Super73 –This one is definitely not a bicycle.
Super73 has the styling groove nailed down. The company’s electric bicycles are funky and cool with that California influence blending nostalgia and future technology. Just about everything looks more appealing when bathed in a golden sun-kissed glow with just a hint of sand in the background.
Look at the company’s current offerings — there are many —and it is obvious traditional bicycles were never the inspiration for their bicycles, but motorcycles all the way and more specifically those from the 1960s and ‘70s. The pursuit of this styling theme was made possible by not having to worry about powering any of the bikes by pedal alone. You really wouldn’t want to. With substantial frames and fat four-inch tires the bikes are made feasible by the electric motors that power all of them.
Super73’s top of the line bikes in the RX series are about as far as you can push an electric bicycle before it becomes an electric motorcycle with several very motorcycle-like features including speedometer, LED headlight and taillight, multiple riding modes and even a navigation system when paired with a smart phone. The 80lb bicycle has on “off-road” top speed of over 28 mph without “pedal assist.”
The geared rear hub motor runs at 750-Watt continuous power and draws anywhere between 1,200 and 2,000 Watts of power at full throttle. The good bits go on from there to include wide 4.5 inch knobby tires, front and rear suspensions and a thumb throttle. There are optional passenger pegs, something you would not find on a bicycle. If you and your passenger weigh less than 320lbs combined you are good to go. There are many variables that will effect range but Super73 claims a range of 40 miles at 20 miles if not using the pedals at all or 80 miles if on the pedals. Roosting in the backcountry dirt at 28 mph would decrease that distance by a factor of… a lot.
However, the new Super73 C1X dispenses with the definition of bicycle and declares itself a motorcycle. The CX1 has a factory-spec top speed of 115 kmh, runs on 15-inch wheels enabling a 31-inch seat height and a short 51-inch wheelbase. The range is said to be 100 miles in the city which generally means average speeds around 30 mph. Charging is said to be up to 80 per cent in less than an hour.
Super73 stresses that the CX1 is still a concept machine. As final specifications, power, weight and standard features are not settled the company has yet to release technical specs or MSRP although a $73 deposit will put you on the list for a 2023 delivery date.
The CX1 appears nearly ready for production although the indicators might not pass muster and there is no licence plate bracket. But with inverted fork, chain drive, and monoshock rear suspension the bike seems very doable in a tight agile package.
Price will be key. This is a very competitive market with numerous brands entering or attempting to enter the market. With the exception of a Roland Sands influenced model, the company’s top of the line electric bicycles sell for $3,695. With the added requirements for street legal operation, the larger motors and especially the larger batteries will make the price of the CX1 between two and three times that amount. Super73 has emphasized this is a concept, and some components could be adjusted to make the bike less expensive.
The plan is to sell the CX1’s ultimate production version only in the US and through existing Super73 dealers. Obviously there will be greater hurdles to selling an electric street legal motorcycle than an electric bicycle. While there are many motorcycle dealers who sell electric bicycles, the number of bicycle dealers selling a street legal motorcycle must be quite limited.
It is at this level the success of electric motorcycles will be made or broken. Like the Sodor Metacycle, the Super73 C1X looks great. It is exciting, funky and unique — kind of what you would want any motorcycle to be and that alone is worth paying a bit more. Crucially, it doesn’t look like an electric motorcycle. Super73 based their styling theme on traditional looks from the get-go but how much more will it cost than the bicycles is the big question.