EDITOR’S NOTE: I stumbled into a little classy shop on Melrose, in Hollywood one day a few years back. It contained a half dozen Whizzer-styled bicycles with two-stroke motors attached. The bikes were designed to look like something out of the ‘30s. They had a style Whizzer missed, details, and looked very clean. The shop contained elements of art-deco styling, and although the brand and the products were not antique, they gave you the sense of classic motorcycling history.
This scenario smacked of a couple of life’s experiences. Like a guy who took a very plain stock car from the ‘60s, stripped it some, lowered it, and changed the wheels. Suddenly, he drove a cool sled. The other scenario involved performance, sorta like the cool board track show bike. It’s cool, but it won’t function much. So, there I was, standing in this cool shop on one of the major shopping boulevards in Los Angeles. I knew I wasn’t likely to ride one of these impractical puppies more than a couple of miles, but I wanted one. I tried to make a deal with the owner, since I wasn’t about to pay $4000 for a spindly bicycle with a Chinese engine strapped in it. Hell, I could make one in an afternoon.
The owner/designer, Adrian Van Anz, didn’t bite on my deal, and I didn’t have four grand burning a hole in my pocked. Hell, with four large, I could buy a complete Harley Evo or aftermarket driveline and build a motorcycle I could ride for a couple of decades. I was still intrigued, so I tripped out when I ran into Derringer motorcycles in the back of the new ARCH motorcycle facility near the LAX airport. The Derringer company had been taken over by a new group. Here’s their history:
Derringer was founded in 2007 in Los Angeles. Early models featured two-stroke engines, classic springer forks, Brooks saddles, and frames with a classic beach cruiser look. The bikes were very popular, since buyers could design their own color scheme and choose from a variety of components to get a one-of-a-kind bike.
With the next generation, we moved to four-stroke engines with a centrifugal clutch and pull start to make it smoother, quieter, more fuel efficient, and more user friendly. Next, we moved to an in-house designed frame with elegant flowing curves, welded-in engine mounts, and custom machined pistol shaped dropouts. The rear sprocket was redesigned and machined from billet aluminum.
We have done bikes with hand-leafed copper and custom-made tanks, matched bikes to customers’ cars, and even built a bike to match a customer’s yacht. Bikes have been shipped all over the world, from Switzerland to Taiwan. Many of our customers asked about an electric version, since it would involve very little maintenance and be more friendly to those that are less mechanically inclined.
A couple years ago, we built two one-off electric bikes, one based on the look of the gas version, and another with a stretched frame and more board track style tank. While they were a good start, I wanted something that was between the two. I adapted the frame from the gas bike and designed a custom housing for the battery that sits under the top tube of the frame, and is styled after the board track fuel tanks. I wanted it to be as clean and clutter-free as possible, so I hid the motor controller in a box styled like the oil tanks and tool boxes on some board track racers. We want to keep as much of the production in the US as we can for now.
If we can successfully fund the Kickstarter, production should be in full swing by April. Once we finish delivery on all of the Kickstarter bikes, I have a few ideas for other models that I’d like to build. We have quite a bit of interest in Europe, so we might look to start manufacturing a model specific to the European market with a partner over there.
Now they are on this mission to build a hot-looking, efficient electric bicycle. A lot of their previous customers were like me. He or she wanted one for the artistic value and the cool antique look without spending $50,000 to a million on a true classic motorcycle. So where does that customer go when it comes to electric?
I spoke to Bryce Casey, the man who hopes to be building these bikes for years to come. He doesn’t own the company, but he’s Geppetto, the guy who devoted his life to the success of Derringer bikes, and he believes in them. Here’s their pitch from the Kick Start effort. We wish them the best:
Why Derringer?
Derringer is a well-known builder of custom, board track inspired motorized bicycles. Every Derringer is hand-built to customer specification in Los Angeles, California. Customers love the look and customizability of the gas powered models, but many expressed interest in an electric model with ease of use, low maintenance, and great reliability.
The wait is over. Now you can own a classically styled, truly unique electric motorized bicycle, ready for daily commuting, weekend cruising, and everything in between, no oil changes required.
Board Track Inspired
Board Track racing, one of the most popular spectator sports of the early 20th century, got its start in Los Angeles with the construction of the Los Angeles Motordrome in 1910. Board track racing motorcycles were essentially beefed-up bicycles with powerful engines that allowed riders to reach mind-boggling speeds on circular wooden tracks.
It was truly one of the most exciting and dangerous spectator sports of all time. Los Angeles was home to three tracks over the years, with facilities built in Beverly Hills and Culver City, in addition to the original in Playa del Rey. The new Derringer Electric captures the style and feel of these historic racing machines, and combines it with modern technology to create a one-of-a-kind mode of transport, as beautiful as it is fun to ride.
Made In USA
The foundation of the Derringer Electric is the custom, hand-built frame. Adapted and refined from the classic gas-powered model, the frame was redesigned and CAD modeled in Los Angeles. It features chromoly construction, custom pistol-shaped dropouts, and elegant flowing curves, giving you the strength you need, while standing apart from the rest. Each frame is TIG welded by master frame builders in Portland, Oregon. Every Derringer Electric bike is individually assembled by hand in Los Angeles, California.
Head-Turning Style
Have you been disappointed with the dull, utilitarian electric bikes on the market today? While styling appears to be an afterthought on many imported E-bikes, simple, elegant, sporting looks were a goal for the Derringer Electric design. The battery resides in an enclosure inspired by the fuel tanks from vintage board track racing motorcycles. It mounts in close proximity to the motor controller, minimizing unsightly wiring.
The motor controller resides in a vented enclosure styled after the rear-mounted oil tanks and tool boxes on early vintage motorcycles. For Heritage and Signature Series bikes, the battery and controller housings will be fabricated from a combination of glass fiber composite and aluminum in San Diego, CA, and painted to match the powder-coated frame. Bespoke Series bikes feature enclosures with full aluminum construction, made in Santa Rosa, CA, and available with a brushed or painted finish. The Derringer Electric also incorporates a classically styled chromoly springer fork with an IS disc brake mount and a 1 1/8” threadless steerer for a wide range of component options.
Electric Power
At the heart of every Derringer Electric is a powerful lithium-ion (Li-NMC) battery. This safe, reliable chemistry allows for high current draw, has great energy density, and still provides a long lifetime of 1000 recharge cycles. Bikes are available with 37, 52, and 63-volt batteries, each with a 12.5 Ah capacity. Heritage and Signature Series bikes include a 4 Amp charger that can recharge a fully drained battery in three hours. Bespoke buyers get an upgraded 6 Amp charger that drops charging time to two hours.
Propulsion comes from a brushless hub motor built into the rear wheel. All motors are wound for high torque, providing stunning off the line acceleration and aggressive hill climbing ability. All models come standard with direct drive (gearless) motors, which are incredibly reliable, quiet, smooth, and able to handle high current loads. Signature Series 52V bikes are also available with a geared hub motor that employs a planetary gear set to reduce size and weight, for customers that prefer a compact unit in lieu of motor power handling ability. Power is applied with a twist grip throttle, similar to those found on motorcycles and scooters.
All bikes ship in USA street legal mode: 750 watts and 20 mph maximum speed. Signature and Bespoke Series bikes feature a Cycle Analyst E-bike computer, allowing owners to tune the bike to their individual power needs all the way up to 2000 and 2800 watts, respectively.
High Quality Components
A powerful bike needs powerful brakes. Every Derringer Electric comes standard with hydraulic disc brakes from German manufacturer Magura. These high-quality brakes provide fantastic modulation, modern design, and formidable stopping ability. The Magura electric throttle offers intuitive control similar to that of a motorcycle, and far superior to the cheap plastic Hall-effect throttles found on most E-bikes.
The Cycle Analyst E-bike computer, made in Vancouver, BC, provides a wealth of information on its large backlit LCD, including speed, distance, battery info, power, net energy, and more. This sophisticated computer also allows for rider control of the system power output and speed limit. Every Derringer also includes a Brooks leather saddle, handmade in England, cartridge bearing threadless headsets, and high performance Schwalbe tires.
Make It Yours
Derringer is known for customizability and the Derringer Electric is no exception. Heritage Series buyers can choose either a Brooks Flyer or B67 saddle in black, brown or honey brown. Customers may also select board track style drop bars or cruiser style risers. In addition to saddle and handlebar options, Signature Series buyers can choose from six colors and may select a direct drive or geared hub motor.
Bespoke buyers can select any colors from our chart for the frame, rims, and spokes, as well as detail colors for the aluminum tank. Derringer also offers a variety of tire options suited to each owner’s riding needs. Every Derringer is powder-coated with Tiger Drylac outdoor rated powder coatings for beauty and utility. Battery and controller housings are painted to match on Heritage and Signature Series, or can be brushed aluminum on the Bespoke Series.
Please Note
•Range estimates are based on a 170-lb rider traveling on flat ground at a constant speed of 20 mph, without pedaling. Many factors will affect actual range, including: rider weight, hills, and speed.
•Power figures are maximum system output at the nominal battery voltage. Many things will affect actual watts, including: rider weight, hills, battery state of charge, and speed.
•All bikes will be shipped limited to 20 mph and 750 watts per US regulations. The rider assumes responsibility for complying with all local laws if the bike is ridden on public roads.
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Frame Production – We need to have tooling made for the production of our frames. In addition, slight modifications to the design may be necessary to ensure that the frame is production ready. We are enlisting the help of a master frame builder and a CAD designer to ensure we get the best quality product the first time around, and will work tirelessly to minimize any delays that may arise.
Component Supply – We rely on our suppliers for a constant supply of components that can keep up with production. If some key parts go out of stock, this has the potential to delay some aspects of production. We are working with all domestic suppliers to ensure that there is always plenty of information on stock, and so that potential problems can be dealt with in a timely manner by experienced individuals.
Bryce Casey
Derringer Cycles
Main: 323.813.1920
Mobile: 818.235.2054
eFax: 949.861.6190
3100 Donald Douglas Loop North #202
Santa Monica, CA 90405
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