This e-bike has a chassis like no other…

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Its unique, unusual form language earned it a German Design Award prize, and quite a well-deserved prize it was. The Pocket Rocket does the two most important things a bike must do. Get you from A to B efficiently, and grab eyes along the way… and it does so while running on ecologically viable electric energy.

Housing every bit of electronics and machinery into its innovative inverted triangle shape, the Pocket Rocket doesn’t have the serious demeanor of a sports bike, but why should it, right? It hits that sweet spot between bicycles and motorbikes known as the e-bike aesthetic, and the minimal frame could just be iconic (I’m only a slight bit concerned about the base of the V being a little low, but on city roads, the Pocket Rocket should do fine). I’ve also grown to love the name Pocket Rocket, although it obviously has some suggestive connotations.

Designed by Manuel Messmer and engineered by SOL Motors, the Pocket Rocket is clean, compact, and well thought through. The thick tubular column on the top becomes a perfect surface to sit on, once you’ve got a saddle in place, and right at both ends, you’ve got the headlight and taillight. The product is currently in its conceptual stages and the specifications haven’t been made public yet, but we’ll let you know the minute we do!

Designers: Manuel Messmer & Sol Motors.

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Pocket Rocket Electric Bike: Not Quite a Motorcycle

Stuttgart-based electric bike maker Sol Motor’s Pocket Rocket looks like an e-bike, but it is something new and unusual. It’s faster than electric bikes, but not quite a moped. It’s also not fast enough to be an electric motorcycle. So what the heck is it? Well… It’s just different.

You can choose between two models of the bike, the Pocket Rocket and Pocket Rocket S, with the latter being the faster version. You’ll want that one for highway traffic, while the other model is more for your non-freeway commute. The slower version model will top out at 31 mph, has a 6 HP electric motor and will get you around 31-50 miles in range. The S model has an 8.5 hp electric motor and gives you a max speed of 50 mph.

When it hits the market, expect it to cost around 5,200 euros (~$6,030 USD) for the standard Pocket Rocket and 6,500 euros (~$7,540 USD) for the Pocket Rocket S. That’s not exactly cheap, but it’s still a cool idea.

Pocket Rocket has earned the European Product Design Award, as well as the German Design Award. If you want to check it out, Sol Motors will be bringing Pocket Rocket to Intermot International Motorcycle Fair in Cologne, Germany, October 3 through 7. It looks like a cool ride.

[via Mike Shouts]

A chassis like no other…

pocket_rocket_1

Its unique, unusual form language earned it a German Design Award prize, and quite a well-deserved prize it was. The Pocket Rocket does the two most important things a bike must do. Get you from A to B efficiently, and grab eyes along the way… and it does so while running on ecologically viable electric energy.

Housing every bit of electronics and machinery into its innovative inverted triangle shape, the Pocket Rocket doesn’t have the serious demeanor of a sports bike, but why should it, right? It hits that sweet spot between bicycles and motorbikes known as the e-bike aesthetic, and the minimal frame could just be iconic (I’m only a slight bit concerned about the base of the V being a little low, but on city roads, the Pocket Rocket should do fine). I’ve also grown to love the name Pocket Rocket, although it obviously has some suggestive connotations.

Designed by Manuel Messmer and engineered by SOL Motors, the Pocket Rocket is clean, compact, and well thought through. The thick tubular column on the top becomes a perfect surface to sit on, once you’ve got a saddle in place, and right at both ends, you’ve got the headlight and taillight. The product is currently in its conceptual stages and the specifications haven’t been made public yet, but we’ll let you know the minute we do!

Designers: Manuel Messmer & Sol Motors.

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