[motorcycle.com] - Johammer J1 Electric Motorcycle Straddles the Line Between Radical

[Ninjette Newsbot]

An Austrian manufacturer is producing a new electric motorcycle that claims to be the first to offer a range of more than 200 km (124 miles.) Sporting a sort of art deco design that some have liken to a snail, the Johammer J1 looks very radical, and some of its technological concepts are as well.

The Johammer concept has been around for a few years now under the name “the Biiista” (the original logo is still visible on the lower edge of the fairing behind the forward footrests.) Produced by Austrian firm Hammerschmid Maschinenbau and design studio Yellow Works, the Johammer J1 looks like what you’d get if you describe a motorcycle to someone who has never seen one before and asked him what you described.

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Two wheels? Handlebars? Streamlined fairing? Check, check and check. But take one look at the J1 and you’ll see very little else that you expect from a conventional motorcycle design. “A Johammer does not only look different, it is different,” reads the Johammer website.



Take the chassis for example. The electric motor mounted into the rear wheel hub might be the most conventional part of the design. The swingarm lines up with the main part of the frame and onwards to the front wheel which uses a hub-center steering system. The suspension dampers are actually housed inside the aluminum frame, making use of the space below the large lithium-ion battery pack. With everything mounted horizontally and low, Johammer says the center of gravity is just 13.8 inches from the ground.

Johammer will produce two versions, capable of a (claimed) maximum range of either 150 km or 200 km (93 miles and 124 miles). The battery carries a nominal 72V with the J1.200 carrying a maximum capacity of 12.7 kWh of juice while the J1.150 holds 8.3 kWh. Johammer claims it takes 3.5 hours to get the 200 battery to an 80% charge while the J1.150 can get there in 2.5 hours. Johammer also claims the battery will last for more than 100,000 km (62,137 miles) and still hold 80% of its original capacity.



The battery powers the 11kW brushless AC motor mounted to the rear wheel. Like most electric motorcycles, the J1 operates on a single gear, carrying a 1:10.15 gear ratio. Johammer claims a top speed of 75 mph.

While most motorcycles have the mirrors mounted on the handlebars, it’s the reverse on the Johammer. The hand controls actually clip onto the mirror stalks that poke up from the fairing. The stalks hide some electrical wiring, as the mirrors have 2.5-inch high-resolution displays that act as the J1′s instruments.



Other features include front and rear pegs, 57.3-inch wheelbase and a 25.6-inch seat height. The J1.150 claims a weight of 350 pounds while the J1.200 weighs a claimed 390 pounds.

Johammer Chief Executive Officer Johann Hammerschmid tells*Salzburg.com the company hopes to produce 50 units by the end of the year, with plans to later increase production to 300 to 500 units per year. The J1.150 is priced at 23,000 euros (US$31,773) while the J1.200 goes for 25,000 euros (US$34,536).

[Source: Johammer, Salzburg.com]

Johammer J1 Electric Motorcycle Straddles the Line Between Radical and Weird appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.



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