Electric Bikes - My e-Unicorn : The Yamaha Racer-01

For those who don't know, the fabled Unicorn is a magical creature that looks like a horse that can't be caught. Yamaha's Racer-01 is my Unicorn because I know I'll never have it. That's the bike in my sig.

This is the prototype. I'd love to have this one:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/aug06/la_classic06/IMG_0011.jpg

And this is the finished product; a one-off show piece. This is my official Unicorn;

http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/news/2001/10/24/images/racer01.jpg
http://www.tokyo-motorshow.com/show/2001/ENGLISH/PUBLIC/BOOTH/YMH/img/Racer-01.JPG

Full details HERE (YAMAHA'S WEBSITE) (http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/news/1999/05/19/pas.html)

Diagrams ripped from the website above:

http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/news/1999/05/19/images/feature-e.jpg
http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/news/1999/05/19/images/keirin-pas2.jpg

I so want that bike!

how mouch $$$?

I'm now also in love. What an awesome idea! My biggest issue with electric bikes has always been the fact that you don't have to pedal, which this now solves.

I'm wondering if you couldn't rip apart one of their production bikes (or two) and build something similar. It sounds like basically just an issue of two motors instead of one, and programming. I also don't understand why they don't use more batteries.

The bike wasn't built for long distance runs. As a pacer bike it's only out on the track for a few laps anyway. If you were to build this thing for longer ranges, and street-legal, you'd need different batteries and limit the power assist according to the law.