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Next month will bring the Kickstarter launch of the PikaBoost e-bike conversion kit. Creators Livall are promsing ‘tool-free’ installation and compatibility with every bike.
Although the finer detail hasn’t yet been announced, those claims certainly seem legitimate on the face of things.
It’s a simple direct drive motor system – not unlike the Revos eBike Kit that we reviewed a few months back – which attaches to a bike’s seat post.
Everything’s contained within the PikaBoost’s main unit, which weighs 3kg. You get a 250W motor and a 180Wh battery with the potential to increase range via regenerative charging.
There are three ride modes: ‘Hold’ which maintains your speed automatically, even when you stop pedalling; ‘Roll’ which provides uphill assistance but recharges (and provides extra resistance) while you’re riding on the flat; and ‘Sport’ which recharges constantly.
Because of its position on the bike, Livall have also included a rear light. This is either permanently on or it can serve as a brake light, automatically detecting when the rider is slowing down.
The PikaBoost is certainly an interesting concept – although with regards to the regenerative aspect, we can’t help but restate that this kind of thing tends to work better in theory than in practice on e-bikes as the power recovered is typically small.
The PikaBoost web page suggests that it’ll be priced at $599 but with a $299 early bird price via the Kickstarter campaign.
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