# Specialized Turbo Electric Bike



## bernithebiker (Sep 26, 2011)

At the Spesh centre today I tried the Turbo bike. Amazing machine! Built up as a hybrid style bike, it provides a boost when you pedal. You have a 10 speed cassette like normal, with one chainring. Pedal off gently and the hand of god whisks you up to 30kmh very quickly. Like a massive tailwind (think hurricane!) you can choose extra boost for more power or turn off assistance altogether, but then you really feel the 21kg. For a real workout choose regen mode and charge your battery! 

Lasts 1 hour at full power. Handles and stops very nicely, feels solid. Top speed of 45kmh means it has to be registered as a motorbike in France, which means plates, helmet and insurance. But would the cops really notice?!

Anyway great bike, ideal for my wife! But i fear it will be expensive.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

bernithebiker said:


> At the Spesh centre today I tried the Turbo bike. Amazing machine! Built up as a hybrid style bike, it provides a boost when you pedal. You have a 10 speed cassette like normal, with one chainring. Pedal off gently and the hand of god whisks you up to 30kmh very quickly. Like a massive tailwind (think hurricane!) you can choose extra boost for more power or turn off assistance altogether, but then you really feel the 21kg. For a real workout choose regen mode and charge your battery!
> 
> Lasts 1 hour at full power. Handles and stops very nicely, feels solid. Top speed of 45kmh means it has to be registered as a motorbike in France, which means plates, helmet and insurance. But would the cops really notice?!
> 
> Anyway great bike, ideal for my wife! But i fear it will be expensive.


Bern,
Can you describe the motor and battery location and size? Interesting. I wonder what the next 10 years will bring in terms of integrating a motor into perhaps an oversized BB with super conductors and uber effiicient battery power. Would be cool to have on a road bike for super long travel...provided the weight penalty when unused isn't too bad.
Then of course having more speed than a top pro rider would be fun as well. 
Cheers.


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## bernithebiker (Sep 26, 2011)

The motor is directly on/in the rear hub. The battery fills the downtube.

It's the future!


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## barteau (Oct 10, 2011)

According to Specialized France, they will be about $8000 USD, and will not be available in the states for a little while, because they are *too* fast for an electric bike according to U.S. regs. 

If you got one here in the states, the states would consider it a moped.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Bern,
Is the bike noticably harder to pedal when the motor is off due to either system drag or additional weight? You mentioned 21 kg = 46 lbs or so. So the weight of the bike is effectively increased by 2 x's. It would be interesting to try such a bike on a long ride. If the battery can sustain max power for 1 hour, it would be good to know for example at what power level aka watt supplement it could sustain for say 4 hours on a long ride.
Also, it would be good to understand just how much supplemental power from the motor is required to overcome the weight and/or drag of the components and still contribute to propulsion.
Also you mention battery regeneration. Does regen just occur with pedaling..or how about steep descents?...where this potential energy could be converted...or with say braking? 
It will be very interesting to see how this technology evolves...an integrated moped of the future indeed.


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## Devastazione (Dec 8, 2011)

Superb bike but I don't think the design it's Specialized proprietary. I've seen one a month ago for sale at Selfridges in London and design wise it was exactly the same bike as the Turbo,just different color scheme and of course brand.

Anyway I'm not sure I would commute to work and feel safe in leaving it outside the office for the whole day tho...


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## bernithebiker (Sep 26, 2011)

With the motor off you definitely feel the extra weight as soon as there is an incline of any kind. And from rest of course. I would think this bike cold easily sustain 30kph for 4 hours with only minimal rider input.
Regen only happens on slowdown, unless you select full regen mode, but this makes the bike a real effort to pedal. I don't think the brakes regen at all, this energy is lost as heat.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Bern,
If you want some further insight into the world of electric bikes, bikeforums.net has a dedicated electric bike forum which is an interesting read. Just scanning that forum...the ticket appears to be adding a kit to a current bike and not buying a dedicated electric bike. Of course then the 'tuners' come out as they exist in every walk...a good thing  and adding an electric motor kit offers some serious power. As I approach my elderly years, I would consider such a kit or by then a complete bike to allow me to take 50-100 mile rides. The work around with an add on kit is...the limit of watt output can be exceeding which is imposed by registering the bike as a motor bike. No doubt this restriction varies by area. I am in the US. There are 1000 watt kits on the market and of course 1000w on a bike as we learn from the pros or about 1.5hp,even with weight of motor and battery, can propel a bike along well above 30 mph. Many of us would like to be able to lay down 1000 watts in a sprint and can't. As electric motor magnet technology...and battery tech continues to evolve, the possibilities are pretty exciting really...where you don't need quite the range of travel on a bike as with a car where electric cars tend to fall short. Of course the energy density of gasoline still reigns supreme in power to weight but electricity on a bike in particular for the environment where bicycles travel, makes a lot of sense.


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