This Electric Motorcycle Truly Redefines The Way We Look At Electrics

Can this be the solution to future urban mobility products?

When it comes to electrics, there is a lot of untapped potential as well as flexibility that almost feels missing from IC-powered motorcycles. Take this WSM creation for example. Is it an electric motorcycle? It certainly has motorcycle-like foundations. But the large 19-inch spoke rims, slim tyres and tiny brake discs, almost something that you would find on an electric bike, throw you off. But once again, there’s added pedal propulsion. So, what exactly has Walt Seigl created? 

In his own words, “I wanted to build a machine that looks like it comes from the larger two-wheeled world, not only the motorcycle world; from track bicycles and mopeds, as well as performance motorcycles, such as the 50cc race bikes of the 70s by Kreidler, Garelli, and Derbi.”

It is a mix and match of two-wheeler formats and labelling it under one umbrella would be doing it a disservice. Instead, this one-off, commissioned by Haas Moto Museum, is meant to inspire creativity, something totally out of the box. Yep, Walt Seigl will only be making just a single piece and it will be on display in a museum only, which is a shame. At least some lucky bloke should get to put it through its paces first before it is condemned to being a show piece.

It would fit in quite well in a museum though. The chassis itself is a work of art. Simple geometric construction never looked so elegant. Built out of carbon fibre and thin and small chromoly pipes, it was a painstaking process to birth its minimalistic monocoque chassis. Its seat, although you can hardly call it that, is finished in rich alcantara leather, with a cute little handle to move the bike around. 

Given the closed rear wheel design, you might be deceived into believing that it is powered by a hub motor. But look carefully, there’s a small pulley on the right side. Yep, this belt-driven electric whatever-you-want-to-call-it neatly stows away its 3kW Sur-Ron motor. Juice is provided by a measly 65V Panasonic battery pack hidden between the top and downtube, with thin aluminium battery covers hiding it away from natural elements.

It also gets custom-made aluminium triple clamps, clip-on bars and a cast aluminium swingarm. DNM USD fork and linkage-type monoshock suspend this lovely creation. The 19-inch wheels are sourced from Segway. 

WSM has not put out any official performance or range figures for this custom e-bike, and, at the end of the day, it doesn’t even matter as it is going to end up gracing the halls of the Haas Moto Museum.  Will WSM ever make more units of this bike? According to Walt, there will be some elements of this bike in his next project for sure. He was seeking platform versatility with this bike, which he seems to have achieved. But until that arrives, at godforsaken prices obviously, we’ll just let you savour these lovely images.

Source: BikeEXIF | Images: Gregory George Moore