In many rural areas across Asia, the proliferation of cheap and accessible electric bikes and scooters has changed the way of life of many people. Prior to the introduction of these affordable alternative means of transportation, people resorted to gasoline-powered motorcycles which cost extra money to maintain and refuel.
Indeed, in areas where getting around with your own personal vehicle is seen as a luxury, mass-transportation is usually the best solution. Now, I'm sure you've seen electric bikes take on all shapes and sizes, but I'm almost certain you've never seen anything like this wild six-seater electric bike from a do-it-yourself enthusiast in India.
Homemade specialist Asad Abdullah recently showcased his latest creation on a YouTube channel called HomeMade Creative, and it goes without saying that his creation really is creative. Leveraging on the utility and practicality of electric bicycles, Adbullah crafted a custom frame out of metal tubes to build an ultra-long wheelbase tandem bike. However, instead of seating two people, the bike can sit a total of six.
According to Abdullah, the bike was built on a budget of no more than Rs 15,000 (approximately $180 USD). As such, it's easy to forgive the bike's rather rudimentary construction. That being said, if the design was polished further, there's no reason why this fun six-seater e-bike wouldn't have some real-world potential, especially for tourist attractions and recreational activity centers like zoos, theme parks, and fairs.
Regardless of the budget involved in building this creation, Abdullah has managed to include features such as dual rear shock absorbers and a telescopic front fork. As for the performance of the bike, it's packing a BLDC hub motor on both front and rear wheels. Naturally, a lot of torque will be needed to propel an e-bike with six passengers. As for the battery, it's a 48V, 30-Ah unit which is mounted under the rearmost seat along with the control unit. The YouTube video claims that the e-bike can cover up to 80 kilometers on a single charge, although I can almost promise you that you'll be saddlesore in less than a quarter of the distance.
