Motorcycles

2WD electric Ultra Bike stores range-extending fuel in its huge wheels

2WD electric Ultra Bike stores range-extending fuel in its huge wheels
Giant fat wheels can hold some 20 liters of fuel or water each
Giant fat wheels can hold some 20 liters of fuel or water each
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Giant fat wheels can hold some 20 liters of fuel or water each
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Giant fat wheels can hold some 20 liters of fuel or water each
A modular design with practicality at the forefront
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A modular design with practicality at the forefront
The fat, low-pressure balloon tires easily ride over snow, mud, sand and other surfaces
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The fat, low-pressure balloon tires easily ride over snow, mud, sand and other surfaces
Large racks front and rear make the Ultra Bike somewhat of a pack mule
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Large racks front and rear make the Ultra Bike somewhat of a pack mule
A 1.6-kWh battery pack will get you around over short distances, but a range-extending generator and up to 40 liters of fuel can boost that to the extreme
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A 1.6-kWh battery pack will get you around over short distances, but a range-extending generator and up to 40 liters of fuel can boost that to the extreme
Each wheel can hold up to 20 liters of fuel or water
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Each wheel can hold up to 20 liters of fuel or water
View gallery - 6 images

This modular motorcycle is built to tackle just about anything, with torquey electric motors driving huge balloon tires at the front and rear. It can cross water in amphibious mode, and handle serious distances with a range-extending generator and two huge fuel tanks in the wheel rims.

Electric motorcycle startup Robo.Systems built and tested its "Ultra Bike" in Russia, but the team tells us "when Putin started a war in the Ukraine we moved our production to Dubai." Indeed, it's reminiscent of another 2WD fat-wheeler from Russia that caused a bit of a sensation back in 2016.

The Ultra Bike is electric, though, and far more modular than the Taurus 2X2. Each of its wheels has a brushless DC motor in the hub capable of a peak 2 kW, or a sustained 1 kW, selected for high torque given its obvious predilection towards extreme off-roading in snow, mud and sand. Top speed is a modest 30 mph (48 km/h) – although that can definitely feel quick in the rough stuff.

The fat, low-pressure balloon tires easily ride over snow, mud, sand and other surfaces
The fat, low-pressure balloon tires easily ride over snow, mud, sand and other surfaces

The chassis is super basic, with front and rear racks, bicycle-grade lighting, a rigid fork up front and an extremely simple dual-shock setup on a treacherously thin looking swingarm that would frankly look under-engineered on a mountain bike.

The battery isn't huge, carrying just 1.6 kWh in a waterproofed LiFePo4 pack that's designed to last more than 2,000 cycles in temperatures from -20 to 60 °C (-4 to 140 °F). That's enough, the company claims, to take you and this 121-lb (55-kg) beast some 40-odd miles (64 km), perhaps more if you switch it to power-saving single wheel drive mode.

But here, things get interesting. The Ultra Bike has an open space in the frame where you'd normally find a fuel tank, and if you like, you can spec it with an 800-watt inverter/generator capable of putting out AC or DC power, either to charge the bike's battery and extend its range or to run power tools or anything else you might like to plug in when you hit your destination.

This generator runs off a pair of surprisingly large fuel tanks in the wheel rims themselves, each capable of carrying some 5.3 gal (20 l) of liquid. You could fill both with gasoline and enjoy a stupendous range and endurance, or you could load one up with water or vodka for your campsite.

A modular design with practicality at the forefront
A modular design with practicality at the forefront

Another option is to roll with a small inverter option that can put out a constant 1.5 kW or a peak of 3 kW directly out of your battery reserves as AC power – that could come in handy on smaller jobs around a farm.

And if you want to get really silly with it, you can option it up with a 50-gallon (189-L) pair of balloons and a frame to mount them to the bottom of the bike. Pump those suckers up on a 12-V compressor, and you've got yourself an amphibian capable of floating on water in a stable fashion, and progressing across it at a slow walking pace using the wheels as paddles.

For a two-wheel-drive utility machine like this, the price tag is impressive. Optioned up with all the fruit, including the balloons, inverter and generator, Robo.Systems is pre-selling the Ultra Bike on Indiegogo for just US$2,590 as an early bird offer. Strip it back to just the bike itself, and you're looking at $1,790. Less than most name-brand ebikes, then.

Naturally, standard crowdfunding cautions apply. We hope Robo.Systems gets a chance to beef up the suspension before these things roll out. Check out a short video below.

2X2 ULTRA BIKE. Promo

Source: Robo.Systems

View gallery - 6 images
8 comments
8 comments
Mark Markarian
It's IMZ-Ural Deux all over again!

This is obviously a copy of America's Rokon, so before you buy, contact Rokon and buy American!
History Nut
Shades of the Rokon 2x2 bike! I have always wondered when someone would take the over 70 year old Rokon concept and give it an upgrade. The price is certainly attractive. I had a Rokon years ago and it worked very well so this concept is based on some proven factors.
eric44
Looks like you need a good pair of legs to go anywhere.
WB
seems an ATV with 4 wheels tops 2 wheels and 2 legs... also storing fuel in rotating mass is about the dumbest thing one can do. Rotating mass weight is about like adding 3x the weight as non rotating.... why not just attach side pockets with the gas.. why putting it into rims?
BlueOak
That test rider didn’t seem to be very confident.

Gotta see video of it traversing open water first.
ljaques
Judging by the tread, it'll be lucky to get 2 knots speed on water. But $2,600 is a very, very interesting price for this beastie. Rokons =start= at $5k higher and go up $2k more, plus accessories up to $1k more than that. Electric appeals more to me, though that 800w genset is likely a whiny, screaming 2-stroke beeyotch. Hmmmmmmmm...
White Rabbit
WB - Farmers in cold climates have been putting saline in their tractors' tires forever. It increases traction, and won't freeze as early a water without the salt.
I'd be interested to see the research on how liquid increases its mass by rotating.
Ron
Wow $2590 all up, that's a great price, now if you send that cast to me instead I have a nice bridge for sale in Brooklyn, New York for you. You couldn't buy the raw materials to build this bike for that price not to mention that is the retail price.