I admit, I held off from covering this peculiar electric motorcycle for fear that people might not take me seriously in the wake of April Fools' Day. But this wind/solar motorcycle is as real as it can get, and is even available for purchase!
The CG is part of Chinese manufacturer YongLE Risheng's new product line. The company specializes in designing and building vehicles powered by renewable energy. And I admit, I had never heard of it before.
The bike looks like a modified Honda CG125 that houses a 30-Ah lithium-phosphate battery, which is linked to a 1500W electric motor. And yes, it sports a roof covered in 250W solar panels to which a wind turbine is mounted. It’s not the most aesthetic design I’ve seen on a motorcycle, but hey, if it works, that’s all that matters.
Let me run over the spec sheet quickly. The CG sports a 37-mph (59-km/h) top speed, standard cruising range of 50-75 miles (80-120 km), while the range on wind and solar alone is stated at around 31 miles (50 km). It also supports plug-in charging, which takes six to eight hours.
How true these numbers are, no one seems to have a clue. Clearly because there is no proof of this thing even running.
It gets a 3-speed transmission with disc brakes at both front and back. Elsewhere, there’s a telescopic front fork and twin rear hydraulic shocks to take care of suspension duties.
The whole thing weighs a claimed 293 lb (133 kg), which is surprisingly light with all that extra weight of the roof and the turbine. Speaking of which, this additional setup is secured to the front of the chassis and the rear axle by side anchors.
Now I don’t know how the turbine attached to the front is cleared for road use, considering it’s clearly a health hazard. Sure, it might make for a nice breezy ride on a hot day, but you don’t want to run into pedestrians with that thing rotating.
In addition to the CG, YongLE's inventory includes electric boats, tiny EVs, and solar-powered golf carts. There's also the YLRS Fengchi160, which is a half-motorbike, half-flatbed three-wheeler, with a solar panel and not one but two wind turbines on top.
There’s no pricing available on the company website, but the CG does appear to be legit ... although it's highly unlikely that you'll spot it on the road. Regulators outside of China might take issue with the unusual design, particularly the wind turbine.
In any case, this motorcycle does tell you that nothing is beyond the reach of a curious engineer. Whether it makes sense or not is secondary.
Source: YongLE Risheng
