Urban Transport

The beautifully retro Juicer ebikes with striking EV-Twin battery mount

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Starboard view of Juicer 48 showing pride in her home-state
The frames that would form the basis of the Juicer line; Top: A classic, but still manufactured, Worksman Newsboy, Below: a modern stretch-cruiser frame
Essential components of the Juicer 36 include a 1000w motor, an inexpensive controller and throttle, a box of Headway LiFePO4 batteries, band of copper sheet for bus-bars, and various sprockets and bearings
Juicer 36 rolling-chassis, ready for welding motor-mount brackets
Pages from Twomey's sketchbooks show the Juicer concept taking shape
The first Juicer EV-Twin powerplant; 36v/1000w
Electric components of Juicer 36 getting mounted in the frame
First time out of the workshop, the Juicer 36 is ready for a test-ride
Shop hound guards top-secret Juicer 36 prototype
Top view of the unpainted Juicer 36 "tank" shows the volt-meter, keyswitch, and recharge plug-socket
Juicer 36 center-stand is an unconventional spot to mount a chain-tensioner
Juicer 36 jack-shaft close-up shows how it is mounted on pillow-block bearings u-clamped to the seat-tube (a welded bead on the seat-tube lines up with a hole in the mounting plate which keeps it from twisting on the frame)
Shot from Juicer 36' maiden voyage through Echo Park, CA
A 12s2p configuration of the Juicer 36 doubled its range, enabling a trip to Burbank and back on a single charge
The extra batteries in the parallel string were housed in the "oil tank" area and under the seat
Final paint applied to Juicer 36, closeup of volt-meter reading 41v
Bike speedometer showing max unassisted speed of Juicer 36 on level ground
Creator's pal, Skip rides the long-range version of Juicer 36 through Manhattan Beach
Creator's pal, Skip rides the long-range version of Juicer 36 through Manhattan Beach
Twomey's love of bikes predates the Juicer line, visible behind the Juicer 36 is his first bike-build, a custom BMW R60/2
Beautiful Leah poses on the Juicer 36 on the banks of the LA River
Sectioned Worksman frame with the drop-loop positioned (Juicer 48v)
Conventional coaster-brake with the flanges lathed off is the basis for Juicer 48's overrunning clutch jack-shaft
Original springer-fork made with "Brain Fork" elements and bike-stems for risers
Visualizing what will become the Juicer 48 in the artist's studio/workshop
First glimpse of how an Etek type motor might go with the Worksman frame
Juicer 48 begins to take shape in Twomey's den
Creating templates for the Juicer 48 "tank"
Juicer 48 "tank" welding complete, before sectioning lengthwise
With half of the tank-lid removed the 400a Kelly controller, BMS, and Anderson recharge plug are visible
Maiden voyage shot of Juicer 48 - a floating-sprocket chain tensioner is visible in the left-handed "human-drive" chain
Hipstamatic view of Juicer 48
Top view of Juicer 48 "tank" showing surface-mounted volt-meter gauge
Starboard view of Juicer 48 showing pride in her home-state
Creator, Dave Twomey with his Juicer line behind Hollywood Electrics motorbike shop
A slightly disguised version of the Juicer 48 was entered in the bike competition at the Easyriders show
View gallery - 35 images

If you think that you've spotted a strangely old-looking motorized bicycle cruising around the streets of Los Angeles, don't worry, you're not hallucinating. What you're likely seeing is one of two hand-built Juicer e-bike models - both of which harken back to the very early days of motorcycle development, when engines and motors were fixed to bicycle frames. The Juicer 36 is fashioned like a stretch cruiser and the 48 is an homage to the board-track era. Retro styling aside, the stand-out feature for us has got to be the gorgeous battery/motor configuration, that's been arranged like cylinders of a V-twin engine.

If you're in the market for a hand-built electric bicycle but the luxury Terminus models from M55 cost just a tiny bit more than your budget allows, and Gabriel Wartofsky's folding e-bike looks a bit too modern in the Gocycle design sense, then perhaps Dave Twomey's Juicer e-bikes will fit the bill. Designed with a definite nod to the motorized bicycles of yesteryear, and using as many off-the-shelf parts as possible, these custom creations feature classic exposed machinery and something named the EV-Twin.

The first Juicer EV-Twin powerplant; 36v/1000w

The first e-bike created by Twomey was the Juicer 36v electric cruiser with a Schwinn-style springer fork, a top speed of 37 mph (59.5 km/h) with no assistance from the rider, and a range of around 10 miles (16 km) at a speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). The Currie-style 1000-watt brushed DC motor was chosen so that the e-bike can remain classified as a bicycle in California. That eye-catching EV-Twin arrangement above the motor is home to a series of 12 Headway 10 amp-hour cells.

"LiFePO4 is a safer lithium chemistry in that they do not combust when they fail," explains Twomey. "The Juicer 36 has a Signalab battery-management system in the oil-tank area behind the seat-post tube, and a controller, voltmeter, charge-plug and kill-switch in the gas tank."

There's a petcock-style 3-way switch between the EV-twin cylinders, caliper front brakes and coaster braking at the rear - which is described as an overrunning clutch and a drum-brake all in one.

The 70 pound (31.75 kg) Juicer 36 is available for custom order at a cost of US$3,000.

Beautiful Leah poses on the Juicer 36 on the banks of the LA River

The latest design and the new flagship model is the Juicer 48v electric racer. Twomey told us that this model "started as a Worksman Newsboy frame, sectioned and grafted to a loop in order to cradle a Etek-style motor."

It features a Manta brushed DC electric motor capable of an unassisted top speed of 46 mph (74 km/h), the same striking LiFePO4 battery configuration as the cruiser but increased to 16 Headway 16 amp-hour LiFePO4 cells (increasing the range to around 13 miles/20 km at 20 mph), and EcityPower battery management. The fuel tank is home to a Kelly controller rated at 400 amps (but currently limited to 100), a surface-mounted antique voltmeter, charging plug and ignition-switch.

The custom-made Hydroencephalac forks are based on designs by chopper builder John Brain, with rear-facing bicycle-necks that function as adjustable risers. There's disk braking at the front, a Y-brake at the rear, and Felt Thick Brick tires on the rims.

Maiden voyage shot of Juicer 48 - a floating-sprocket chain tensioner is visible in the left-handed "human-drive" chain

"Both Juicers achieve their gearing using a jackshaft," says Twomey." The Juicer 48's jackshaft, however, is a free-coaster hub being used as an overrunning-clutch to reduce drag while coasting."

The Juicer 48 is not yet up for sale, so no price is available at the time of writing.

Twomey also produces a few t-shirts sporting the Juicer logo, just in case onlookers are in any doubt about who made your cool ride.

View gallery - 35 images
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6 comments
Slowburn
If I see someone riding one of those I\'ll point and laugh.
SpaceBagels
Yay. Another overweight and SPRFLS ebike design that would just juice out the inneficiency of battery storage!
Someone who designs this probably haven\'t been riding bicycles seriously, given the heavy unreliable parts used and most of them are from the last century, and bad choice of parts.
I bet it can shave half of the weight and greatly extend the range just by using moderately aftermarket bicycle parts asince they\'ve become much much lighter and better designed in these few years.
Oh, and those heavy fat tires? Good luck in not draining the batteries in under 5 minutes. Someone has never heard of rotational weight.
Want to use retro design? Use a steam engine.
Mr Stiffy
I disagree spacebagels...
These are all new parts - and they are fairly light weight.
Many modern super light steel frames etc. are also junk - thin tube, teeny welds, poor stress flow paths.
This to me looks alright.
My first Harley was a 1932 45cui WL series flat head.... built that from the ground up - from a basket case and these bikes are very much the part along these lines.
While the range is not huge, for many people 20Km at 20Kmh - and 30Km with pedalling I\'d assume, this might be just the thing.
I think something like 70 - 80% of all trips are with the 5 to 10Km range.
flugelwagen
Point and laugh at this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQZMug9YwjI&context=C3bb2d44ADOEgsToPDskIkB3iVGKEu5rAbgdkbUsU3
Dave B13
I love it, but the mix of finishes makes me want to rip my eyes out. How about making all the finishes look like a restored motocycle from 1910, with a little fancier period type text on the tank. The tank, as it is, looks like dirty water-stained paper, not an un-refinished old tank. The dull red primer of the frame does not work at all. It might work with the motor finishes as they are, or it might look better a mix of black and silver or all black or all silver. I won\'t be buying one, no room left for me to put it. A URL rich in photos of restored motorcycles from the very early period popped up a couple of days ago, but I don\'t recall it out of hand, try google images. I personaly think it best to keep the front disk. Cost allowing you might search for a way to use the rear wheel sproket as a rear disk brake, monoshock mount the rear , and use the more elaborate brooks sadle and my drool might short out my keyboard.
steveraxx
Awesome stuff! Kudos. For all the naysayers, where is your write-up of your device/product on gizmag? Please by all means post the links to me. Would be more than happy to read about what you have made with your own two-hands.