If you’ve ever wondered what sits at the crossroads of a Puch AX 40, an electric moped, and an ultramodern take on an alternate-dimension café racer, then you may have pictured something that looks like the Metorbike. Hailing from a workshop created by two friends (and engineers) in Hamburg, Germany, it’s quite safe to say that you’ve probably not seen an electric moped like this before.
While it’s very clearly a city runabout, it’s also very clearly a city runabout with a well-defined sense of its own style. Combining the café racer aesthetic with modern touches like the digital dashboard, fully integrated (and tiny) taillight and turn signals and wooden tail piece, as well as the hand-sewn saddle and matching grips, it’s a unique and intriguing piece of work.
As its pièce de résistance, the Metorbike boasts the one thing that many people criticize electric motorbikes for not having: Engine sounds! Using a controller area network (CAN) sound module, the stock Metorbike comes with a single sound profile that imitates a simple combustion motorcycle engine. Choosing the multisound pack (available at an additional charge) gets you access to eight different sounds, including V6, V8, and V10 car engine noises. Gearshift noises are also included in some of the sound packs.
Gallery: Metorbike Electric Cafe Racer Moped
Now for the details. The Metorbike is an electric moped, powered by a two-kilowatt, brushless DC motor that makes a claimed 2.72 horsepower. Peak power is rated by its makers at 7 kW, or about 9.5 pferdestarke (about 9.3 horsepower). The frame comes from a Puch AX 40 moped, while the fork is an upside down unit from an Aprilia RS 125. It rolls on a pair of 17-inch spoked wheels, wrapped in Kenda retro tires. Disc brakes stop you front and rear.
The battery is a unit that Metorbike says is “recycled from the automotive industry,” but does not give further details regarding the specifics of the recycling process. It’s a lithium nickel manganese oxide composition, with a claimed range of about 60 kilometers (or about 37 miles). It’s removable, and it weighs 11.8 kilograms (or about 26 pounds) on its own. You can also purchase a spare battery to keep charged and swap out at will.
Seat height is 770 millimeters, or about 30.3 inches. Total Metorbike weight is 76 kilograms, or about 167.5 pounds, including the battery. Top speed is 49.5 kilometers per hour, or about 30.75 miles per hour. Charging time on the battery is three to four hours using a standard outlet.
Other features include a keyless RFID chip that unlocks your bike, a digital speedometer with touchscreen, a solid wood bench under the saddle that you can complete with seat upholstery of your choice (and matching engraved grips), and two side mirrors. Configurable options include a GPS tracker as an anti-theft device, illuminated ‘tank’ logos, fitment of the multi-sound package, using milled aluminum switch gears instead of the standard plastic ones, fitment of a full leather seat, use of special finishes, and more.
Each Metorbike is built by hand, in collaboration with the purchaser. Just 50 of these Founders Edition Metorbikes will be made, with prices starting at €7,749 (about $8,477 as of June 16, 2023), plus additional charges for each of the available, configurable options. Metorbike appears to only be offering these bespoke electric mopeds in Germany at the moment, but they’re available to be ridden with a regular car driver’s license in that country, which is naturally a point of appeal.
To find out more, visit the official Metorbike website, which we’ll link in our Sources.
