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Trek's Limited-Run Cafe Moto Go Is a $3K Speedy City e-Bike With Retro Styling

Custom garage-built motorcycles seem to be a thing these days. So much so that the wave of influence has even spilled over into the bicycle realm.
Café Moto Go e-Bike 10 photos
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
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What you see in the cover photo is not some custom-built café racer from an anonymous dude in a garage in the middle of nowhere. Instead, it’s a bicycle from a well-known bicycle manufacturer, Trek. This company really needs no introduction so you’re going to be thrown straight into the thick of it.

It’s called the Café Moto Go! Men’s. What the "Men’s" has to do with it, I don’t know, as it’s an e-bike that looks great for both sexes. But that's a different discussion for a different time; for now, let's look at the bike, starting with the frame. When you look at this bike, what’s the first impression you get?

Just as the name would imply, the impression is that of café racer design. A long and flat chain stay alters the geometry of the rear and forces the seat tube to lean back. You’ll also notice that this seat tube is not part of the bottom bracket construction as you’d normally see on bike frames. This misplaced seat tube offers a low-ride look and feel while offering a good center of gravity.

Café Moto Go e\-Bike
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
Now, before how you go off and complain about how this could be a bit of a structural issue, don’t. If you use this bike for what it’s intended for, city riding, then the motor housing design is enough to give you a good and safe ride. Then there's Trek’s Flat Foot Technology that’s been incorporated into the frame construction.

One noticeable feature on the frame is that funky-looking top tube. What I personally liked and found odd was the way this component offers that whole gas tank feel, with the remainder of this tube running flat and wide towards the seat stay. That's also uncommon among bicycle frames, let alone e-bikes. Oh, and in case it needs mentioning, the whole frame is made of 6061 aluminum. It's kind of rare to find a bike this large with a carbon frame, not for $2,999.99 anyway. Oh, by the way, that’s the sale price as Trek is running a giant discount on this bike right now.

Being the e-bike that it is, be sure to find some decent components powering this city slicker. The first one you need to know about is the motor. That would be a Bosch Performance Line Speed that offers pedal assistance up to 28 mph (45 kph). That’s pretty good if you compare this to the Harley-D e-bikes that hit the streets recently.

Café Moto Go e\-Bike
Photo: Trek Bicycle Corporation
For a battery, Bosch continues its e-bike domination with a PowerTube 500. With the motor running under 250 W, how far you’ll get with this battery is hard to say as road conditions greatly vary from one ride to the next. But I think it’s safe to assume that, with the level that technology has reached, 50 miles (80 km) of distance shouldn’t be an issue. All your assist levels are to be controlled through a Bosch Purion unit.

One feature you may be surprised to see on the Moto Go is the Gates Carbon drivetrain. A Gates CDX Centertrack and belt work together to move all 61 lbs (27.72 kg) of this bike forward. If that’s not enough to get you feeling all cool, the Brooks B17 saddle with leather storage container showing off the Brooks brand should do the trick in getting a couple of looks. Nice and hip if you ask me.

Personally, even if this e-bike didn’t brandish the Trek name or didn't came with a lifetime warranty on the frame like most other Trek bikes, I'd still go for it at that price. These are good components, at a good price. Heck, if you know what you’re doing, buy the bike, take the components off, and whip them onto something else. Never mind that, it's just a crazy idea from a crazy guy. Sometimes I feel like I've lived in Florida my whole life.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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