There are many start-up companies producing electric motorcycles. Hamburg’s Meterbike stands out due to its particularly original design and recycling. The two founders, Marvin Rau and Michael Szpitalny, took a 1950s moped from the 1970s as their model. Meterbike impresses with its extreme attention to detail. Customers can customize their electric motorcycle.
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Three versions
The visually identical Meteorbike is available with different performances. It starts as the “Classic 50” and reaches top power at just under 50 km/h with a maximum output of seven kilowatts, although the nominal output is two kilowatts. Alternatively, they are also available with a four kilowatt nominal output and nine kilowatt peak output. The “70 Pro” version also has a maximum of eleven kilowatts and reaches 70 km/h and the “Max 100” reaches 100 km/h with the same top performance. Accordingly, the Classic 50 can be driven with class B from the age of 15. It never has to be presented to the TÜV, you just need a new insurance number every year. The 70 Pro and Max 100 can be driven with a driving licence class A1 or B196.
(Image: Metrobike)
Cells from used VW batteries
For many, the key question is the range and on the Meteorbike it depends on how much money the customer is willing to put in his pocket. A 1.63 kWh battery is installed as standard, whose cells come from old VW batteries. How long the batteries will last in their second life is yet to be seen, but the topic of recycling has been intelligently addressed here. The battery is located in a spherical dummy tank. Apparently the Classic 50 can travel 60 km, which limits its application to urban areas. For an additional charge there is a 2.5 kWh battery that should last 100 km and the most expensive version with 3.8 kWh should last 145 km.
Meterbike quotes an empty weight of 72kg for the Classic 50 and 75kg for the other two models – which would be extremely light. The highly polished electric motor shows off what appear to be cooling fins, just like air-cooled combustion engines. The Meter is driven by a chain to the rear wheel, the sprocket is clearly visible and protected by a beautiful aluminium cover. The steel frame shows a bold curve and sports a large hole underneath the dummy tank, which can be filled with a bag of accessories. The LED headlight is a concession to modernity, although it sits in a classic, round housing. There is a small holder on it where the chip card required for keyless starting is housed.
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Wooden trunk
The rear with a small bulge is very noticeable as it is made of wood and has a small LED taillight at the back. You can choose from natural oak, smoked oak and mahogany. It becomes clear at this point that the Meteor is aimed very much at lifestyle. The seat cushion is covered in brown or black quilted faux leather.
If you wish, you can also have the tail covered in leather. Alternatively, the buyer can take the bench without tail or as a double bench for 299 euros. As standard, the creators gave their electric bike clip-on handlebars, like those often fitted on mopeds in the 1970s, but the rider had to go very low to grab them. The customer can also order higher handlebars for an additional fee. The device through which the pilot receives his information is embedded in the elegant fork bridge. The switch fitting is located on the left side of the handlebar.
(Image: Metrobike)
Beautiful rims
When it comes to the front suspension, the bike is again surprisingly modern, a sign that despite all the retro design, good handling was clearly also the goal: a contemporary inverted fork instead of the traditional telescopic fork that was common at the time. Meterbike chose the rim width to be conventional at 1.5 inches at the front and 3.5 inches at the rear, with both wire spoke wheels measuring 18 inches. Two spring struts strive for comfort on a swing arm made of round tubes, which is tapered for modern viewing habits. They can be mounted on the rear frame in three positions, which also affects the seat height, which varies between 770 and 854 mm.
Deceleration is carried out via a 260 mm brake disc with a two-piston brake caliper at the front; at the rear the brake disc measures 210 mm. The meter is supposed to charge the battery up to five kilowatts when braking. The manufacturer specifies a charging time of three to four hours for the Classic 50. With the 70 Pro it takes nine hours on a 230 volt socket or just three hours with the optional charger. The Max 100 takes twelve or four hours to fill the battery.
Not cheap fun
The most controversial accessory is the sound body developed by Meteorbike for 399 euros. Sound is very important to most motorcyclists, but as we all know, electric motorcycles usually only emit an uninspiring, high-frequency wheezing sound. The sound body, which hangs under the engine in the form of a two-stroke manifold with a small dummy exhaust pipe, can be used to produce eight different sounds from internal combustion engines, including V8, V12 and two-stroke engines. The air flow from the box membrane should also escape to the rear. The idea is not entirely new: in the summer, start-up 2electron showed the Emula, which is supposed to be able to almost completely simulate various combustion engines.
The fun isn’t cheap, however, with the Classic 50 starting at 6990 euros, the 70 Pro at 8490 euros and the Max 100 at 9490 euros. However, prices can be significantly increased with lots of extra features. If you want the Mater, you can configure your motorcycle on the manufacturer’s homepage and make an inquiry. The interested party initially learns nothing about delivery times. As an alternative, you can consider the Black T, which is similar in performance and style and comes from southern Germany. The mokik-style electric light motorcycle was shown in a modernized form at the IAA 2023.
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(FPI)
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