Dave Lodermeier and Dario Trentini will be answering questions on our forum. Click http://forums.dirtrider.com/70/7653692/general-discussion/quantya-electric-bike-official-q-a-thread/index.html to go to that thread. They'll be checking in often from May 14 to May 20, so get all your questions answered!
No one wants to believe electric bikes will be forced on us, and a lot of people have a knee-jerk reaction when they see electric dirt bikes today as some sub-standard ride that will push their gas bike out of their hands tomorrow. These quiet, emission-free bikes may or may not be your only option in the future, but they are a great option for a lot of types of riding today.
The Swiss company Quantya makes two off-road models, the Track and the Strada. The Strada is a full street-legal version with DOT certification and ready for a license plate in all 50 states. The Track is the same bike without the street-legal lights, speedo, and secondary battery to run these functions. The Track is still brought in as a street-legal certified vehicle, so anyone can buy a Track today, and make a quick and legal conversion later without any hassles by adding the required lights - at least in theory. Somehow going to your local DMV is never easy, so it might make more sense to get a Strada today and pare it down for off-road use. One thing is for certain, however, you will pass any sound tests.
We got our mitts on a Track, and we had a blast putting the hours on it. Over several weeks it was a part of our test bike fleet.
The Track is sized like a 'fun bike,' something in the CRF150F range. This machine is not intended to replace your fire-breathing (pun fully intended) gas racer, it's designed for casual trail riding and, as we found, handles minibike tracks without any problems. The bike's greatest strength is its stealth feature, so backyard tracks won't bother the neighbors, and trails near houses won't perk up ears as long as you keep the giggling to a minimum.
The Quantya bikes have real motorcycle components and build. They weigh as much as a full sized gas bike but hide their mass fairly well once moving. The suspension is 'real motorcycle' suspension, not a beefed up version of bicycle components. Travel is twelve inches front and rear, which is in line with machines in this play bike class. Maybe it's because of the big-bike weight, but the Quantya does a really good job of feeling like a motorcycle. The suspension absorbs the hits as well as its travel would be expected to, and the bike overall has a nice, planted feel.
The Quantya is a blast and...
The Quantya is a blast and will rail berms with a fun, agile feel.
The fork performs better than the shock, with no real complaints about the front end, but some testers commented the rear lacked progression on the down stroke and was too springy on the return. Also, there is virtually no bike sag with the non-adjustable rear shock.
That proper, familiar motorcycle feel also owes a lot to the Quantya's ergonomics. They got things right when they designed a bike that, though it isn't full-sized, fits adult riders well. Everything is in the right place, and the rear brake position is an option - riders can get the rear brake set up as a lever on the bar, or as a traditional foot pedal.
The stock tires on the Quantya seem designed for minimal rolling resistance rather than dirt traction. This is probably the most limiting factor to the bike's performance, as it's hard to rip through turns when the front wheel is sliding out, or charge straights when the rear tire is spinning. The throttle does a pretty good job of unleashing just a little power at a time, but it's still a fine balance to keep the wheel from spinning.
The bike also has a 'freewheel' effect that takes some getting used to. When charging and on the 'gas,' everything's fine with a torquey, potent motor. But when you cut the throttle, the engine 'freewheels,' a sensation similar to an auto clutch disengaging when you lock up the rear tire. With an auto-clutch, a blip of the throttle will bring the compression braking back, but with an electric bike the motor has to 'spool up' to get back to deliver drive. It's like riding a bicycle downhill and taking your feet off the pedals. To get back to delivering power you have to spin the pedals back up to 'catch up with yourself.' This freewheel effect is an argument to opt for the rear brake bar-mounted lever, as dragging the rear is a technique to minimize this freewheeling.
The Quantya set up has a lot of adjustability in the throttle sensitivity and power output. The Quantya guys can set the bike to the customer's preferences to 'fine tune' the machine right off the showroom floor. So if you're in the market, spend some time with these guys to give your bike the best 'performance options' for you. Strangely, that would be like going to a gas bike shop and getting to select the exact cc's you want for engine size - within limits, of course.
Ricky Yorks got the go for...
Ricky Yorks got the go for launch and started throwing the Quantya over some big jumps. The Quanta is built tough.
As long as the riding is kept to the type you'd do with a 100cc to 150cc playbike, you will get along great with the Quantya. Charge time is approximately two hours for about a 45 minute aggressive ride, so there are wait-time penalties to pay, but this just might be the bike to open new riding opportunities to you. In addition to some backyard moto and leave-from-home trail riding, the Quanta could also become your around-town scoot or even a commuter bike if the distances weren't too long.
The future is here. Don't fear it taking away from your regular riding, but embrace it for the additional riding it can open up to you. And what could be better than a second bike that never needs its air filter cleaned, its valves adjusted, its engine overhauled, its oil changed, its...
MSRP: Track $9,975, Strada $10,700
Claimed Weight: 195 lb
Actual Weight: 222 lb
Seat Height: 35.4 in.
Footpeg Height: 13.8 in.
Seat-to-footpeg distance: 21.6 in.
Street Legal: optional
Fuel Capacity: n/a
Transmission: n/a
www.quantya.com
866.782.6892