What we have here may look like a futuristic electric motorcycle—sort of like an electric evocation of the Honda Grom. Howvever, underneath its sporty, futuristic exterior, the Velocifero Jump is a surprisingly barebones electric two-wheeler. Velocifero is a new player in the e-mobility space, and is a brand under the Chinese manufacturer Taizhou. The new electrci two-wheeler is set to be unveiled in all its glory at EICMA 2022.
At a glance, the Jump is an eye catching machine thanks to its radical exposed frame. It gives off an illusion of agility and lightness, as the center of the bike is rather slim, housing nothing more than the battery. This is because the Jump is equipped with a rear hub motor. Now, I'm sure a lot of you have lost interest in this bike upon learning it's powered by a hub motor, and I understand why. Hub motors present quite a few issues when it comes to performance, and chief of which is handling. You see, hub motors are heavy, and are mounted onto the wheel of the bike. This makes of heavy unsprung weight and an uneven weight distribution.
This means that no matter how fancy your suspension setup is, your rear wheel will more than likely be too heavy for it to do a good job soaking up bumps and uneven road surfaces. This is especially true on a small and lightweight two-wheeler like the Jump. As such, it's no surprise that most other electric two-wheelers with a penchant for performance go for a mid-mounted or mid-drive electric motor. That being said, hub motors have one inherent benefit, and that's cost. They're a lot cheaper to produce, so hopefully, this translates to a cheaper price out the door. Oh, hub motors tend to be really good for wheelies, too—if that's your thing.
As for the Velocifero Jump, chances are you'll have no problems popping all sorts of wheelies on this thing, as it weighs just 90 kilograms. Its electric motor is rated for 3.6 kilowatts of nominal output, and five kilowatts (around seven horsepower) of peak power, which is pretty punchy for such a tiny machine. The frame-mounted battery, meanwhile, offers range figures of up to 85 kilometers—that's 53 miles—on a single charge. Similar to a Grom, the Jump rolls on 12-inch wheels, and gets an inverted front fork and rear monoshock setup. It comes to a stop with front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, sans ABS.
Velocifero is set to showcase the Jump at EICMA 2022, and chances are, if the price is right, it'll be a hit in Europe and Asia, as there's a steadily growing demand for small and sporty electric motorcycles. At present, Velocifero has been tight-lipped about pricing, so we'll have to wait until November to find out exactly what we're dealing with here.
Gallery: Velocifero Jump Electric Moped
