Biking offers health benefits and gives the environment a break, but pedaling is sweaty work – a dealbreaker for many commuters looking to swap their car keys for fixies. eBikes offer a solution, but they can be pricey. Meanwhile, riders often leave cumbersome conversion kits on their bikes even if they don’t want the motor’s assistance all the time.
The LIVALL PikaBoost aims to change all that by making eBike conversion simple. The PikaBoost installs in 30 seconds by clamping securely onto the seatpost – no tools needed – with its motorized wheel resting on the bike’s back wheel.
The 250-watt motor is roughly the size of a beefy water bottle and packs enough juice for an 18-mile range. Regenerative braking helps the unit convert kinetic energy to power, recharging the motor and even allowing bikers to charge their phones while riding. Bikers ready to re-engage sweat mode can simply unclamp the motor and get back to pedaling.
With around 2,600 backers pledging over one million dollars toward the project, PikaBoost has made its goal 40 times over with 17 days still to go. Interested bikers can back it on Kickstarter to save nearly $300 on the anticipated $599 retail price.
For another recent Kickstarter project, see Pixel the world’s first brick-compatible mechanical keyboard.