A new electric bike has just been unveiled that is sure to turn nostalgic riders into the coolest big kid on the block. Meet the FLX Menace, which has an unmistakeable resemblance to a certain classic bicycle from the 1960s.
The company surely can’t come out and say it, but there’s no mistaking that the FLX Menace is based on the timeless Schwinn Stingray bicycle.
First debuted in 1963 and produced through the mid 1980s, the Schwinn Stingray brought motorcycle coolness to grade school kids all over the country.
The FLX Menace carries over many of the same design stylings such as the swooping frame, banana seat with sissy bar, and the tall ape hanger handle bars.
As the company explained:
True classics never go away. They just come back even better. Our new electric bike, “The Menace”, has all the throwback charm mixed with a modern touch. Get ready to experience a modern take on an old familiar bike.
The Stingray was originally launched as a single speed, though multi-speed variants followed in later years.
The 3-speed “Stik Shift” version is a highly sought after classic that has become exceedingly rare after being banned due to an ill-placed shift lever that left a few unlucky teenagers forever singing in the boy’s choir.
That shouldn’t be a problem on the FLX Menace, which appears to be a single-speed design using a rear hub motor to make up for a lack of changeable gears.
Based on early renderings of the bike just released this morning, the FLX Menace looks to use a belt drive instead of a chain drive. Together with a hub motor in the rear, that setup precludes the option for multiple gear ratios.
While we can glean a few other tidbits from the images, such as a pair of Magura hydraulic disc brakes, a set of rear pillion pegs for a passenger, and a rigid frame design, we don’t yet have any tech specs.
The bike is likely to do at least 20 mph (32 km/h), and may even allow class 3 speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h). It looks to have a large enough battery hidden under that banana seat to allow higher speeds or longer range riding. But until FLX decides to share tech specs with the world, we’ll have to guess at what the bike will be capable of.
For now, the company is taking reservations of $100 towards an estimated price of $1,999. The bike won’t be ready to ship until summer 2023, so anybody tossing down a Benjamin will have a while to wait at the front of the line.
That’s a pretty penny higher than the 1963 Schwinn Stingray’s $69 price tag. Though the FLX Menace is testament to the fact that even though the times (and prices) have changed, style doesn’t have to.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a retro take on a modern electric bike.
Echoing the words of hydrogen critics everywhere, Mahle Chairman Arnd Franz says that building out a hydrogen infrastructure won’t be possible without “blue” H made from fossil fuels.
With that in mind, I don’t want to misrepresent the words of the esteemed Mr. Franz, who claims to be bullish on H’s prospects as a fuel. What I intend to do here, then, is shine a light on the space between Franz’ lines, read whatever’s in there, and then ask if you see what I see.
“We can’t achieve any CO2 emission reductions if you use natural gas or any other fossil sources to produce hydrogen,” Franz is quoted saying. “Today, the overwhelming portion of hydrogen production worldwide is around 90 million tons. That number is going to go up to 130 million tons until 2030. Currently, we have a flourishing and growing portion of that being more sustainable. By more sustainable, I mean blue and, eventually, green hydrogen. In our opinion, [blue hydrogen production is needed] to get the infrastructure going in order to get the ecosystem.”
I read that as saying that, today, there are no carbon emissions reduction benefits from using hydrogen as a fuel, because the overwhelming majority of those 90 million tons is being produced by natural gas and fossil fuels.
What’s more, everyone involved seems to trying to justify that with claims that fossil-generated hydrogen is some kind of “necessary evil” (my words) to build out a viable H ecosystem. See if you hear it, too.
“We will fail [with hydrogen technology] if we don’t use blue hydrogen,” Franz clarified. “Right now, hydrogen is produced from fossil sources with carbon capture, meaning we don’t let the carbon reach the atmosphere. Eventually, we need to get to wind and solar as the sources of energy to make hydrogen, and we believe the US has a really impressive program [thanks to] subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act.”
He was right then, and he’s still right now. “It’s one thing to have the technology and another thing for the technology to be viable,” Vlaskamp told the magazine Expansión (translated from Spanish). “Green hydrogen is not available for transportation and there is no point in switching from diesel to hydrogen if the energy source is not sustainable.”
The UAW union’s Stellantis Council met yesterday to discuss the beleaguered carmaker’s “ongoing failure” to honor the agreement that ended the 2023 labor strike, and their latest union memo doesn’t pull many punches.
In an email sent out by the UAW earlier today (received at 4:55PM CST), UAW President Shawn Fain wrote, “For years, the company picked us off plant-by-plant and we lacked the will and the means to fight back. Today is different. Because we stood together and demanded the right to strike over job security—product commitment—we have the tools to fight back and win … We unanimously recommend to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight, and we all get ready to vote YES to authorize a strike at Stellantis.”
Kia promises the new EV9 GT will have “enormous power,” but that’s not all. For the first time, the Kia EV9 GT was caught with an active spoiler, giving us a sneak peek at potential new upgrades.
The brand’s first three-row electric SUV is already making its presence known in the US, helping push Kia to back-to-back record sales months. Meanwhile, a more powerful, sporty variant is on the way.
Kia confirmed the EV9 GT will top off the electric SUV’s lineup in April. Packing “enormous power,” the high-performance GT model can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 4 secs.
With a “high-output” dual-motor (AWD) system, the EV9 GT can quickly pick up speed despite weighing over 5,000 lbs.
Kia also equipped it with other high-performance features, such as a reinforced suspension and electronic braking system, for better control and stability.
We’ve already caught a glimpse of the performance electric SUV out testing, revealing aggressive new bumpers and wheels. Now, a new design feature has been spotted.
Kia EV9 GT could come with an active rear spoiler
The latest video from HealerTV shows the EV9 GT with what appears to be an active spoiler. As the reporter noted, it could be similar to the one spotted on the Genesis GV70 Magma.
Tesla’s Model X also used to come with an active spoiler until it was dropped a few years back. Although the GT model was spotted with one, Kia could just be testing new features, so don’t get too excited yet.
Earlier this week, a video from HealerTV showed the front row of the EV9 GT, comparing it to the current GT-Line model.
Several differences can be immediately noticed, including a more aggressive, all-black design with a yellow stripe down the center of the seat.
Kia is set to launch the EV9 GT in early 2025. It will rival other performance SUVs like the Tesla Model X Plaid.
Although prices have yet to be confirmed, the GT model is expected to sit above the current GT-Line at $73,900. In comparison, Tesla’s Model X Plaid starts at $94,990 and can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 secs.
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