Italian Ebike or dirt bike

[MitchJi]

https://electrek.co/2020/02/19/sem-moto-bike-electric-bicycle-e-dirt-bike/

They may call it an electric bicycle, but the Italian-made SEM Moto-Bike is more like a mythical hybrid. It features the body of a bicycle and the heart of an electric dirt bike.

And soon it will be headed to the US.


We’ve seen our fair share of high powered electric bicycles around here.

From 2 kW mini-bikes all the way up to 5 kW street machines with pedals, we’ve just about seen it all.

But the Moto-Bike from Italian company SEM still managed to show us something new and interesting.

On its surface, the Moto-Bike still looks very much like a standard electric mountain bike.

It features a fairly common style of electric bicycle battery, though its 52 V and 910 Wh capacity are a bit higher than most e-bikes. It is built on what appears to be a fairly standard construction aluminum downhill bicycle frame. And it includes a pair of pedals on clamping-style cranks feeding an 11-speed mountain bike drivetrain. So far, so good in terms of a high-performance electric mountain bike.

 

[John in CR]

Made in Italy, so high price and high maintenance are guaranteed. The price is so high they won't even say in their promotional story. I boycott anything for which the price is hidden. Few things piss me off more than something that generates my interest but the price is hidden, because they are embarrassed by it.

 

[bionicon]

I believe its arround 7000 euro's for the bike......with a 120usd motor

 

[John in CR]

I believe its arround 7000 euro's for the bike......with a 120usd motor

That puts them officially in my folder with the likes of Apple and many more companies.

 

[flat tire]

Sounds like sour grapes the bike looks sweet not that you couldn't build your own for half the price or less. Apple's laptops are pretty nice too if you have extra cash.

 

[John in CR]

Sounds like sour grapes the bike looks sweet not that you couldn't build your own for half the price or less. Apple's laptops are pretty nice too if you have extra cash.

No sour grapes, and sure the bike looks nice, but a fair price would be well under 2000 euros, not 7. It is just a bicycle with an electric motor and a small amount of batteries.

 

[flat tire]

a fair price would be well under 2000 euros, not 7. It is just a bicycle with an electric motor and a small amount of batteries.

You couldn't even buy the human-power version of that bike for 2000 euros. I paid over 2K for my used downhill bike before adding any electronics (and it was worth every penny). I think 7K is really pretty fair considering the manufacturer won't sell very many at any reasonable price and needs to cover their R&D and overhead beyond the cost of the bike itself.

 

[John in CR]

a fair price would be well under 2000 euros, not 7. It is just a bicycle with an electric motor and a small amount of batteries.

You couldn't even buy the human-power version of that bike for 2000 euros. I paid over 2K for my used downhill bike before adding any electronics (and it was worth every penny). I think 7K is really pretty fair considering the manufacturer won't sell very many at any reasonable price and needs to cover their R&D and overhead beyond the cost of the bike itself.

Human powered bicycle prices are obscene too, and it's impacted electric bike prices in a negative way, all because cyclists accept those prices as OK.

 

[GusHigh]

a fair price would be well under 2000 euros, not 7. It is just a bicycle with an electric motor and a small amount of batteries.

You couldn't even buy the human-power version of that bike for 2000 euros. I paid over 2K for my used downhill bike before adding any electronics (and it was worth every penny). I think 7K is really pretty fair considering the manufacturer won't sell very many at any reasonable price and needs to cover their R&D and overhead beyond the cost of the bike itself.

Human powered bicycle prices are obscene too, and it's impacted electric bike prices in a negative way, all because cyclists accept those prices as OK.

John in CR, I couldn’t agree more - my jaw hits the floor every time I see a mountain bike that costs as much as a decent basic used truck that someone could make a living with. There is about 300 bucks in metal, bearing, and fabrication in those bikes tops. If bike manufactures aren’t smart enough to build their own component as opposed to buying over priced shock etc form Fox or whoever, than maybe they shouldn’t be building bikes.
I snowmobile and see the same thing all the time - guys spending more on aftermarket shocks, skis and carbides for brand new sleds than I’d be willing to pay in total for a ridable used sled.

 

[flat tire]

There is about 300 bucks in metal, bearing, and fabrication in those bikes tops.

What, is that all a high end mountain bike costs to make? Since you're such an expert you can start your own company and make an absolute KILLING undercutting the other manufacturers. What a joker. You can't even buy a high end fork for $300 as a dealer. People would be rushing in to make cheaper high end MTBs and corner that market if there wasn't some legitimate reason the bikes are so expensive.

 

[GusHigh]

Referring to raw material cost of tube stock, bearings etc - look up retail prices for tube stock materials and roll that back to bulk wholesale prices manufacturers would be paying and I’m pretty sure my 300 buck estimate holds up. I don’t have much experience with carbon fibre so that may be another matter but when I was into competitive rowing in the mid 80s we already had carbon fibre shells (boats) and oars so it’s not exactly a new, cutting edge material.

The problem seems to be in the cost of the components the manufacturers have to buy from Fox, Shimano or whoever.

My biggest problem is with FOX - selling little shocks/springs for more than a decent spring/shock for a half ton truck would cost.

I’m just trying to point out that it should be less expensive for you to ride. My buddies and I have a saying - Friends don’t let friends pay retail.

 

[efMX Trials Electric Freeride]

in the bike world we have a saying :
"strong, light, cheap.. pick two" ..

 

[GusHigh]

Ha ha. I like that!

Do I get disqualified if I pick strong and cheap?

 

[efMX Trials Electric Freeride]

nope, that's exactly how it works.. notice that specialized etc have models from 500 to 5K+ .. something for everyone.. so ebikes the same..