The Seattle Cycles Burke 20 Electric is a bike with more go than most. It’s both a 20-inch wheel folding bike, and an e-assist bike, and it’s small and light enough that Seattle Bike’s founder Dr. Mike Yap claims it is the lightest airline-legal e-bike in the world.
Seattle Cycles may be a less established brand, but it's turning to some blue-chip cycling companies for inspiration and help. The folding system and procedure appears almost identical to Brompton’s, and the titanium frame is built by the knowledgable hands at Lynskey Performance.We saw it at CES 2017 in Las Vegas.
The e-assist is provided by a 300-watt front hub motor, which is powered by a 100 watt-hour battery. According to Yap, this is largest battery airlines allow aboard, although there isn’t a restriction on the number of 100 watt-hour batteries a traveler can check. Two of the batteries are included with purchase, which may be connected to provide a total range of 20 to 30 miles, says Yap.
The Burke 20 can be folded—no tools or disassembly required—to fit it into a 29-inch airline-friendly case. Yap claims the Burke 20 E can be folded and packed in one minute; based on personal experience with folding bikes, I’d say this could be accurate, but not without some practice. Pedals are the one potential hitch: The bike I viewed had quick-release flat pedals, but if you use your preferred clipless pedal system, you’ll need to wrench those off before packing it in the case.
Overweight charges shouldn’t be a concern: Yap claims the Burke 20 Electric weighs 29.5 pounds, which seems plausible given the small wheels, titanium frame, and high-end drivetrain.
The Burke 20 Electric sells for $10,000 as shown with SRAM XX1 drivetrain; a suitcase is included. The frame has a 110kg rider weight limit, and lifetime warranty. Acknowledging the high price, Yap stated he is exploring ways to offer the Burke 20 Electric’s features at a lower price.
Seattle Cycles also offers a non-assist version of the Burke 20 as well as the 16-inch wheel Burke 16 folding bike and the Burke 8 micro-folder with eight-inch wheels. All models use titanium frames.
Original article from Bicycling Magazine