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Austrian electric motorbike looks like a bug

Johammer J1 electric motorcycle hydrogen - own ugly Mickey
Johammer J1 electric

They call the Johammer J1 an electric chopper, but it looks more like a robotic ladybug with its solid body and antenna-like mirrors.

CHECK OUT THE GALLERY OF IMAGES

Johammer J1 electric motorbikeThe Austrian-made electric motorbike doesn’t even have impressive range or top speed to redeem its weird appearance. And worst of all, it costs $34,000 for the J1.150 with 150km of range and $37,000 for the J1-200 with – you guessed it, 200km of range!

The future of motorcycling may be electric, but it certainly isn’t in strange-looking vehicles like this. The best way to ease us into electric power is with bikes that don’t make us embarrassed to be seen riding them.

While many electric motorbikes are now claiming higher range and higher top speeds than the Johammer’s 120km/h, there are a few interesting points in the engineering and technology. For a start, it features theJohammer J1 electric motorcycle instruments in the bug-like mirrors/antennae (right), a motor mounted directly between the wheels, electric gear and controls in the rear wheel, mini LED big-like dual headlights, horizontal springs and shocks, easily adjustable steering, footpegs forward and mid-mount to suit any rider, and a low seat at just 650mm. Best of all, the brush-less AC-motor with a single-level gear runs in an oil bath with lifetime lubrication so it is maintenance free.

The J1.150 has an 8.3kWh battery that can be charged to 80% capacity in 2.5 hours, while the J1.200 has a 2.7kWh battery with 3.5 hours charging time. An optional pack will reduce charging times to one hour and 80 minutes, respectively. Both are fairly light for road bikes with the base model tipping the scales at just 159kg and the top-spec only 178kg.

But would you be seen riding one of these?

  1. price is a bit eye watering as it would be on a limited production machine
    but to be honest i like it it has a sort of steam punk flavour and for a lot of people
    a 200 km range is fine for commuting. if you look at some of the european custom
    websites some interesting and different stuff is coming out of europe.
    shops like deus are successfully aiming at a younger sophisticated, less traditional
    market. bikes like this could well be the future

  2. Just another expensive toy for the rich gadget collector. The acid test for me was when the desperately sad old bald ‘guy’ on The Gadget Show(UK) said he liked it. Most of us will never see one on the street. The only contenders for the Ebike crown are still made in the US (Zero/Brammer?). Europe has its head up its **** over bike design and is still busy over-supplying a limited market with expensive ‘cafe’ conversions and 2-wheeled Fulham tractors. This is an ideal situation for the kind of quirky alternative thinking that gave us the 2CV, and Punk.

  3. a lot of similar criticism was probably aimed at the vespa and vw beatle.
    the demise of the auto industry in america was because they would not
    change. the way of the future is obviously electric.
    and what the younger tech savvy consumers want ,might be totally different
    to the taste of sad old farts.

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