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NEWS
Audi e-bike a wheelie good idea
Audi's designers have flexed their creative muscle with a new e-bike prototype, which comes complete with two power-assisted wheelie ride modesWhile prestige auto maker Audi ponders its first move with Ducati, which it purchased last month, the German giant has just debuted an innovative bike of its own at the Worthersee Tour auto show in Reifnitz, Austria.
The protytpe e-bike is a totally in-house production, and features a lightweight carbonfibre frame, carbonfibre-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) wheels, an on-board computer and a lithium-ion battery pack. The e-bike also features five different power modes, from pedal power to electric only, plus two wheelie modes, where the power fed to the rear wheel is automatically adjusted to assist the rider when the front wheel is in the air.
Audi says the cutting-edge creation weighs just 21kg including the battery pack, and it takes just two-and-a-half hours to fully recharge. In 'pedelec' mode the bike is said to be capable of up to 80km/h and a range of between 50 and 70km, while purely under it's own steam, so to speak, it's good for 50km/h.
The electric power is utilised through a twistgrip just like on a motorcycle, with the urge delivered to the back wheel via a nine-speed, hydraulically-actuated gear shift.
Of particular interest for motorcyclists is the bike's 'Power Wheelie' and 'Balanced Wheelie' modes. The former lets novices try their hand at one-wheeled antics with the back-up of an adjustable wheelie angle, while the latter allows more experienced riders to maintain their balance electronically, with the motor delivering more or less power as the rider shifts their weight forward and back. Now all we need is Audi to deploy the feature across most of Ducati's road bike range!
A touchscreen display on top of the bike's frame shows speed, distance, battery charge, energy consumption and the current angle of incline/decline, while another neat feature is the LED lighting systems integrated into the bike's handlebars and the rear of the bike's seat.
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Written byBikesales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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