Swiss manufacturer, Peter Fassler, presented its e-Bullet back in 2018. The electric chopper concept was unveiled at the 2018 Zurich motorcycle fair, and it stood out because of its design and its outrageous performance figures. Now, a production-ready version has been announced, but with a very different motor.
It’s not abnormal for concept or pre-production bikes displayed at shows to come with working engines and manufacturer-provided specs in a bid to gather interest for a particular model. It’s also normal for the concept to sort of shy away from the extreme figures and designs of the concept.
Now, Peter Fassler went with the same exact design for the concept, but underneath that posh and exquisite custom exterior sits an electric motor that is a far cry from what the concept initially showcased. In 2018, at the Zurich Motorcycle Fair, the E-Bullet had no less than 860 Newton meters of torque—that’s 634 pound-feet—spinning the rear wheel. However, once the brand moved over to the production-ready version, something changed. From 634-pound feet now down to 80-pound feet. Translated over to metric, the numbers went from 860 Newton meters down to just 109 Newton meters. The bike’s weight also suffered. The concept was only 165 kilograms (363 pounds) while the production-ready version tipped the scales at 260 kilograms (573 pounds).
The question of “why” would naturally pop up in a case like this, and this is due to the homologation demands that the bike had to face. Road legality is a must for a production-ready motorcycle, and the brand’s E-Bullet lost a lot of its power and torque as a result of going from E-Bullet to E-Chopper. For starters, homologation specified that the engine must be limited to a continuous power output of just 11 kilowatts, or 14.75 horsepower. The bike is capable of a peak power output of 59 hp. Even then the bike can still reach a maximum speed of 135 kilometers per hour (83.89 miles per hour). It can reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in just three seconds, however, so it still has some grunt even with the specs saying otherwise.
Gallery: Peter Fassler E-Bullet Production Model
As for its battery capacity, the E-Chopper comes with a lithium-ion pack that’s 14.4 kilowatt-hours big, and it should reach about 280 kilometers (about 173 miles) on a single charge for urban use, and about half while on the open road. Charging times for this bike can run up to 10 hours from low to full.
For its chassis, it comes with a steel tube frame, 18-inch spoked wheels coming in at 130/60 in the front and 240/40 in the rear, and also a low seat height all on a wheelbase that is 1,800 millimeters (70.87 inches). ABS is also standard for this model.
The biggest number in this cruiser's spec sheet is definitely the price. In Switzerland, the price was announced to be 66,666 CHF or the equivalent of about $74,000 USD. Still impressive, at least in the design and the price department, it’s still quite unique with a rather one-of-a-kind price tag to boot.
