Mind-blowingly, brutally fast. That’s how the British manufacturer of the SWIND EB-01 describes its audaciously equipped two-wheeled product.
Designed for adrenaline-charged, off-road recreation and billed as the world’s most technically advanced and powerful electrically powered ‘hyper bicycle’, the EB-01 has an official top speed of 60mph. With a bit of tuning and tinkering, says its designer Raphaël Caillé, it could go as fast as 80. Wallpaper* travelled to a private tarmac and dirt track cycle facility in far east London for a test ride.
A thing of jolie laide, butch utilitarian beauty the Swind is, genetically speaking, 70 per cent downhill mountain bike and 30 per cent Ducati Monster. The air cooled cell and drive train sit inside a bombproof aluminum and carbon-fibre monocoque frame. Bolted on is a regenerative braking system and thumb shift gear levels. Long travel forks at the front end and a big bouncing swing arm at the rear. Choose from either knobby or road tyres. The 1.75 KW.H lithium-ion battery is fully charged in 90 minutes and it’ll go for up to 80 miles. You also can pedal it like a normal push bike (if you really want to).
Long travel forks at the front end and a big bouncing swing arm at the rear
There are three twist-and-go power settings – Eco, Normal and Boost. Eco is perfect for a shopping trip or a canal toe-path, while the torque, acceleration and sheer brutish thrust of the ‘Boost’ option will take your breath away. The iPhone sized, digital dash has buttons for traction control, range control and, hilariously, ‘wheelie control’.
The boutique project of Swindon Powertrain, a specialised tech outfit that creates cutting-edge products and prototypes for supercar OEMs and Formula One teams, the £15,000 EB-01 went on sale earlier this year but has already established its place on the international big boys’ toys market. Early adopters have been hypercar owners and boat owners. ‘The kind of people who want to add the hyper e-bicycle to their garage or perhaps to have a pair sitting on the deck of their mega-yacht,’ says Raphaël Caillé. The fact that the bicycle’s wheels can be fitted with soft, dune sports tyres will help sales in the UEA.
‘Off road test riders have been thrilled to find out that they can go up hills as fast as they can go down them,’ says Caillé. ‘It completely changes the perception of cycling and the riding experience.’
Three power settings give the bike varying forms of life – Eco sets the pace for a leisurely cycle, whereas Boost expectedly pushes the bike’s acceleration
The Swind is, genetically speaking, 70 per cent downhill mountain bike and 30 per cent Ducati Monster
It features a 1.75 KW.H lithium ion battery that can be fully charged in 90 minutes, and can last for up to 80 miles – but can also be used as a regular pushbike
With an official top speed of 60 mph, designer Raphaël Caillé thinks it could push 80
INFORMATION
SWIND EB-01, £15,000. For more information, visit the Swindon Powertrain website
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
The Infinite Machine Olto is an electrified two-wheeler designed for urban transportationNew York-based Infinite Machine have revealed their second electric urban vehicle, the Olto, a micro mobility solution designed to share bike lanes
-
Gulfstream’s newly refurbished London Design Centre offers myriad ways to spec your jetPurchasing a private jet requires a cavalcade of design decisions. Gulfstream now offers its London customers a new Sales and Design Centre for them to make their decisions at leisure
-
‘Wundercar’ celebrates the ineffable aura of the Porsche 959, the first true hypercarCurated by London creatives INK, ‘Wundercar’ is a London exhibition dedicated to the image and influence of Porsche’s seminal 959, a true icon of 1980s engineering
-
EV start-up Halcyon transforms a classic 1970s Rolls-Royce into a smooth electric operatorThis 1978 Rolls-Royce Corniche is the first fruit of a new electric restomod company, the Surrey-based Halcyon
-
China’s Leapmotor pounces on the European car market with its T03 city car and C10 SUVLeapmotor’s tiny electric city car could be just the tonic for cramped urban Europe. We sample the T03 and its new sibling, the fully loaded C10 SUV, to see if the company’s value proposition stacks up
-
Anya Hindmarch teams up with Brompton to create a fashion-forward folding bikeThe power of the pedal is amplified by this timely tie-in between British bike makers Brompton and Anya Hindmarch
-
We make off with a MOKE and experience the cult EV on the sunny backroads of SurreyMOKE is a cult car with a bright future. Wallpaper* sat down with the company's new CEO Nick English to discuss his future plans for this very British beach machine
-
Meet the Alvis continuation series – a storied name in British motoring history is backThe Alvis name is more than a century old yet you can still order a factory-fresh model from its impressive back catalogue, thanks to the survival of its unique archive
