Aug 20, 2023

By By Mal Gill Copy Deborah and Gary Johnson, Fred Hopkins WA, with the Special Edition Adventure model of the UBCO battery electric bike that is finding favour with farmers, surfers, hunters, prospectors and other off-road adventurers because it does not require fuel, makes no noise, has no emissions and is simple to operate with no gears and only a twist-and-go throttle and front and back brake levers the only controls. CAR buyers across Australia are choosing battery-electric vehicles at an unprecedented rate and a local distributor is hoping some of that uptake interest transfers to an electric all-terrain bike. A farmer favourite, the Ford Ranger ute, was displaced by Tesla's Model Y for second place on sales in June and the all-electric Tesla was only 582 sales behind the all-time farm workhorse best seller, Toyota's HiLux ute. By the end of June, sales of electric vehicles for the year to date were up by 345 per cent. Gary and Deborah Johnson at farm machinery and small engines dealership, Fred Hopkins WA in Welshpool, are hoping to achieve a similar meteoric rise in interest in the New Zealand made UBCO step-through battery-electric bikes. They have sold about 40 of them so far, mostly to farmers running sheep or cattle - a total lack of engine noise and no smokey two-stroke exhaust fumes or other emissions means the electric bikes do not spook or stir up livestock when used to check on their welfare, feed and water or in moving them. However the Johnsons are rapidly discovering from increasing enquiry that the electric bikes are also suitable for an ever-widening range of off-farm uses. The bikes - there is a no-nonsense off-road-only Work bike, a road-registerable Adventure bike and an individually-numbered Special Edition Adventure version - all have a 150 kilogram load capacity, 50 kilometres per hour top speed and up to 120 kilometres range. A 3.1 kiloWatt-hour battery (the Work bike is also available with a 2.1kWh battery) powers 1kW brushless DC air-cooled hub motors in the front and back wheels. There are no gears and no bike chain to come off or snag loose work clothing. A full battery recharge takes four to six hours. "The bikes have an electronically regulated maximum speed of 50km/h which, importantly, means they fit into the same (road use) category as a 50cc scooter," Mr Johnson said. "That means you can use these without a motorbike licence, you can ride them with a car licence or a scooter licence - they are pretty much open to everybody to use," he said. "The maximum range is 120 kilometres, but it really depends on how heavy you are and how you are riding. "An 85 kilogram person travelling at an average of 37km/h will achieve 120km. "If you are going real slow over the rough stuff, or flat chat at 50, then that is going to reduce the duration. "Farmers we've sold bikes to tell us they get a full day's use out of them from an overnight charge. "Or, if you are travelling - with these bikes a lot of people take them up north in the back of the ute - you might charge it with an inverter generator, as long as its output is 2KVA or more, in the back of the ute so it's ready to go when you get to your destination. "They are silent, nippy, all-terrain - they're two wheel drive so they will go anywhere. "We have people who customise these things to carry surfboards down the beach or to go hunting in the forest. "We've sold some of these to cattle farmers and two are going to a broadacre farmer at Moora - they are going to farms all the time, but while we are finding farmers are a good market because of the nature of our business, there are also 4x4 adventurers interested in them and prospectors are another group. "They have multiple applications for single users - they use it on the farm but if the bike is registered they can take it away on holiday and use it on the beach or in the bush. "We've talked to a pizza chain about using them as delivery bikes - they have uses in the city as well - and we are looking to approach Rottnest Island (Authority) - these bikes are used on other islands around Australia." The UBCO - it stands for Utility Bike Company - battery electric bike was first developed on a New Zealand farm by two inventors in 2014 and the current models are version five, with much of the development going into the battery. UBCO claims its Li-lon batteries are designed for ruggedness, cyclic longevity and for easy dismantling and recycling once the life span is ended. Nominal voltage is 50.4 volts while maximum is 58v. The battery sits low in the bike frame for a low centre of gravity and can be recharged in the bike or removed to make the bike lighter to load on a vehicle bike rack for transport and recharged in the back of the vehicle. All versions of the electric bike weigh between 50.7kg and 52.7kg, while the 3.1kWh battery adds a further 18kg. Frames are alloy with many lugs to mount accessories, they have adjustable coil-spring-over-hydraulic-damper front and rear suspensions and alloy wheel rims with stainless-steel spokes. The Work bike comes standard in black with knobby off-road tyres, handlebar lever guards and a regenerative, twin-caliper disc brake system that charges the battery as the brakes are applied. Speed, battery temperature and range can be monitored on a mobile phone using Bluetooth. The Adventure bike comes in black or white with multi-purpose road/off-road tyres, mirrors, indicators and lights, as well as an instrument console displaying speed, battery temperature and range. A choice of standard braking system or a regenerative four-caliper System 2 with bigger discs is available. Only 1000 Special Edition Adventure bikes have been made and they come standard with their own number, green and black frame, instrument console, System 2 brakes, 30 litre waterproof carry case that straps on the rear cargo rack and a central carry-all that sits between the frame rails on top of the battery. Options include front and rear cargo decks with tie-down rails, pannier frames and bags on all bikies and lever guards on Adventure and Special Edition Adventure bikes. "They (UBCO electric bikes) are on special pricing until the end of the month which has made them quite affordable - particularly when you consider you don't have to buy fuel to put in them," Mr Johnson said. Prices start at $7249 for the Work bike, $7999 for the Adventure bike and $8999 for the Special Edition Adventure bike. For information call into Fred Hopkins WA, 288 Welshpool Road, Welshpool, phone 9351 9000 or go online to fredhopkinswa.com.au Share