Did you think Benelli just make motorcycles? Think again. Aussie Benelli distributor, Urban Moto Imports, are now also importing the legendary marque’s range of e-bikes. I’m a motorcyclist, and a mountain biker. And I know I’m one of many who enjoys both pastimes. I also know that e-bikes draw a lot of scorn from both groups. But being the open minded type, I jumped at the chance to play on this battery-assisted 29-inch wheel, hard tail mountain bike. And it is a proper mountain bike, not a flimsy pseudo off-roader.

The Achle 29’s electric motor is neatly mounted with the rear hub, and because it only provides drive when the rider is pedalling – delivered in five adjustable levels via a handlebar mounted switch – it still requires enough rider input to be classed as genuine exercise. The best thing about the e-bike wasn’t riding it myself, but handing it to my other half. She’s rides, but not as much as I do, so it meant for the first time ever we could cycle together, as far and as fast as I wanted to. A 75 km loop was completed with a quarter of battery life left, so was well on track for the advertised 100km range. Recharge is pretty quick too, around five hours from fully empty.

The full range of Benelli bikes includes everything from town bikes to racers, in both e-bike and regular pedal bikes.

We liked:

The Benelli is a solidly constructed bike, and looks like it is built to last. It has good quality components, with hydraulic disc brakes and an adjustable suspension fork, and an LCD dash displaying speed, power level, battery level and a trip meter. With the battery removed it’s light enough to use as a regular mountain bike. Even with the battery fitted, at 20kg it’s light enough to pedal home if you should ever run out of charge. The price seems pretty damn reasonable for the quality, too.

We didn’t like:

As with all legally sold e-bikes, the electric motor stops assisting at 25km/h, although higher speeds are achievable with extra input from the rider. Above this speed Australian legislation deems an e-bike to become a motorcycle, requiring the appropriate license and registration for road use.

Verdict: For motorcyclists who want to get fitter, but would still like a little motor in their cycle, or perhaps for motorcyclists being forced to seek an alternative mode of transport due to a spell in the sin bin, this Benelli e-bike could be just the ticket to freedom you’ve been waiting for.

Pros:

Build quality

Range

Charge time

Cons:

Speed limited

One size

Price: RRP $2999

Colours: Black, White

Frame sizes: 48cm

Contact: www.benelli.com.au/ebikes/

Screen Shot 2017-02-02 at 5.28.09 PM