing? It's clearly not the motor; Lynx has a rear hub-mounted motor. For now, we don't know, but I have some suspicions, and they don't have much to do with the Lynx itself but with manufacturing processes used in the industry as a whole. That's a story for another time.

Since I mentioned the motor, I would like to direct your attention to the rear wheel. It's here that we lock eyes with a 1,000 W motor with two speeds and a peak output of 1,440 W. It also boasts a whopping 83 Nm (61 lb-ft) of torque, more than enough to help you fly around town or on some dirt roads.

Why so much power? Well, let's start with the fact that the Lynx weighs 100 lbs (45 kg) and has a load capacity of 300 lbs (136 kg). Yes, this much torque and proverbial HP is needed. But speed is also part of the story, and overall, the Lynx is limited to 28 mph (45 kph), but apparently, it can be unrestricted, too, and that's sure to grab some attention. Luckily, twist throttle is also in place, so kick back and enjoy the ride.

But this is quite a hungry motor, so a large battery pack is needed to help feed it with energy. I mentioned that the battery is integrated into the down tube, and overall, it boasts 20 Ah of juice running under 48 V, for a total of 960 Wh of power. Apparently, this is good for up to 60 mi (96.5 km) in testing conditions, so expect a tad less in the real world.

As for a few other features you need to be aware of, there's that inverted front fork providing 203 mm (8 in) of travel, while the rear shock allows the frame to move up to 100 mm (3.9 in). Oh, this thing is also working with a single-speed drivetrain, but it also has a derailleur, for whatever reason, tension. So you'll be relying on the motor to move along.

One other suspension system that is always in place is the tires, and the Lynx is rocking 4.5 in cross-section rubbers. This means that there is a pocket of air between the ground and the bike's rim, helping reduce and attenuate some of the bumps and vibrations encountered on your rides. Throw on a rather odd headlight, a pair of brakes, and a display, and off you go.

What does all this mean for folks like you and me? It means an e-bike with power, comfort, and styling, but there are downsides; any two-wheeler that weighs 100 lbs cannot be considered a bicycle. But the Lynx does come across as brandishing all the right stuff that fat-bike riders want.

The only other aspect that can be seen as a downside is this thing's price. Overall, interested buyers will have to dish out at least $4,000 for a new Lynx. If it does ring all your bells, preorders are open now with "estimated" shipping starting in September 2023.