Ubco expands range with electric trail bike

Monday, 9 March 2020

Ubco has revealed its latest creation, a 15kW electric trail bike.

Local electric bike manufacturer Ubco has revealed its latest creation, an electric trail bike dubbed FRX1.

The FRX1 is a lightweight, pedal-assisted machine designed specifically for off-road use. It features a 15kW brushless motor capable of propelling the bike up to 80kmh, which is controlled by a twist throttle and no clutch, making it 'a proper cheater,' in Ubco's own words.

Power is supplied by a 2.2kWh battery pack, enough for up to 100km of range. A standard socket will recharge the battery in between 3 and 5 hours while an adjustable regenerative braking system is included.

A mixture of pedal and electric power makes the FRX1 quite a versatile weapon off road.

It only weighs 60kg too, meaning it should be quite the weapon on the trails.

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Power is supplied by a 2.2kWh battery pack, enough for 100km of electric range at speeds of up to 80kmh. There are also pedals as a back-up.

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Ubco also offers the two-wheel-drive 2x2, coming in Work and Adventure trims. The Work version is a no-frills workhorse, coming standard with lever guards and off-road rubber and not much else.

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Meanwhile, the Adventure can be classed as a moped, so you don't need a bike license to ride one. A learner car license will do just fine.

'The FRX1 is an important step toward our full off road electric vehicle platform, it provides another level of performance and choice in our range. We have customers who now have 2 generations of 2X2, and it is pretty exciting that they can now add a true performance trail bike to their fleet,' said Ubco CEO, Timothy Allan.

Alongside the FRX1 is the well-named 2x2 bike, an electric two-wheeler with drive fed to both wheels. It is starting its fifth generation this year, available in two trims; the Work 2x2 being the off-road stripper, coming standard with lever guards and off-road rubber and not much else.

Meanwhile, the Adventure model gets an optional portable power supply in case you push the distance a bit too far and can be registered for road use.

The 2x2 is utilitarian, featuring little to no creature comforts. Each wheel gets a 1kW motor, resulting in a combined peak output of 2.4kW and 184Nm. That's more torque than most urban hatchbacks.

Top speed is limited to 50km/h, so no highway cruising here, while the maximum range for the 2018 model is 120km, depending on terrain and carry load.

While some might be put off by that top speed, it means the 2x2 Adventure can be classed as a moped, so you don't need a bike license to ride one. A learner car license will do just fine.

Additionally, Ubco will offer 40,50 and 60Ah portable power systems, based on the system in the 2x2 Adventure. The company says the new KXH doubles as the power supply of the 2x2 which means you can travel into your work or adventures and then use the portable power supply.

It has 5V and 12V outlets and charger detect, which means the bike knows when it is plugged in so cannot operate when charging.

Finally, it comes standard with a battery lock to ensure nobody unplugs or steals the bike while it's charging.

Ubco is targeting a July release for the FRX1 while more information around the fifth-generation 2x2 will be released around Fieldays in June. For the moment, the previous 2x2 is for sale at NZ$7,999 while the FRX1 is available for pre-order. It will start at $9,999.