Revised May 10, 2013 Having big money is a nice thing, especially if your an electric bike fanatic. There is nothing cheap that matches the fine finish and performance of these 10 electric bikes. Unfortunately the demand for these ultra expensive beasts is not that great, because most of the electric bikes on this list have not made it to market yet and exist in a state of vapor wear with a few prototypes. However all the bikes on this list, the manufacturer claims to be taking pre-orders and have working prototypes.Part of the reason these bikes are so expensive is most are hand made one at a time items. As a Ferrari is hand built as opposed to a mass produced Fiat.
#10 Prodego Titanio $5000
The most affordable bike on this list is also the lightest weight (32 pounds) and has the smallest battery pack (205 watt hours) and the smallest motor (250 watts). Building a lightweight ebike is full of performance compromises and to build one light is not cheap. The Prodego Titanio is a titanium beauty, made in China and assembled in the Prodeco factory in Florida.
Semi-affordable the Specialized Turbo is a quality mass produced bike which can reach a respectable 28mph with pedaling. Specialized hired a team of engineers in Switzerland who spent 3 years designing this bike. It has proprietary hub motor, battery, frame, dashboard, etc. so it costs big bucks. One of the more solid and practical bikes on this list. Specialized designed it with the commuter in mind, but good luck locking this expensive baby to a post.
Hanebrink is the original fat bike builder, and in the last 5 years brought to market a fat bike mid drive. (read our article about mid drives) A fat bike mid drive is a brutal combination because it can climb steep terrain even when off road. Because this ebike is hand made in the USA with many expensive and custom made components it is expensive….
This is one of the more unique bikes on this list, which is the SUV of the Ebike world. Hand built in Portland Oregon the Trike Truck has 2 hub motor in the rear and a unique front wheel pedal drive. It is designed for carrying heavy cargo and rider up steep hills.
#6 Outrider 422 Alpha $12,000
The Outrider USA trike is one of the faster ebikes on this list…or would you call it an E-trike? This is a non suspension trike with a powerful Astro rc motor running to the back wheel, giving you 6 horse power in a light package. Where most of the bikes on this list are lucky to burn 1500 watts, this baby will burn up to 9,000 watts, and jet this trike to 50mph in less than 6 seconds.
The Stealth Bomber has proven to be a reliable and robust speedster capable of speeds up to 50mph and is equipped with a heavy duty full suspension. It weighs in at a hefty 125 pounds but has over a 50 mile range.
The Optibike 1100r uses some of the latest ebike technologies including a mid drive. a Rohloff as the motors transmission, and a Fox full suspension. It is capable of speeds of 35mph and has a very descent range of 40 miles and only weighs 65 pounds. It has proven to be a reliable and durable machine by scaling Pikes Peak a number of times. Optibikes range in price from $6000 to $16,000.
The Hanebrink Hustler was built for speed with no expense spared. Depending on the configuration, it is capable of speeds up to 80 mph. It is a mid drive using bicycle derailleurs as its transmission. It has enough lithium battery to get 50-100 miles on a charge depending on how fast you are riding. It has operational pedals hidden behind the fairing so that you can argue it is an electric bike after you get pulled over. The Hanebrink Hustler can cost from $17,000 to $30,000 depending on configuration (how fast and how far).
The M55 seems like it was designed for Arab sheikhs or internet billionaires. This bike features no expense spared detailed cnc work and carbon fiber panels. The bike utilizes a rc motor, with a gear reduction system and an RC motor. Power is transferred to the ground via a German Rohloff speed hub in the back wheel. This bike is designed and made by hand in Budapest Hungary.
The Suspensionless blacktrail was designed for street riding. It’s all carbon fiber construction makes it extremely light weight for an electric bike. 50lbs, half of which is battery. The Blacktrail uses an expensive Clean Mobile gear reduction system. This bike is one of 3 German bikes on this list. The bike comes in different configurations. It is claimed it can hit speeds of 60mph in its fastest configuration. Beware if you are thinking about throwing down the big cash for this one…. this bike might be vaporware.
Eric has been involved in the electric bike industry since 2002 when he started a 6000 square foot brick and mortar Electric Bike store in downtown San Francisco. He is a true believer that small electric vehicles can change the way we operate and the way we think.
