FLX Bike is an e-bike manufacturer we’ve talked about quite a bit on InsideEVs. The U.S.-based bike maker recently made headlines with its powerful and over-the-top Weapon X electric mountain bike. While the Weapon X is for the extreme and hardcore riders out there, the brand’s newest product is takes a much more laid-back approach to the world of electric two-wheels.
It’s called the Menace, however, it’s anything but, as it’s a charming, retro-inspired bicycle that clearly took a page off the classic Schwinn Stingray’s book. People who had the opportunity to ride or own the Schwinn Stingray in their childhood will surely be filled with nostalgia by the FLX Menace's vintage look. Sure, lots of other companies have made their own modern iterations of the classic cruiser bike, but FLX has impressed us with its tech and features, so let’s take a closer look at the Menace, which you could certainly say is a fusion of modern tech and classic design.
The new electric bicycle has an arching frame, a banana seat, and tall handlebars that resemble ape hangers from motorbikes. Thanks to this styling exercise, the Menace has all the charm of a classic bike mated to contemporary technology. Speaking of tech, the Menace is packing a rear hub motor with a belt drive resulting in a quiet, virtually maintenance-free ride. It’s running a single-speed setup, which ties in nicely to its simplistic throwback styling. Safety hasn’t been left out of the equation, with the bike coming to a stop with Magura hydraulic brakes.
Diving into the performance specifics of the new Menace, FLX says that it has a top speed of up to 45 kilometers per hour, or around 28 miles per hour, in accordance to e-bike rules and regulations. Other than that, FLX has remained rather tight-lipped about the bike’s performance specs, as well as the battery tech that has gone into this retro-style two-wheeler. All FLX says is that the bike offers “decent assistance range,” and whatever that means certainly leans towards the more subjective side of things.
All that being said, as is the case with most good things in life, we’ll have to wait a tad longer, as the FLX Menace is set to hit the market in the summer of 2023. For now, FLX Bike is accepting reservations for the vintage-inspired two-wheeler for a token amount of $100 USD. Once available, the FLX Menace is estimated to carry a retail price of $1,999 USD.
