An Interesting Commuter Motorcycle
NIU revealed a new electric motorcycle at CES called RQi-GT. The bike is a commuter bike and it has impressive performance stats. The motorcycle can hit 100 mph top speed and do 80 miles per charge if you stay well below the bike’s top speed.
The RQi-GT has a 40 hp electric motor that’s mounted where an engine on a regular bike would be. The motor uses a belt drive for the first stage of the driveline and then a chain for the final drive. The bike’s electrical power is provided by two removable batteries that have a combined 7 kWh of capacity.
The company didn’t stop with just an electric bike. It also endowed the motorcycle with plenty of smart tech. The bike gets 5G IoT connectivity, a full TFT display, Bluetooth, and GPS. All of this connects to an app for various features like theft detection, vehicle tracking, and bike diagnostics.
More than one publication out there is calling this an important bike. electrek notes that the company is known for having affordable bikes, and that if the RQi-GT could be as affordable as previous products, then it could help kickstart more electric bike sales in the U.S. RideApart suggest something similar and points to the fact that the company previously worked on an electric scooter that cost only $800. The RQi-GT will certainly cost a lot more than that, but it should still be affordable, which would make it a possibility for many riders.
With a two-stage driveline, does that mean multiple gears?