This new cargo e-bike is bringing Dutch design to the US

FlatSix911

Well-Known Member
Region
USA
City
Silicon Valley
Another Dutch-designed Cargo bike with cool bent wood accents. ;)


Bunch Coupe e-cargo bike launched
The Coupe is the company’s latest e-bike, or technically e-trike, designed to carry the whole family. With kid seats and dog leash tie-downs, Bunch is making sure to include as many two and four-legged family members as well. The tadpole-trike design (featuring two front wheels) uses a front box constructed of expanded polypropylene (EPP) to create a safe and secure seating area for children, complete with a pair of 3-point safety harnesses. Bunch’s Coupe electric cargo bike is powered by a Bafang M400 mid-drive motor with up to 80Nm of torque. The motor is fed by a large 36V 20Ah battery rated for 720Wh of capacity and up to 75 miles (120 km) of range with pedal assist.

The Coupe doesn’t just have that Dutch flair to it; each one is actually built in Holland, making them true Dutch e-cargo bikes. Of course, that also means they come with a more European-level price at $5,100 (marked down from an MSRP of $5,999). Before you balk though, check out all the fancy features you get, which when combined with that European manufacturing help to bump the price up to five Gs. Stopping power comes from a pair of Tektro Auriga dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes and shifting is provided by a NuVinci Enviolo step-less transmission with automatic shifting. The aluminum frame includes built-in lighting and a drop gate at the front of the cargo box, plus there’s an integrated rear rack (in case that giant box isn’t enough cargo space for you).

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I hate those things! 🤣 Seriously, I have had to build and repair a few similar trikes, and in doing so, have had to test ride them. I find them pretty unpleasant to ride. Steering them is ponderous, and it generally feels odd, especially on uneven ground, because it has three wheels and you cannot lean the bike and you either need to slow way down for turns and/or really lean your body which is not really easy or practical when you are sitting straight up.
 
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I hate those things! 🤣 Seriously, I have had to build and repair a few similar trikes, and in doing so, have had to test ride them. I find them pretty unpleasant to ride. Steering them is ponderous, and it generally feels odd, especially on uneven ground, because it has three wheels and you cannot lean the bike and you either need to slow way down for turns and/or really lean your body which is not really easy or practical when you are sitting straight up.
Only ever saw one electric trike, but tried to ride a conventional trike decades ago and I agree. Horrible to ride, like a 1960s muscle car ... straight line only.
Edit for pic.
 
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I hate those things! 🤣 Seriously, I have had to build and repair a few similar trikes, and in doing so, have had to test ride them. I find them pretty unpleasant to ride. Steering them is ponderous, and it generally feels odd, especially on uneven ground, because it has three wheels and you cannot lean the bike and you either need to slow way down for turns and/or really lean your body which is not really easy or practical when you are sitting straight up.
Only ever saw one electric trike, but tried to ride a conventional trike decades ago and I agree. Horrible to ride, like a 1960s muscle car ... straight line only.
I agree that Trikes are not a lot of fun to ride... they claim to have adjusted the front wheel angles assist in cornering. ;)
I'm not sure that will help much... the best Trikes and Quads are designed with the ability to tilt the wheels when turning.

"The wheels wear Schwalbe Big Apple Plus tires and are actually angled inwards to give more stable turns.
They are also covered by fenders and wheel skirts to keep little wandering fingers from getting too close..."
 
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I agree that Trikes are not a lot of fun to ride... they claim to have adjusted the front wheel angles assist in cornering. ;)
I'm not sure that will help much... the best Trikes and Quads are designed with the ability to tilt the wheels when turning.

It definitely helps.

You still have to slow way down for the turns, and won't be taking them at speed like you could on a bike, or on a tilting trike/quad.


The tradeoff, is that it's easy to load up, get going from a stop, with kids in tow. Works great for the right use case... it's a neighborhood cruiser, not a race bike!
 
"or on a tilting trike"

So why not just get a tilting trike? Especially due to the reasons stated above.....


I'm a big fan of the concept of cargo bikes and always glad to see any press about them and their development and acceptance into the traffic fabric. .

This is a project that never actually go anywhere but I know the guy working on the bike and he got one as severance pay.


It does explain the problem with getting trikes to handle as well as possible using science and was proven via prototyping. The Yamaha moto trikes are a good example of how it can work on an even larger scale with much higher speed potential.

Screen Shot 2020-11-27 at 5.49.59 PM.png
 
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"or on a tilting trike"

So why not just get a tilting trike? Especially due to the reasons stated above.....


I'm a big fan of the concept of cargo bikes and always glad to see any press about them and their development and acceptance into the traffic fabric. .

This is a project that never actually go anywhere but I know the guy working on the bike and he got one as severance pay.


It does explain the problem with getting trikes to handle as well as possible using science and was proven via prototyping. The Yamaha moto trikes are a good example of how it can work on an even larger scale with much higher speed potential.

View attachment 72792
Very cool Yamaha Trike design... thanks for sharing!

Yamaha Leaning-Trike Design Revealed (msn.com)
1606528678329.png
 
"or on a tilting trike"

So why not just get a tilting trike? Especially due to the reasons stated above.....


I'm a big fan of the concept of cargo bikes and always glad to see any press about them and their development and acceptance into the traffic fabric. .

This is a project that never actually go anywhere but I know the guy working on the bike and he got one as severance pay.


It does explain the problem with getting trikes to handle as well as possible using science and was proven via prototyping. The Yamaha moto trikes are a good example of how it can work on an even larger scale with much higher speed potential.

View attachment 72792


I personally really enjoy riding the tilting trikes, like the Babboe you shared.

From customers I've talked to who have had the opportunity to try both, they have a polarizing reaction to the tilting feeling. Some hate it, and like the stability of it not tilting at all, and find they prefer the fixed trike despite the handling disadvantages (which is why they ended up a customer of ours). Others really like it. For now, we are going to stick in our niche, but we have a lot of ideas for the future.


Thanks for sharing the Onya Cycles vid. I wasn't familiar with their bike, it's a bummer they aren't around.
 
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