The Black Tea Motorbike by Viktor Sommer is an electric motorbike that brings the scrambler-style mopeds of the 1970’s and the 1980’s into the future.
Indigogo Campaign
The initial goal was 100.000€. In less than 2 hours he already passed that. Up to date, they have raised over 400.000€. The campaign goes on until the 27th of August 2020.
Check out the Black Tea Motorbikes Indigogo campaign
Performance and technical specifications
Maximum speed 80km/h. But legally you will only be able, in Germany at least, to drive it up to 45km/h.
Range 70km. However, we will need to wait for the final product to see the real range with one full charge. It could be somewhere between 55/65km estimated.
Fast acceleration. The acceleration time is quite impressive and it reaches the top speed fast.
Hydraulic brake. That is a cool feature that both brakes are going to be hydraulic and disc, nevertheless it is way better for brake performance and safety reasons.
Suspension. Really good, but considering that this was a prototype and the suspension will be slightly different.
Halo LED lights. No more comments needed.
Charging time 4h. They still don’t have a final supplier for the battery, therefore it could be that the charging time it’s faster in the final product.
Regenerative brakes. 10 A maximum. The brakes will reintroduce brake energy to the battery.
Seat high 750mm. For smaller people, like myself that I am 1,65cm, it was really comfortable to be able to fully touch the floor. Other riders were way taller, 1,76cm and they also felt very comfortable seating on it.
Weight 79kg. For people not so super strong, it is a very light motorbike that you can easily move around. It is a very good point.
Check out the Black Tea Moped
Is Black Tea a Moped or a Motorbike?
Originally, a moped refers to a hybrid of motorcycle and bicycle with a motor and pedals. In Germany, the term is also a colloquial expression for basically every two-wheeler that can drive more than 25km/h but is not yet big enough to be considered a motorbike. However, to be legally considered a Moped, the Black Tea Motorbike would need pedals.
Test Ride impressions
The prototype felt a little unstable in curves, which most likely is attributable to the bike’s early stage of development.
The acceleration, however, is overwhelming. Due to the rear hub engine with 5 kW (6.7 hp) and a torque of 180Nm, the power is feelable the second the gas handle is operated, and popping wheelies has never been easier. The combination of power and minimal weight, about 79kg, makes this bike the ideal fun vehicle for off-road.
Also for daily commuting, this bike has all the perks needed, like hydraulic brakes and LED halo front light, to arrive safe and sound wherever you want within a range of about 70km.
For people that don’t want to rely on public transport, it is a real alternative at a cheap starting price of 2.550€.
Check out the Black Tea Motorbikes Indigogo campaign
Where can you drive the Black Tea in Europe and in the USA?
Driving a Motor-driven cycle in the United Stated differs in each state. The law will be different depending on which state you live in.
Document comparing all 52 states in the US and its regulation
Which driver’s license do you need in the USA and in Europe?
The equivalent for the US is called class M, some states break it down to two different ones, M1 and M2. It is better to check which one would be the equivalent within your state.
Within the European Union, you can drive it simply with the regular car license B, or the basic AM if you don’t have a car license B.
For other countries in Europe, that don’t belong to the EU, it is better to check the specific regulations of your home country.
Service and repairs
To break the tradition of only being able to repair your bike in a specific shop, Black Tea Motorbikes wants to enable the riders to do all necessary repairs themselves, they get the inspiration from the Tech industry to base it in an open-source mindset.
We will prepare a manual and a video series where we will explain how to repair the bike and get spare parts even from third providers. In addition, we will also offer spare parts but we want to give our Riders the independence to chose whatever they want.
– Product Owner, Black Tea Motorbikes