-4:45 AM Pacific Time on November 13, 2021

They say that motorcyclists are masters of risk calculation. Although I have had a lot of fun with several different models of electric motorcycles recently, I am not sure if I will take the risk of buying the latest bike I found. An affordable electric motorcycle from China that can be used on highways does sound tempting, but something tells me that a cheap basement electric sports motorcycle does not give me a sufficient margin of safety.

But this does not mean that I can get rid of the alluring thoughts in my mind. Fortunately, in my weekly "Very Strange Alibaba Electric Car of the Week" column, there is always a home for such a strange item.

The motorcycle in question this week was an EM-120 from a little-known company called Wuxi Yisu Technology Co., Ltd.

Although they are undoubtedly well-intentioned, I am not sure whether their bicycles represent the pinnacle of electric motorcycle manufacturing.

It looks good, but what do those body panels cover?

In the highest specification model (why should I waste my time or your time looking at other things?) we have an 8,000 watt motor (11 horsepower) with a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph).

The bicycle is also equipped with a 72V and 80Ah lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 5.76 kWh. According to Wuxi E-Speed, this is good for a range of 140 kilometers (87 miles).

How much did the edge performance of this shaver cost you? That will be 3,500 US dollars, thank you.

Oops, not much, I can only pick up things in the United States.

But what if I only have, say...$1,500? But I still want an electric motorcycle from China?

Don't worry, because Wuxi E-Speed ​​also has us.

If we descend a few more steps on the specification ladder, we can replace most of our cars with electric sports bikes equipped with a trivial 3,000 watt (4 horsepower) motor and a maximum speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Not that cool, but then again, they did me a favor here.

When I parked my car by the local puddle, no one would really know how fast my bike could run, it looked cool, and picked up the chick from side to side.

No one knows that I only have a trivial 1.44 kWh battery under the panel, or that it is a seriously obsolete lead-acid battery pack. Once the secret is revealed, a modest range of at least 50 kilometers (30 miles) is enough to make people limp away from laughter.

Although it may not be the winner (or finisher) on the track, I still like all the little gimmicks and accessories scattered around the bike to make it look more impressive than it actually is.

There is a fake chain or belt guard, even if the hub motor means no power transmission connection is required. At least until you get close enough for a better look, this implies the BMW logo. There are even needle gauges and digital readings for speedometers. One is to look cool. The other is for quick inspection. Both are because you seriously overestimate your true speed.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problems with electric motorcycles or mopeds made in China. In fact, I have one as my daily driver. With the right price and a reputable company, you can get great things from all over the world. But I also know that it costs more than $1,500 to make a safe, reliable, and comfortable 50 mph electric two-wheeler.

As interesting as similar things on the karting track, I don't think I will have a bite on the highway anytime soon. I have purchased some unwise risky purchases from the AliExpress electric car catalog, but someone told me that this bike will not be on the list.

Now, the single-wheel electric motorcycle from earlier this year...Suddenly, it started to look safer!

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Micah Toll is a personal electric car enthusiast, battery fan, and the author of Amazon’s top best-selling books "DIY Lithium Battery", "DIY Solar" and "The Ultimate DIY Electric Bike Guide."

You can send him a reminder via Micah@electrek.co

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