Most hybrid bikes are designed to schlep you around the city in silent, electically-assisted bliss. But the M55 Beast stands apart. Designed first-and-foremost to take you off the beaten path, the Beast is equipped with all the required off-road hardware, including a Fox Talas fork, front and rear Brembo brakes and a Nukeproof titanium rear spring with a Fox DHX RC4 shock suspended by a single pivot to offer 172mm of travel. The frame is constructed of 7075 aluminum, and housed inside is an electric motor and battery pack comprised of Tenergy cells.
Torque output starts off at a uninspiring 3.84 pound-feet, but thanks to a speed reduction transmission, twist can jump to 76 lb-ft, allowing the rather portly (nearly 73 pounds) Beast to hit a V-max of 48 mph. Although M55 doesn’t cite a range, the company claims the battery packs can be recharged to 80% capacity in a mere 15 minutes.
So how much will all this bespoke two-wheeled kit cost? A wallet-shuddering $33,500 – or enough to put you into a new Toyota Prius and pay for nearly two years of gas. But with only 55 examples slated for production, that’s the price you pay for EV exclusivity.
[Source: M55 via Cycle EXIF]
