UPDATE: Back in July of 2018, we reported on some renderings from Finnish electric motorcycle startup RMK that showed a totally bonkers, cyberpunky electric bike with a hubless rear wheel. We all went, "Huh, that's rad." and promptly forgot about it. Turns out the Finns weren't screwing around and that an E2 finally exists in the world. Are we ready for it?

RMK promised to have a prototype of the E2 ready for the 2019 MP19 Motorcycle Show in Helsinki, and the company delivered on that promise because the company is rolling the prototype out at the show on February 2. There aren't many details on the hub-mounted electric motor, controller, or battery yet, but the company claims that the bike makes 57 kilowatts (roughly 67 horsepower), a whopping 236 pound-feet of torque, and has a real-world range of 120-180 miles on a single charge depending on conditions and riding styles. Not gonna lie, that sounds pretty good to me.

Gallery: New RMK E2 Photos

According to New Atlas, the E2's brakes are a scooter-style setup where the brakes are controlled by handlebar levers. The front wheel features traditional hydraulic discs while the back brakes are a weird, high-tech regenerative braking setup built into that crazy hubless wheel.

All told, the E2 looks like a serious bit of kit and I, for one, am super interested in the tech involved in the rear wheel. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on RMK now, so stay tuned for more E2 news.

Original Article Follows

There's an old saying that goes, "If you want to win, hire a Finn". This holds true from rally racing to Formula One to defending the homeland from the Soviets. Electric motorcycle concepts are no exception apparently, as proven by Finnish company RMK that has come up with an innovative new e-bike design that sends the motor to the back wheel.

Wheelless motorcycles are our vision of the future, just like the 50s pictures us zipping around in flying vehicles. Brand-new Finnish motorcycle company RMK is bringing the future to us with their motorcycle concept, simply called E2. Where you would normally see a chain or a belt to pull the rear wheel forward, this system uses a cylindrical motor fitted with a massive tire at the rear as the source of power and of propulsion.

The 67 hp electric motor is expected to be paired up with one of two battery options that will offer 120 miles or 130 miles of range. Charging time should vary between two to three hours, which isn't a bad compromise. Torque at the back is expected to reach 236 lb-ft and top speed has been limited to 100 mph which leads us to believe that the E2 is expected to be quite the spirited ride. According to the company's head designer, the rear "wheel" is even expected to be lighter than a standard motorcycle wheel.

Pricing for the E2 is expected to hover around €24,990 ($29,220) and despite no actual concept having been built, the model is available for pre-orders with a €2,000 ($2,340) down payment. If you'd rather wait and see the E2 with your own eyes before committing to a blind purchase, production is expected to start at a small scale over this summer.

RMK is also targetting to show the production version of the E2 at the Helsinki MP 19 Motorcycle Show from February 1 to 3, 2019.

Sources: Newatlas, RMK

Photos: RMK via Newatlas

Original article published 25 JUL, 2015.

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