Ultra Urban 1100 E-Bike Whips Out the Big Guns To Paint a Smile on Your Face

Folks, the drive to be fast seems deeply rooted in our human genes. Ever since the first days of seeing another creature or vehicle zoom past as you're walking along at baby speed, most of us want to be faster. Well, life doesn't always go according to our plans, and to help regular folks like you and me achieve our dreams of speed, manufacturers build all sorts of machines. Rollerblades, skateboards, hovercrafts, cars, supercars, bicycles, or the most applicable variation of the latter, the e-bike, are all destined for thrills.

One team exploring all the e-bike offers is Zooz Bikes, a crew born in a garage by four friends out of Chicago. Like most other inventions, these bikes were designed and created "purely out of a need to move around downtown Chicago as efficiently as possible." But there's more to the story. The founders seem to be avid motorcyclists, and to feed their need for speed, their e-bikes are equipped to quench that thirst. The result of their focus? Nothing more than a new product line that puts plenty of smiles on people's faces. After all, they're built "purely for fun."

As for the machine before us today, this is the Ultra Urban 1100 (UU1100), a steel frame wonder that raises the e-bike and takes it to a less common level of function. Because Zooz e-bikes are completed with a geometry that seems rather BMX-like, these bikes are nimble, easy to control, and fit right into tight city landscapes. With the addition of a café racer-style seat, a retro yet modern appeal is sparked.

But style isn't everything when it comes to biking or anything else for that matter. For the UU1100, speed is also at the center of its ability to catch your elusive smile. Overall, the bike's speed limit is set at 20 mph (32.2 kph). Sure, it may not sound much different from other machines on the streets, but the UU1100 can be unlocked up to 30 mph (48 kph); that's more than enough wind in your hair to keep you happy. But wear a dang helmet, please; you don't want to know what it's like to have both arms in casts because you protected your head during an accident.

As you'd imagine, to achieve this sort of speed, UU1100 relies on a motor mounted to the rear hub. Overall, this trinket is rated at 750 W but can hit a peak of 1,600 W and will be drawing energy from a 19.2 Ah battery mounted under the seat. With the motor's level of power, riders are looking at a maximum range of 40 mi (64 km). It may not sound like a lot, but when's the last time you rode a bike around town for more than 40 mi in a day?

Well, to help you stay on the bike for as long as possible, Zooz also focused some of their attention on your comfort. Aside from that appealing seat, Maxxis Hookworm tires will be providing a soft and smooth ride, while an LCD display keeps you in touch with trip diagnostics, including speed and battery levels. But, the ultimate comfort feature appears to be that thumb throttle; just sit back and enjoy the ride on a 63 lb (28.5 kg) bike.

At the end of the day, UU1100 has the speed you may be looking for, is built using timeless steel for the frame tubes, and is sure to catch a few glimpses. But, how much is this going to cost you? Overall, you're looking at a machine priced with an MSRP of 2,895 USD (2,661 EUR). Yes, it may be a bit more than your average e-bike, but then again, those bikes don't seem to be able to do what this little bugger does, and that's worth a second look, to say the least.