The rise of DAB Motors has been nothing wanting meteoric. Simon Dabadie based the boutique French bike producer in 2018, launched the primary Euro-compliant, made-to-order customized bike in 2019, after which pivoted to electrical bikes in 2021 with a brutally minimalist prototype. Now, simply three years on, that prototype goes into manufacturing because the restricted version DAB 1α.
The transfer comes a 12 months after DAB’s acquisition by Peugeot Motocycles. Bringing DAB’s electrical bike to market was a serious focus of the partnership from the beginning, so the DAB 1α will probably be manufactured at Peugeot’s Beaulieu-Mandeure manufacturing unit—and shipped worldwide. It’s restricted to 400 items, with pricing ranging from €14.900 [about $15,920].
As you’d anticipate from a partnership between two French firms, the DAB 1α is très luxurious. It carefully resembles the prototype it’s primarily based on, however it’s been redesigned from the bottom up and lathered in high-end elements and floor finishes.
The DAB 1α makes use of a brand new double-cradle metal body, matched to a trellis subframe and a solid aluminum swingarm. A monocoque physique sits on high of it, manufactured from injection-molded ABS plastic. Styled as a neo-futuristic supermoto of kinds, it’s completed off with a luxurious Alcantara saddle.
DAB additionally overhauled its electrical prototype’s drivetrain to organize it for manufacturing. It now makes 11 kW of nominal energy with 25.5 kW [34.6 hp] of peak energy, and options regenerative braking capabilities. Energy is shipped to the rear wheel by a Gates Carbon Drive belt drive, the place it measures 395 Nm of torque.
The DAB 1α makes use of a French-made 72V battery that’s repairable, replaceable, and recyclable. It has a nominal capability of 6.2 kWh and a most capability of seven,1 kWh, making the 1α a most vary of 150 km [93.2 miles]. The onboard charger works with a house electrical outlet or a degree two charger, with a full cost taking three hours.
By way of efficiency, the 125-kilo [276-pound] DAB 1α boasts a high pace of 130 km/h [80.8 mph]. Its measurement and output imply that it solely requires a regular automotive license and a coaching session to experience in most European international locations, making it accessible to a variety of riders. (The truth that it has no clutch or gear shifter helps too.)
DAB went all-out on the 1α’s working gear. A collaboration with the Italian suspension firm Paioli yielded bespoke adjustable 46 mm upside-down forks, and a rear shock with a distant reservoir and preload adjustment. 17” laced wheels from Faba are wrapped in Pirelli Diablo IV tires, whereas the braking system makes use of Brembo calipers, DAB discs, and an ABS system from Peugeot.
Simon firmly believes that sustainability goes past simply switching to electrical drivetrains. So he’s taken a refreshing strategy to create the DAB 1α’s carbon fiber entrance fender and facet panels, by partnering with the mammoth plane producer, Airbus.
Airbus generates round 12,000 tons of waste a 12 months, a lot of which is recycled. Composite-based waste, like carbon fiber, is difficult to do away with, so the corporate has collaborated with analysis establishments and small companies to search out methods to reuse previously-loved carbon fiber. Airbus provides DAB with carbon scraps, that are then repurposed to create the bike’s gorgeous solid carbon elements.
Obtainable in both white or gray, every DAB 1α sports activities a numbered gold plaque. It’s embedded within the bike’s fantastically machined handlebar high clamp, which additionally homes a 2.8” LCD dashboard. The work is extremely tidy, from the best way the dashboard’s management buttons are recessed into the facet of its housing, to the blocky switchgear on the burly Renthal handlebars.
The DAB 1α additionally comes with switchable rider mods; ‘Eco,’ ‘Commonplace,’ ‘Sport,’ ‘Reverse,’ and ‘Nitrous.’ No, DAB hasn’t discovered methods to inject nitrous into an engine that doesn’t use petrol. As a substitute, the Nitrous button is a tribute to the long-lasting 2000s online game, Want for Velocity, and affords a brief burst of energy.
DAB’s bikes are at all times well-finished, and the 1α isn’t any exception. A quantity board-style headlight nacelle hosts an LED gentle with a second projector mounted decrease down, whereas a stunningly sculpted taillight pokes out the again. Tiny LED flip indicators sit underneath the controls on the bars, and on a license plate bracket that sits behind the rear wheel.
There’s a small glove field in entrance of the rider, lined with Alcantara and outfitted with USB charging sockets. Clients have the choice of including a Quadlock cellphone mount and wi-fi charger, too.
Like the whole lot we’ve seen from DAB up to now, the 1α electrical bike is razor-sharp and ultra-cool. Nevertheless it’s additionally a testomony to the corporate’s tenacity and fervour. If you wish to snag one for your self, you’ll be able to register your curiosity at DAB’s web site.
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