Risse Racing Technology Voltinator Tough E-Bike, Including DIY E-Bike Options

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It seems not a day goes by without yet another electric bike (e-bike) company introducing a new model, answering the need of a specific market segment, or flat out innovating in one way or another.

Today, it’s Risse Racing Technology’s turn, as it is introducing the Voltinator — a tough e-bike with hefty performance that can be purchased as a do-it-yourself (DIY) kit.

Risse Racing Technology Voltinator

Risse Racing Technology Voltinator

Risse Racing Technology makes mountain bicycle suspension components, as you can see from the link here. The Oregon-based company enjoys a good reputation, but like many in the bicycle industry, it’s paying close attention to the growing interest with e-bikes.

So far we’ve seen folding fat tire e-bikes, even an all-wheel-drive fat tire e-bike and a particularly muscular bamboo super e-bike. Today’s pick tackles the on/off-road e-bike dilemma.

Tell me if this resonates with you: I need a bike for mostly street riding, but once in a while, I love to go off-road and tackle some dirt and gravel. I also need to tinker with the e-bike and will seriously consider a do-it-myself kit. While in the car world, we might call some of those vehicles SUVs or pickup trucks, they have shown a sad tendency towards bloatedness with less off-road capacity and more luxury. The need for on- plus off-road e-bike is very real. Risse Racing Technology hopes its Voltinator will answer this with a few models.

The Various Risse Racing Technology Voltinators

The part that excites us most about the Risse Racing Technology Voltinator is that it comes in various options. The company offers a do-it-yourself (DIY) kit, perfect for e-bike tinkerers. And if you are the sort of person who just can’t keep things the way they are and has to upgrade, the company offers a regular version, a souped-up version, and a hybrid. All bikes weigh around 76 lb (34 kg).

Versatile Risse Racing Technology Voltinator

E-bikes offer more chances to go off-road since they can reach greater destinations, faster and with more ease. The Risse Racing Technology Voltinator is the first option from the company. It is rugged but modern, with an integrated structural battery box in the downtube of the frame and a rear-hub electric motor. It also has a phone charger.

On the technical side, the battery pack is 44V, which pushes a 750W rear hub motor electronically limited to 20 mph (32 km/h) while in pedal-assisted mode. The range is estimated at 35 miles (56 km), but that greatly depends on many factors, such as your weight, where you will be riding, and much, much more.

The Voltinator has a full suspension and hardtail, a single-disc front fork, and an interesting large battery box to fit various high-output packs. What this means is that this pack can accommodate other batteries. What also caught my attention is an optional Raspberry Pie 3 as a control panel, which should delight any open source hacker with Linux knowledge.

The company offers a one-year warranty on electronics, battery, and motor, as well as a five-year warranty on frame and suspension. And as for the price — the Voltinator is offered at $4995.

Raising The Stakes Is The Risse Racing Technology Super Voltinator

Risse Racing Technology’s Super Voltinator definitely ups the ante. Using no less than a 96-volt battery pushing a phenomenal 5,000-watt motor, this Super Voltinator now comes closer to a moped performance with a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h).

The Risse Racing Technologies Super Voltinator offers the same structural specs as the Voltinator, including the Raspberry Pi option.

Risse Racing Technology Super Voltinator

How About a Risse Racing Technology Voltinator DIY Kit?

The one that caught most of my attention is the Risse Racing Technology Voltinator DIY kit. The DIY Kit is nothing more than the frame, without wheels, battery, electric motor, and controller. It is offered at $2995.

Risse Racing Technology Voltinator DIY

If you’re not sure which route to take, DIY or Voltinator, Risse Racing Technologies offers a middle-of-the-road solution with the green Voltinator DIY Kite-Bike. The Kite-Bike offers the same structural components of the Voltinator, but with a 750W rear-hub electric motor and the 44V Power in Motion drive system. It is priced at $3995.

OK, so it is a little on the pricey side, but keep in mind these are niche boutiques with reputable quality and solid track records. This is not your made-elsewhere, sold-at-Walmart, budget-oriented regular e-bikes. We’ll get to the affordable section soon enough. In the meantime, these wild e-bike models are too much fun not to have a closer look.

If you’re a little confused with e-bike terminology, here’s a good source from our friend Court over at Electric Bike Review.

Making Sense of the Risse Racing Technology Voltinator

I like choice, I like flexibility, and I love the electric drive because it offers just that — efficiency and power of choice. Power of choice gives us various electric energy sources we can use, which also means potential independence, but also because all of this disrupts the current dormant vehicle business model. Risse Racing Technology offers a good variety of solutions from the way-out-there-I-want-it-all to the do-it-yourself crowd. Although I haven’t test ridden the Voltinator yet, I find it to be a welcome addition to the growing e-bike world.


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Nicolas Zart

Nicolas was born and raised around classic cars of the 1920s, but it wasn't until he drove an AC Propulsion eBox and a Tesla Roadster that the light went on. Ever since he has produced green mobility content on various CleanTech outlets since 2007 and found his home on CleanTechnica. He grew up in an international environment and his communication passion led to cover electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, renewable energy, test drives, podcasts, shoot pictures, and film for various international outlets in print and online. Nicolas offers an in-depth look at the e-mobility world through interviews and the many contacts he has forged in those industries. His favorite taglines are: "There are more solutions than obstacles." and "Yesterday's Future Now"

Nicolas Zart has 572 posts and counting. See all posts by Nicolas Zart