Solar E-Clipse 2.0 review: A lightweight 60 mph street-legal motorcycle for under 6k
At the moment, not too many companies can deliver a Street-legal dual-sport motorcycle at entry-level prices. So when Solar Scooter, a UK-based company, asked us to review their 60 mph fully street-legal electric motorcycle, I had to see what this bike was about.
If you live far away from any OHOV trails or lenient municipalities and still want that flickable handling of a super lightweight electric trail bike, then a dual sport is the way to go. I imagine many riders out there would choose something like the 80 HP motocross Stark Varg if it had a street-legal supermoto version. Unfortunately, even if that bike became street legal it would likely still come with a hefty 10k+ price tag that instantly prices out a lot of riders just getting into the game. So while it’s still a bit early to be expecting something like a street-legal zero dual sport at a 5-6k dollar price point for this review I was curious to see just how well the handling and quality of the Eclipse 2.0 feels for a price of $5,995
Before we dive in here are some of the specs
- Price: $5,995
- Motor: 6kw rated with 10 kw of peak power
- Battery: 72v 45Ah LG Battery
- Controller: 400Amp sinewave Controller
- Charger: 10a charger
- Frame: Full Hand Woven Carbon Fibre Frame and Swing Arm
- Range: 50-70 Miles
- Suspension: Taiwan inverted front works with 203mm travel with Adjustable Preload, Rebound, Air Pressure and 7050 aluminum rear shock.
- Curb weight: 138 lbs
Power
With 6kw of rated power and 10kw of peak power, I was able to get up to speed quickly, at least as quickly as I’d need for the purpose of commuting on avenues, service roads, or winding backroads. For those interested in taking this bike to an appropriate place to safely practice maneuvers like wheelies, 10kw of peak power combined with its 138-pound curb weight is a sweet balance of power and weight.
As for what class of bike the Eclipse 2.0 falls under, the weight alone would make for some sketchy prolonged highway riding despite riding fully street-legal. Now even if the bike had a higher top speed like their upcoming race edition with a top speed of 70mph, I still think it wouldn’t be appropriate on typical U.S highways and that’s okay. At 138 pounds eclipse 2.0 can be a lot of fun to maneuver at lower speeds the same way a typical Supermoto or any other lower-powered yet well-handling motorcycle can be. It could also make the learning process a lot easier for new riders.
Street-legal options changing the game for electric trail bikes
Let’s face it a lot of the younger riders that are starting with Surrons or Talaria as their first bike are not riding only in off-road areas like the bikes were intended for. Most likely they don’t have a motorcycle endorsement or proper driver education training to know the rules of the road. While that’s likely not the biggest concern for those living in rural towns, being street-legal is a great direction to go in for urban areas with traffic. This way new riders coming in can get some of those same characteristics of a Surron in terms of handling yet still be riding in a way that won’t risk a ticket and more importantly be mindful of the rules of the road opening up more possibilities for use as a commuter.
For obtaining plates, the process involves emailing Solar Scooters, and they’ll send over a Manufacturer’s certificate of origin or MCO as well as a title then, depending on the state you live in you can either register it as a moped or a motorcycle, just like any other ICE motorcycle. Also for recording, we chose not to install plate holder and tail lights, although they did supply it along with other compliant necessary parts like side reflectors. In addition, we were glad to see that Solar Motors is properly registered with the NHTSA.
Battery and range:
Aside from going street legal one of the pros of this bike as opposed to something like an ultra light bee is the 72v 45 ah battery that comes stock rather than having to spend thousands on a quality battery upgrade. Combined with the 6kw of rated power from the motor this bike gives a range of 50-70 miles.
Handling and riding:
For comfort, I think Solar Scooter could have added a slightly more padded seat. The design looks great with its sleek carbon patterned fabric that matches the full carbon frame. Although functionality-wise wise it would have been great to get some more comfort but then again with the dual sport-like design it’s not exactly expected to get as much but-to-seat time as a cruiser so let’s look into how it stacks up as a dual sport.
Fully carbon fiber frame and swing arm
With that fully carbon frame you do get a pretty light curb weight that comes in at about 49 pounds lighter than an ultra bee all while also having a slightly higher top speed. Of course, having a fully carbon frame does raise some questions. For example, the clearance to the bottom of the frame is notably short so if there’s any strong impact to the bottom for example a large rock or curb hitting it then that’s going to mean some bad news for the way carbon reacts compared to the more favorable way a metal frame or better yet a reinforced skid plate would react. But then again for urban riding, this might not be at all a concern the way it would be for someone looking to hit Colorado mountain passes on the weekend.
19-inch wheels
On a similar note, the bike comes with large 19-inch wheels for both the front and back which gives you a decent seat height of 32 inches. Now to be clear those 19-inch wheels are for those who opt for off-road wheels rather than the 16-inch Supermoto wheels they offer. For offroading, the off-road tires that come with the bike have street-oriented knobs rather than the more off-road aggressive knobbies that typically come from offroad geared dual sport but if you’re mostly looking to use this on streets it’s not the worst as aggressive knobbies will typically wear out faster anyways.
Suspension
For suspension, the front inverted forks give 203mm of travel which is a ton of fun for riding through conditions like moderately rutted fire roads but I wouldn’t necessarily want to do any big jumps with it as it’s not in the ballpark of the higher end suspension setups like what you would expect to find on a Stark Varg or Zero but then again those charge a hefty premium for those parts.
As for the quality, the components are on par with what you would expect for this category. While there’s no Ohlins level suspension there are also no parts that feel like they cheaped out on. The one area I would have liked to see some improvement on is the throttle input which seems to have a very slight delay, something that’s likely not noticeable at all but definitely would help with wheelies if it didn’t have the delay.
Electrek’s take:
For a price tag of $6000, having a 72v 45 ah battery, with that same kind of lightweight trail bike handling as an ultra-light bee all while having plates makes the Eclipse 2.0 a decent value. While it’s still a big chunk of money, having to upgrade to a comparable battery for a light Bee might end up setting you back a few more dollars than the Eclipse when it’s all said and done.
On the other hand, while the Eclipse has plenty of speed to offer for city and nonhighway use if you’re looking to mod your bike I would keep in mind that unlike brands like the Surron Solar Scooter doesn’t have the same after-market support.
For fun supermoto style city riding I think this is a lot of fun and comes right out of the gate with the basics I would want but if I was looking for a more off-road aggressive electric motorcycle the combination of low clearance and carbon frame just might hold me back from going full send on certain types of trails or jumps but then again as the saying goes any bike can be an offroad bike if you’re brave enough.
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General Motors may be better known for its lineup of full-size trucks and SUVs, but a recently published patent shows the legacy automaker has at least considered something much smaller and nimbler: an electric motorcycle.
The patent, which surfaced earlier this year in a report by Visordown, outlines a lightweight, scrambler-style electric two-wheeler that has set off a fresh wave of speculation about GM’s potential interest in electric motorcycles or micromobility.
The design in the patent filing shows a slim electric motorcycle with a flat bench seat, upright handlebars, and dual-sport tires, suggesting a utility-forward ride meant for light off-road or potentially even mixed urban use (if it were homologated for street use).
The rear hub motor and what appears to be a central battery housing point to a simple, low-maintenance drivetrain, potentially aimed at the commuter or recreational rider market.
The overall look is somewhere between a moped and a small electric dirt bike, reminiscent of models like the Sur Ron Light Bee or Talaria Sting, though slightly more street-looking with less of a focus on pure dirt.
While the patent doesn’t include performance specs or firm production plans, it’s the clearest signal yet that GM is at least experimenting with the idea of higher-powered two-wheeled EVs. And there is some precedent. GM previously dipped a toe into the micromobility waters with the Ariv electric bicycle project, and more recently partnered with Recon Power Bikes to release a Hummer-branded fat tire e-bike.
Both efforts showed that GM sees value in offering electric alternatives beyond the traditional four-wheel format, even if the Ariv program quietly ended after a short run.
Whether this patent leads to a full-fledged GM electric motorcycle remains to be seen. It’s entirely possible the design is a concept or technology demo with no intention of hitting the market. But there are other possibilities too. GM could develop a motorcycle under one of its existing sub-brands, create a new division specifically for electric powersports, or partner with an existing two-wheeler manufacturer to license or co-develop the platform.
The timing wouldn’t be far-fetched. Despite bumpy roads in the larger flagship electric motorcycle market, lightweight electric motorcycles are booming, with companies like Ryvid targeting urban riders looking for clean, compact alternatives to traditional gasoline-powered bikes.
At the same time, a growing number of younger consumers are bypassing car ownership entirely, instead looking toward e-bikes, scooters, and low-speed electric motorcycles for daily transport. A small, stylish, and affordable GM electric motorcycle could hit that sweet spot.
Of course, turning a patent drawing into a real-world vehicle is a big leap, and GM’s own e-bike history is a reminder that two-wheeled projects can be short-lived. Still, it’s hard to ignore the symbolism of this move: even one of America’s largest automakers is exploring what personal electric transportation looks like when you cut the vehicle in half. GM might not be ready to ditch its trucks, but it clearly hasn’t ruled out hopping on a bike.
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The electric restomod experts at Lunaz have turned their talents towards the classic Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine – and the result is exactly the kind of smooth, quiet, and luxurious ride RR’s founders would have built.
Rolls-Royce’ founders dedicated their engineering talents to developing cars that were smooth, quiet, and adequately powerful – and they spared no expense. The company Charles Rolls and Henry Royce founded would eventually go on to develop some of the most powerful and celebrated combustion engines of the twentieth century … but the car they wanted to build? It was electric.
“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean,” Charles Rolls told The Motor-Car Journal, all the way back in April of 1900. (!) “There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come.”
Well, 125 years seems like “many” to – and the talented craftspeople and engineers at Lunaz seem to agree. Meet the Lunaz Rolls-Royce Phantom V limousine.
It’s glorious
Lunaz says it’s true to Rolls’ vision “down to the smallest, most indulgent detail.” To that end, the company re-trims the modern heated and ventilated seats in fine leathers, hand-cut and stitched to the buyers’ specifications. In the rear, the center console can be ordered with a built-in cigar humidor, a cocktail bar, or some other custom-spec, lockable storage lined in suede and polished walnut (translation: guns and drugs, probably).
When reimagining the Rolls-Royce Phantom V, (we) started by understanding the essence of its original design. Every component and dynamic was scrutinized to identify where thoughtful innovation could truly elevate the experience. The result is a harmonious blend of modern advancements and original mastery, unlocking new levels of performance, reliability and refinement while honoring Rolls-Royce’ classic soul.
Like the classic Bentley S2 Continental the company revealed in 2023, the big electric Roller is equipped with an 80 kWh battery pack sending electrons to a proprietary Lunaz drivetrain featuring 400 hp worth of electric motors delivering a silky-smooth 530 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) swoosh in about seven seconds. Of course, why you’d ever ask your driver to perform such plebian stunts is simply beyond me.
The transformation and restoration took more than 5,500 man-hours to complete, and involve more than 11,000 new or reconditioned components at a cost of more than £1 million (about $1.35 million US). If you place your order today, you should get yours in 18-24 months.
Lunaz Rolls-Royce gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: Lunaz.
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Fortescue has taken the wraps off a prototype of its proposed “Infinity Train” electric locomotive, making the 1,100 km (about 685 miles) trip from Perth to the Pilbara and marking a major milestone in the decarbonization of the company’s heavy haul operations.
Co-developed with the locomotive experts at Downer Group, Fortescue revealed its concept for a battery electric “Infinity Train” back in March of 2022. At the time, the company promised a “world’s first” iron ore train capable of fully charging its batteries through regenerative braking. The two companies claimed the clever technology would create a self-sustaining, zero-emission rail system powered entirely by the force of gravity during the train’s loaded downhill travels.
This week, the concept went from the drawing board to the real world, completing an 1,100 km trip across Australia and proving itself to be up to the task of handling the grueling demands of Fortescue’s massive mining operations.
“We’re thrilled to see our battery electric locomotive prototype arrive in the Pilbara,” said Ellie Coates, CEO of Fortescue Zero. She added that the achievement, using zero fossil fuels, “represent(s) a major step in Fortescue’s journey to Real Zero.”
The Fortescue Infinity Train uses the energy produced by slowing the loaded train on downhill sections of the company’s 385 mile private, heavy-haul rail network to recharge its battery systems. That energy is enough to bring the unloaded train back to the mine, eliminating the need for external charging infrastructure or additional renewable energy sources, making the train almost entirely self-sufficient.
Fortescue says the deployment of the Infinity Train concept at its mines will eliminate more than 82 million liters of diesel fuel consumption (about 21 million gallons, which ChatGPT tells me amounts to about 235,200 tons of CO₂ emissions).
That change alone would eliminate about 11% of Scope 1 emissions annually for Fortescue all on its own, putting it well on its way to its stated goal of achieving “Real Zero” emissions-free operations.
Electrek’s Take
Using gravity to charge up heavily-laden mining vehicles on downhill runs is an idea that’s been put into practice for years, with great success wherever the topography allows (since 2017, at least). Combining that clever use of gravity, traction braking, and battery storage for use on a rail system like this just seems smart, and it makes me think we’re just scratching the surface of all the clever ways electrification and battery storage will eventually get put to use.
I wonder what would happen if you threw some battery electric rail cars into the mix, as well!? You guys are smart, head down to the comments and let me know (and, while you’re there, help me check ChatGPT’s math on those carbon emissions).
SOURCE | IMAGES: Fortescue, via LinkedIn.
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