Lexus shows off hybrid bicycle, won't sell you one
By Donald Melanson 
posted April 28th 2010 2:32PM
posted April 28th 2010 2:32PM
This Lexus bicycle has apparently been quietly making the rounds since the last year's Tokyo Motor Show, but the automaker has rolled it out again to coincide with the Great British Bike Ride, and it's taken the opportunity to dish some details on it. While it's still just a concept, it does exist in prototype form, and packs a 240-Watt electric motor that's powered by a 25.9-volt lithium battery pack, which promises to give you a little extra push when you're tired of pedaling. Being a Lexus, it also follows the "L-finesse" design language, and it relies on the same principles of the Lexus Hybrid Drive system found in the company's hybrid vehicles to recharge the battery through regenerative braking. Unfortunately, Lexus says it doesn't have any plans to put the bike into production -- but that may be for the best, we're pretty sure the future of transportation is one-wheeled anyway.
I vow to throw rocks at anyone I see riding one of these
@rekit
I vow to ride past you and laugh when your rocks fail to hit me.
@SolidSnake Stick gas pedal issue?
@tommy2468 Do the brakes work properly?
@tommy2468
No gas. Didn't you RTFA?
Toyota's breaks don't work. Waaah. Buy from us, please! Pleeeeeese??
- The American car companies
The idea is interesting, but are electric bicycles really necessary? The only reason I use a bicycle is to stay fit...
@Raul7 Before I get flamed, I realized I should've said "...reason most people use a bicycle..."
@Raul7
I believe most people here (Germany) use a bike just to commute. It`s the cheapest way for me to get to my University Campus for example...
I would definitely love to get some electric "help" up-hill after a tiresome day.
@Raul7
Electric cycles are pretty cool, the only bad thing about most of them is the design, thanks to the batteries etc.
If only they could make them look like these bikes...
http://www.bike-trend.com/page/13/
@Raul7 I completely agree with you. I can make arguments for riding all different types of bike (I.E. I ride a fixed gear for the exercise benefits), but this one I cannot. They call them motorcycles for a reason...
@Apple Google Microsoft
That Hummer bike must weigh a LOT and it looks like crap.
@CheffyBIZ You can't ride a motorcycle without a licence and even a nifty-fifty weighs 4/5 times what an e-bike does. Both valid points for elderly individuals.
Furthermore there is the environmental aspect- you don't need a motorbike if you can cover that distance in an e-bike. And you can't ride a motorbike on bike paths in most European countries - often the most efficient route through a city.
Just because you cannot envision there being a use for an item when you inflect on your life, does not mean that this is universally true. Leave your box every now and again and have a look at the wonderfully diverse world that does not revolve around you.
/rant
@Raul7 don't worry... it's built by Toyota... you will get plenty of workout trying to STOP it! :p
LOL at upside down Di2 levers.
@bigcow05
Also the weird frame geometry seems like it will put a lot of stress on the joint where the toptube and downtube join, so the bike will need to be heavier than it needs to be.
For a Luxury car company (and yeah, I know they don't normally make bikes), its.....kinda ugly.
This Lexus bicycle has a break problem like any other Lexus vehicle.
@mps The brake handles are purely decorative.
A hybrid bike is silly; the rider is the motor. We don't need help. But it is also silly to say "hey, look what we can make... Oh, never mind, it isn't really real, it is just for show." Waste of R&D.
Who the hell said the best things in life are free? Clearly they are overpriced or not for sale.
:(
No disc brakes? FAIL
Actually sudden self acceleration for this thing would be a quite desirable trait. This is where Toyota made a mistake, they put in this bike's technology into their cars. Silly.
Lexus. The Power Of (h)ubris
The bike is beautiful. The frame geometry borrows quite heavily from the Moulton frame though, especially the handlebars and brake placement. Too bad they've ruined such an efficient method of transport with a motor.
@glasgowd33
Frame borrows from the LOOK of the moulton geometry. But ignores the essential bracing and engineering concepts... Agree with previous commenter @bigcow05 (stress on centre joint).
@choco yeah, that's what I meant. the double pylon of the moulton new series is a thing of beauty in the flesh. and a snip at 14 and a half grand...
Just write 'STEAL ME' on the frame and be done with it.
Another boring Lexus
My commute is about 30km to work and largely down hill.
My commute home is largely up hill.
Some 'extra' power to get me home would encourage me to ride the bike to work more often.