A startup located one hour north of Vancouver is developing an electric vehicle that rides the line between bicycle and motorcycle.
Lyric Cycles, based in Squamish, has been designing and testing what it calls The Graffiti.
The Graffiti is Lyric’s first in-house e-bike, featuring a 2,500-watt motor and dual batteries. Regenerative brakes help support a range of up to 100 miles, while a top speed of 60km pushes the ride beyond basic bicycles.
“We believe your ride should outlast your route,” says cofounder Andi Caruso. “Whether you’re using the Graffiti for your daily commute, or heading out on an epic weekend adventure, you can feel confident that you’ll be ready to stop before your Graffiti does.”
The bike’s direct drive motor can “effortlessly powering the bike up hills with the throttle alone, even with a 200-lbs rider,” the startup claims.
“We wanted our riders to have power at their fingertips,” says Graffiti Co-Designer Andrew Lester. “The bike is very capable at … and we know full power isn’t needed in every situation. But when you encounter a large hill, it just makes sense to access as much power as the bike can output.”
The Graffiti allows riders to switch between a Class 2 eBike (32kmh top speed) and off-road mode, where the top power and speed can be accessed in off-road and private land settings, the startup says.
The Lyric Graffiti is available at an introductory price of $2,800 for a single battery option. The bike begins shipping in September.
Caruso and Lester founded Lyric Cycles in 2020. Their company sells other e-bike models, including the Heartbreaker and Voodoo.
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