Here are five of the coolest vintage-style e-bikes you can buy in Australia, some are imports and some are award-winning home-grown heroes.
Sales of e-bikes in Australia are booming (up around 60% on last year) with plenty of sellers reporting stock shortages as Aussies clammer to get away from public transport. While the bulk of e-bike sales are for battery assisted traditional-looking bikes, sales of vintage-style e-bikes are on the rise too.
And for style-conscious bike riders, nothing beats the cool, retro lines of the e-bikes we’ve picked for our list. It’s worth noting that we’re only talking about 250W pedal-assist e-bikes. Most of the brands we’ve selected offer 500W jobbies with thumb throttle controllers but these aren’t legally allowed on roads in Australia and can only be used on private property off-road or in overseas countries with different restrictions.
Rayvolt Cruzer – $3999.00
Rayvolt is a Barcelona-based e-bike maker that specialises in vintage-looking e-bikes. Our favourite from the range is the Cruzer which boasts early-1900s-esque motorcycle styling. The Cruzer weighs up to 29kg and is powered by a 250W motor and while a single Lithium-ion battery is standard, a dual-battery setup is a cost option to improve the bike’s range, and this is the only e-bike with regenerative braking. There are a bunch of hipster-esque accessories available, like leather satchels. Unlike some of the other bikes on this list, the Cruzer’s pedal layout isn’t like a traditional bike, meaning the pedals are mounted forward of your seating position rather than underneath you. This means ergonomically-speaking, pedalling without assistance will likely be more tiring. Click HERE for more information.
Vallkree Scrambler – $3300.00
This is a home-grown brand (Byron Bay) with a bunch of different vintage-style e-bikes to choose from, but we’re going with the Scrambler because it sits well with the others on the list. Like the Rayvolt Cruzer, the Vallkree Scrambler has been designed with that early motorcycle look, and we love it. Unlike the Cruzer, the pedal layout on the Scrambler is more like a traditional bicycle with the pedals more or less underneath you, so riding when you’re out of juice (you should get up to 40km range with the least amount of assistance and on level terrain) shouldn’t be too tricky. Although at around 29kg, the Scrambler is not lightweight. Our favourite colour scheme is the matte black one in the picture above. Click HERE for more information.
Michael Blast Greaser Springer – $3400.00
Another locally designed and built vintage-style e-bike, the Greaser is a Good Design Award winner. The Springer Edition is currently in pre-order at a substantial discount to its regular retail price. Like the other bikes we’ve picked, it boasts those cool, retro lines reminiscent of vintage motorcycles. Available with either a 250W motor for riding on the road, or a 500W motor for off-road and private property use, the Greaser Springer has a top-speed of about 25km/h (250W) with a range of up to 50km, depending on how hard you’re making it work. It weighs around 28kg (250W model) and there are a bunch of accessories for the thing. The warranty is five years on the frame and one-year on the electrics. Click HERE for more information.
Texo Labs La Panthere – $3995.00
La Panthere e-bike is another locally designed and developed bike. While the website is currently showing it’s out of stock, it’s calling for enquiries. It’s a cool looking bike for sure, with its vintage styling and cool retro-esque headlight that boasts an LED daytime running light. The matte black finish on La Panthere makes it look super cool and the fact its pedal set is black rather than the chrome on some of the other bikes we’ve picked, makes it a little more unique. Not just intended for road use, Texo Labs reckons the use of fat, all-terrain tyres and the wide seat with cushioning makes La Panthere perfect for off-road excursions. Click HERE for more information.
Vintage Electric Scrambler – $13,499.00
Push the boat right out with the US-made Vintage Electric Scrambler via Electric Bikes Brisbane. This is a special order only and intended more for off-road use. It’s basically an electric moped dressed as an old-school motorcycle. It comes with two drive modes, 250W which is the maximum legal limit for pedal-assist road-riding in Australia and the second which opens it up to 3000W for off-road use and will get it to around 70km/h. This thing’s got all-terrain tyres, front suspension fork, and more. This thing really does look more like an old motorcycle than some of the retro e-bikes we’ve listed. Still, if money’s no object, this thing would be a riot. Click HERE for more information.
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