Optibike video by Jamie Johnson

[Jamie Johnson]

Dual Cam Adventure #1 My new Optibike video. Hope you enjoy. :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhRhx2WRq2w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDR-ZPcnRCY :mrgreen

 

[oatnet]

Wow - I have new respect for the Optibike! Can it hold up to that sort of punishment on daily-driver/commuter basis? If so, that would go a long way towards justifying the cost to me - if I was ready to drop that kinda scratch.

-JD

 

[Lenk42602]

Hey Jamie,

Those things really do look pretty bad ass. What were you plugging/unplugging @ around 5:30 on your video?

Len

 

[PetersReviews]

Very nice! The Optibike looks pretty durable and fast too! I wish I could afford one.

Peter

 

[Jamie Johnson]

Sorry for the sloooow response. The Optibike has shown its durability to me daily. I ride mine this hard at least 3 times a week and if I am not off road, I am hitting curb jumps, power on tire shredding turns and circles or 180 skidout power out wheelies. I probably put more stress on my Opti in one month than most people will ever. The bikes basic design is genius simplicity. massive single pivot, unbelieveable massive stiff mono chassis with aero space quality at every millimeter. It is worth every penny. I have owned many $3000 to $6000 mountain bikes. None have handled as brillantly as the Opti. It is the F-16 of bikes. And the ultimate commuter. Find a way to own the ultimate electric vehicle. It will change your life.

 

[Jamie Johnson]

I was getting my umbilical cord from my 15 amp hr battery in my pack out of the rear triangle. I felt it vibrate. I listen to music when I ride.

 

[Lenk42602]

I would need to sell off all of my ebike creations, the honda cb 350 jigsaw puzzle in my basement, and my torelli countach road bike. Then still come up with a couple a grand. Certainly would simplify the eternal quest for the ultimate ebike creation though.....

 

[deecanio]

Hi Jamie,


Great vid, the optibike looks very impressive indeed.
Is the bike on loan or do you own it? sorry if i missed the answer elsewhere.
How's the weather where you are? any chance of some more video?? we love vids here and the weather in the uk is too poor to get out and film some ourselves - would love someone else to film you riding if thats possible??

Cheers


D

 

[Jamie Johnson]

Answering ownership question, OH YEA IT IS MINE ALL MINE. And I did buy mine with out ever seeing one. I want someone to do some video work for me but my time is so limited with my job and a 3 yr old and 6 month old, that coordinating with friends is difficult to impossible. Any way more video is coming I just have to do it all my self. I ripped up a rear tire last night doing skidding 180s power out wheelies. Very cool very fun. The side walk is covered with skid marks and my tire is tore up but it might look cool for a video. Thanks for all the interest got to go.

 

[grwsaltspring]

Hi Jamie;

Great video. Do you know how much the bike weighs?

Cheers Greg

 

[deecanio]

Hi Jamie,

hear you on the time front - and i dont even have any kids yet!!!
Looking forward to some more vids as and when you can, nothing like video to give a good idea of performance - lucky you with ownership !!! i couldn't afford one myself at the moment but hopefully if opti takes off prices may come down with more production?

Greg,

i think the weight was 45lbs???


cheers


D

 

[grwsaltspring]

Thanks D

I was poking around the Optibike website and the weights vary depending on the model.

I guess I should figure out which model Jamie is running and I can probably answer my own question ;-0.

G

 

[Jamie Johnson]

My Optibike weighs in at 65lbs. But remember I run REAL DOWNHILL tires 2.7 front and 2.5 back with specialized 2.4-3.0 tubes and of course the TAG wheels. I can not wait for the Li-ion frame battery, but not for the weight loss, but for the amazing range the bike will gain. As serious as I can say it The 65lbs of weight makes the bike sooooo much more stable the a normal bike. Cross wind means nothing to me any more. Between the TAG wheels and the 65lbs I really do not feel any cross wind affect. One of my favorite rides, its on the video OPTIBIKE ADVENTURE #1 the ridge to the fence post is normally blowing at least 20mph to 35mph and I rip down that with out feeling any kind of cross wind. For real on a normal mountain bike and I have done it, it almost blows you in to the bushes the whole time. Not to rub it in but OPTIBIKES RULE.

 

[grwsaltspring]

Hi Jamie;

Thanks for the reply. I've never ridden a DH bike but they do seem to be a likely candidate as a platform to build an E-bike on.

My Gary Fisher HiFi is heading towards the 25lb range, almost too light for the trail riding I do so I kind of get the idea of the stability offered by the extra weight. The Turner XCE I was riding is in the 30 lb range and I do notice the difference both up and down hill. (but that could be as much a function of their differing geometry and my inexperience as a rider)

The abilities of the Optibike suggest to me that the technology is reaching a point where a powerful e-bike could replace other forms of travel especially if the range improves. I'll be interested in any news you have on the longer range bike you spoke of.

Interesting times we live in.

Cheers Greg

 

[knoxie]

Hi

If only it was that simple! ha ha, its easy to think you could make an e-bike as good as an opti but its not that simple, the bike has a very efficient and well designed motor drive, sure some of the components are off the shelf? but your mega bucks is really paying for the concept and the stealth, the new optibike will offer even greater performance, sure I have bikes that go 10-15mph quicker than the opti but they look like e-bikes!! the opti doesnt and it really does perform, I agree its a lot of money but its a lot of bike, you get what you pay for, no cheapo Chinese manufacturing here!! Like I said in another post I would sell all my 4 e-bikes, the KMX, the BMX the Trek and the raleigh just to get one. You really couldnt make an e-bike with with an integral battery and bottom bracket drive like theirs for any less than a new opti would cost you, maybe someone with a machine shop and lots of time and money may? but the home tinker could not come close to the stealth.

Cheers

Knoxie

 

[Joey]

Funny that you mention stealth. At first blush, the Optibike looks like a motorcycle to me. After a double-take, and only when viewed from the side, one finally notices that there is no gasoline engine attached to the frame. I suspect that one would be more likely to be pulled over for inspection on an Optibike than on an e-bike that has a more common-looking frame. I think it is the first impression that matters most with regard to stealth.

Stealth issue aside, I think it is a wonderful e-bike. Hope volume sales will bring its price down to a more affordable number.

-- Joey

 

[Joey]

<ignore duplicate message>

-- Joey

 

[shinyballs]

The Optibike is way overhype.
An electric bike does NOT have to look like a bicycle. As long as it's safe to ride, has functioning pedals and obey traffic laws, is energy efficient - are the important points on an ebike. We have(I did) to change our mindset and not think about the bicycle/stealth look.

It is overpriced. If it can go 45mph at the claimed 30 miles range without pedaling, there price might be reasonable.
It is slow. I doubt it can go 30mph without pedaling on flat level road.

As I see, the Puma is the alternative to the Opti because of its same geared design. It has the added benefit by having the motor in the rear, space in the bottom bracket area can be used for more storage.

But the Puma is not ready for mainstream/high performance use. It cannot go 45mph or faster and correct me if I'm wrong, is not reliable using 72v & high amps(50Ah+) with a modded Crystalyte or Kelly controller. They have to built it with the same performance as the X5 but it's efficiency is better cause it uses less current which translates to longer range.

Hmmmmmm... when will the next eclipse be...

 

[knoxie]

Hi

It depends what you want your e-bike to do and how you want it to handle, most people are forced to mount their batteries high on racks at the rear of the bike which affects the handling, the Optis weight balance is just right with the main mass of the batteries being low down in the frame.

I agree it is a lot of money and yeah sure some of the parts may be from other shores, the build quality of the bike overall though is a whole step above the cheap Chinese bikes we are all used to. I have played with so many kits and bikes from the PRC and Taiwan, they are mostly good if you want to cruise along nice smooth roads, you take an X5 xlyte or a Puma and subject to the sort of downhill abuse that Jamie throws the optibike in to on the Golden gate video and you wouldnt have much of a wheel left, the Puma or the xlyte are simply not meant to be used off road and in the case of the Puma those kind of shock loads would almost certainly strip the nylon gears in a very short time.

The optibike is a very well thought out machine and will be far more efficient than a hub motor due to its ability to stay in an efficient range due to the gearing. Of course I am a massive fan of the Puma and the xlyte motors and have many variants of them and I dont own an optibike however I have seen all the patent plans for the bike and feel that in principle it is a very good machine, I know that Jamie is a very accomplished rider as well, this is clear from his downhill riding on show on these films and sure I am sure that he would be even quicker downhill on a normal DH bike, the beauty is though that he would also go up the hill and not have to get off and push like most downhillers have to.

Its nice to have choice, the opti sure is expensive this does not mean that it does not have its place though, its made in America by an American the economics of course don't stack up against the dollar a day wage of the PRC.

Devin who also rides in SF and did some amazing videos using his X5 going across the Golden Gate bridge at even greater speeds rode an opti recently and admitted it was the best thing he had ridden thus far! Its easy to dismiss the optibike purely on cost, its not all about speed? handling counts for a lot more IMHO the opti will do 30mph with a little assistance? thats quick enough on a bike?

The sad thing in a way will be the optibike copies that will in time crop up, this is inevitable of course, TH and Richard Papa will be bringing a few bikes over to the UK so we will see how that goes, I will certainly be keen for a test ride!

Roll on

Knoxie

 

[knoxie]

Good for you!

If you have the engineering skills and the money to make an opti bike or one that it similar in both performance and style for less then fair enough, 99.9% of folks cant though and it will be this market that opti end up selling to, I would love to see your version of the bike I must say most high performance e-bike look like science projects or freak shows, all my bikes included! ha ha, the Opti to me does not look like an electric bike, the GT I Drive bikes have a very similar bottom bracket, I don't think anybody would know if you stopped and asked them where as all the rides on this forum are very definitely and obviously motorised.

Apologies if that doesn't set the post straight here, I am having some trouble interpreting your grammar in the post.

Knoxie

 

[Jamie Johnson]

An interesting thing about the Optibike is it can take some time to learn how to ride it how do I say it correctly. I have yet to see a first time rider get even close to correctly I think in 3-5 rides thing get alot better. After a month of 4 day a week rides you know whats up. When your shifting in any circumstance happens without thinking, then the bikes potential comes into focus, on and off the road. Designing a two wheel chassis that handles that GOOD, is not some stroke of luck. There are well proven geometries that are Good and Bad. There are problems going too low a center of gravity, so just going low is not going to be a perfect answer. Anyway, the way the bike handles is stunning. I have owned and ridden many many bikes. Nothing comes close. One more thing unless the hill is so steep as to need brakes all the time, the Optibike is simply in an entirely different catagory of trail speed. The speed the bike will generate ,will ruin a set off spoke rims in a couple of rides off road. And 2.5 hours of run time. 12 amp hr + 15 li amp hr. That is hard to beat, even with those steep 2000ft+ of dirt climbs. There is no way my old Bionx Ellsworth Dare could touch that. Optibike = Work of Art.

 

[knoxie]

Bikeraider

Jamie posted this video up of his ride in order to show what a well thought out e-bike can do with the right rider and the right bike, I am as impressed by Jamies riding skills as much as I am the bike, to simply sit there and compare apples with oranges in this way is not on, you cant compare an electric moto x bike with an electric e-bike they are totally different things, sure your money will get you an electric dirt bike, but can you take it on the road? ride on the path? actually get fit by peddling? do you have to pay insurance? they are different things, the optibike is like you said 2 bikes in one, you can use it on the road or off and you dont have to go home to change bikes in order to do so!

There are not many e-bikes that would take that kind of punishment off road, I break enough stuff on the road with the stuff I play with I doubt it would last too long if treated in this way. Just because you think the optibike is expensive you seem to feel the need to ridicule it somehow? do you feel the same way about expensive cars or pretty women? I dont get it??

I just cant wait to see the bike you produce for the money I really cant, its so easy to talk the talk, Ill agree with you the Optibike is too much money, but so are a lot of things in life it doesn't stop them being desirable though.

You will make few friends on this board with an attitude like this, this forum is about the interchange of ideas and the interaction of like minded souls, it is not a place for ridicule and derision, we had this a while back with a certain member who I think most people know, we dont need another one, your grammar is still poor! and forgive me for not reading your mind at the time as your avatar did not display your location.

Please send me links to your films and your ground up builds I would love to see what you make that is so special? we want people to contribute in a positive manor on this board, If you feel the optibike is over priced and a piece of junk why not start your own post about it and show us why your idea is so much better instead of jumping on someone who just wanted to show the forum what a well specced out machine in the right hands can do.

Jamies videos are the best I have seen yet, videos of electric dirt bikes are not so nearly as impressive IMHO, id stick with a gas bike for that I am afraid they still arent quite there for me yet.

Right moving on, more videos please Jamie

Knoxie

 

[flip_normal]

And any chance we can hear what it sounds like too, please.

 

[Dee Jay]

I think most of us here are do-it-yourselfers who have a natural tendency to rebel against such ridiculously priced out-of-a-can bike the same way we tend to disrespect the Lycra set for their anti-gravity frames because, IMHO, neither doesn't really help promote electric bicycle or EV use to the general public, does it? Only to the rich and frivolous. I think most of us would like to see the day when EVs and LEVs with powerful batteries become affordable by anyone. I know Doc Bass would love to own a Tesla Roadster, and I think that's what motivates him to hack away at available products like Dewalt packs, to show the world that EVs are the future and the future is now, and he wants a piece of it. And eat it too.

That's how Detroit Techno music came about: the auto industry went down, people lost their jobs, most of the city became ghetto and the only thing young DJ's like Derrick May could do was dream of a utopian future. He expressed this desire by making futuristic music. He later realized that his music inspired others and became so motivated and militant to not only to pull himself out of the ghetto but also pull a lot of people out with him. He's a self made man, with DIY ethics.

Now that we're approaching "peak-oil" the same thing is happening, we're fearing a post-apocalypse future (ghetto) like the Road Warrior film. Ebikers/DYIers are naturally evolving to adapt to the changes by rebelling, by beating The System. I understand that "The Internet Is Serious Business" but trying to sell to these kinds of people things they just can't afford is a bad idea. Oppressing his opinions by taking cheap shots at his grammar and threatening that he'll be fresh out friends if he doesn't conform is just as bad. By the way, how's your French grammar, Knoxie?

2 ohms...

J

Have a nice day, Bikeraider!

 

[Jamie Johnson]

I am not wealthy by any means I just have this thing about bikes. My 1999 Ellesworth Dare a 7 inch travel front and rear, a very sweet ride, no power bike cost me $6000. This bike too was made at a areo space facility, well just the frame, and it doesnt even have a motor or battery or any electronics. The Opti is a great deal in my eyes. I only ride custom bikes and that is what I am used to, quality wise. I also keep elevators old and new running for a living so electrical mechanical devices are in my blood. Optibikes will be in a class all their own for a long time. On a more intresting note I am working on getting the motor sound captured during rides. Plus I am trying to get a friend to video my drifting efforts at the sand track. The bike never ceases to amaze me. SICK SICK SICK. I have a good friend I use to jet ski with that built by hand. except for the motor a world record holding drag quad, a totally competitive motor cross bike and modify everything people wanted, even he was impressed by the Opti. And thats the last time I go there.