Bicycles

Rough n' ready e-bike is made for streets or trails

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The Risse Voltinator, on display in Salt Lake City
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Risse Voltinator, on display in Salt Lake City
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Voltinator features a Risse Metron suspension fork
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Voltinator features a Risse Astro 5 rear shock
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The base version of the Voltinator has a 750-watt rear hub motor
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Voltinator utilizes a chain sensor to determine what gear has been selected
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
The Voltinator features a Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer in its control panel
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas
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Although Risse Racing Technology may be best-known for its mountain bike suspension components, the Oregon-based company has also just introduced a complete e-bike. Known as the Voltinator, it's designed for both on- and off-road use, and it's sure to turn a few heads wherever it goes.

Probably the most visually-prominent feature of the Voltinator is its integrated structural battery box. In the version that we saw at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show last weekend, that box contains a 44-volt battery pack. Because the compartment is so large, however, there's room for do-it-yourselfers to upgrade.

The battery powers a 750-watt rear hub motor, making possible an electronically-limited top pedal-assisted speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) and a range of approximately 35 miles (56 km). Speed demons should note that there is another model that incorporates a 96-volt battery and a 5,000-watt motor, however, to reach a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). Additionally, there's an output port for charging devices such as phones.

The Voltinator features a Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer in its control panel
Ben Coxworth/New Atlas

The control panel features a Raspberry Pi 3 microcomputer running Linux, which displays data such as battery charge level, estimated range and current speed. Company president Kevin Risse suggested to us that hands-on types could also wire in peripherals such as a rear-view camera.

Made from billet machined aluminum, the frame has an interchangeable rear end that can be swapped out depending on the desired wheelbase, wheel size, and whether or not the buyer wants rear suspension. All told, the complete bike weighs 76 lb (34 kg).

If you're interested in getting one, the Voltinator sells for about US$5,000. Should you have a motor, battery pack and various bike bits already on hand, however, you can just buy the frame for $3,000.

Company website: Risse Racing Technology

View gallery - 6 images
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5 comments
LarryWolf
Ugly.
sk8dad
Do you really need that much processing power to compute and display range and battery performance data? An arduino is more than sufficient one would imagine...
tacheonabike
miss's on all points , too heavy, too ulgy, too expensive
swaan
@FrankHuang Netflix? Youtube? Spreadsheets? :)
ljaques
I concur with the several points being being brought up, and also feel that the frame is roughly $2,990 too high priced. 750-1000w hub motor -kits- (less battery, another $300) are going for $150 today. So I can have a bike like his (without his frame) for about $4,550 cheaper. The $2.43 import bike computer works OK, too, having sufficient computing power.