-October 26, 2021 at 1:10 AM Pacific Time

As someone who rides electric motorcycles, reviews and reports on electric motorcycle news, I always hear the same thing: "I like electric motorcycles, but they are too expensive. Maybe when the price drops."

I understand. Electric motorcycles are really expensive. Zero's flagship electric motorcycle is priced at US$20,000. There are thousands of LiveWires. Energicas are thousands of times more than this. But somehow, a little-known electric motorcycle that can be driven on highways appeared in North America at a price of $5,990, and no one seemed to notice. I'm talking about Kollter ES1 electric motorcycle.

For several years, we have been discussing the possibility of an influx of affordable electric motorcycles from Asia. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a major delay in the launch of some of these anticipated Asian models.

During the epidemic, many new products such as NIU RQi and SONDORS Metacycle were unveiled. They are expected to be the first low-cost, highway-driving electric motorcycles in North America, but they are not expected to appear until this winter at the earliest.

At the same time, the humble Kollter ES1 sneaked into the country somehow.

This DOT-compliant motorcycle is legal on the road in the United States and Canada. It can provide speeds of up to 72 mph (115 km/h) in the U.S. and up to 62 mph (100 km/h) in Canada. )speed.

It will not accelerate like Zero or LiveWire, because its 12 kW peak rated power, centrally mounted motor is more suitable for commuting use.

However, with the Enduro version, the belt drive can be replaced with a chain drive, and street tires can be replaced with knobs. Kollter ES1 can double as a dual task for commuting on weekdays and off-road vehicles on weekends.

The Kollter ES1 from the US distributor Naticycle starts at $5,990, and the Canadian distributor Motorino starts at $7,950 ($6,420) (it was these people who brought Super Soco to North America).

The bicycle supports one or two removable batteries, each with a capacity of 2.3 kWh. However, the basic price can only provide you with one battery. For an additional $990, you can purchase a second battery to increase the mileage.

When using a single battery, the speed limit is 60 mph (96 km/h). The second battery can unlock a higher speed of 72 mph (115 km/h).

The range of the dual-battery model is rated at 62 miles (100 kilometers) in cities, but it drops to 37 miles (60 kilometers) when driving on the highway. This is not a large range, but this bike is not suitable for pure road riding. It is more like an urban/suburban commuter, able to travel fast enough on shorter highway sections.

Compared with the power of big boys, Kollter (known as Tinbot in most of Europe) did not fully compete for the leading position in the electric motorcycle group. No one will buy this and expect the best zero at traffic lights.

But many riders are just looking for a commuter-level electric motorcycle that can occasionally reach higher speeds and still drive in the city. Therefore, for riders who usually drive 30-40 miles or less on their way to and from get off work, an electric motorcycle like this for $6-7,000 may be exactly what they are looking for.

As electric motorcycles with similar performance specifications like SONDORS Metacycle have aroused great interest, it is obvious that there is a market for light electric motorcycles like this. As more and more brands enter this field, this low-cost electric motorcycle can help many riders get a taste of electricity for the first time.

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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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