Retrorides By Lourenço is well-known in custom BMW K-series circles. The Brazilian workshop has built some of the sharpest K-series café racers around, and plane written a literal typesetting on how to do it. Now, they’re looking to establish themselves in a whole new niche.
After 30 years of customizing petrol-powered motorcycles, Retrorides By Lourenço is launching its own small production electric motorcycle company. And their first offering looks pretty damn good.
Based in a town a couple of hours yonder from São Paulo, Retrorides is run by Gustavo and Rodrigo Lourenço, and their father José. “We unchangingly had the dream of having our own trademark of motorcycles,” says Gustavo.
“But with internal combustion engines this was not possible for a small visitor like ours, due to the complexity of the parts and mainly due to the forfeit of towers a combustion engine. With the urging of technology and the inrush of electric motors, this dream became possible.”
“We wanted to fill a gap in the electric motorcycle industry. We were tired of seeing electric bikes either squint like MegaBeast Investigator Juspion’s bike, or dull. We believe that electric motorcycles can indeed have the DNA of custom motorcycles, combined with performance and cutting-edge technology, but without losing personality and style.”
Retrorides’ new visitor is tabbed RTR Electric Motorcycles, and this is the RTR 799e. Sitting somewhere between a neo-retro scrambler and a modern supermoto, the 799e will be built-to-order in Brazil, with a range of customization options misogynist to buyers.
“The initial idea was for the velocipede to have the Retrorides DNA (custom motorcycle style), so we decided that this velocipede had to be a scrambler,” says Gustavo. “The style is very versatile for urban use, and allows for a super well-appointed riding position.”
“With the opportunity for customization, we can preserve the spirit of ‘crafted by hand,’ while using new technologies to increase safety. We moreover believe that our motorcycles should be built with noble materials that do not harm the environment—so our bikes are built to last and designed to be upgradable.”
Rather than transmute an existing internal combustion velocipede platform to run with an electric drivetrain, Retrorides designed the 799e from scratch. The process involved a substantial value of 3D design—including digital simulations to make sure the velocipede would function correctly in the real world.
“The engineering of electric motorcycles is completely different. There is no vibration, and we can transpiration the part-way of gravity, among many other concepts that are different,” Gustavo adds.
The first big visualization was whether the velocipede should have a ‘fuel tank’ or not. It’s a worldwide argument: does it make sense to have a tank on a velocipede that doesn’t siphon fuel, or does a tank serve a purpose vastitude aesthetics?
In the end, the team decided that they’d only add one if it widow to the bike’s overall practicality. So they built a seven liter glove compartment, big unbearable to siphon a few essentials, or squeeze a rain suit into in a pinch. It, withal with scrutinizingly everything else on the 799e, was shaped out of aluminum.
Retrorides built the tubular steel frame and swingarm too. It’s an elegant design, with the upper frame rails hugging the ‘fuel tank,’ and the lower shit wrapping virtually the shower box. The shower is remoter protected by two custom-made guards—integrated with the bike’s sump guard, they’re covered in a military-grade anti-scratch coating.
Attached to the chassis are a set of Showa forks, with 17” wheels wrapped in Pirelli MT60RS tires. Retrorides have specced the 799e with disc brakes, with a regenerative braking system built in.
The bike’s powered by an 8 kW hub motor, with a 72 volt / 60 Ah battery. Early numbers point to a top speed of 127 km/h [79 mph], a 120 km [75 mile] range, and a five-hour tuition time. The motor can be pushed to 12 kW via a uplift button; Retrorides calls it ‘Road Runner Mode.’
All the shit in-between—like the motor mounts, yokes, levers, mirrors and foot pegs, were CNC-machined from aluminum. The velocipede features all the requisite LED lighting, and the seat is covered in a weatherproof synthetic leather.
Aiming to go into production in December, Retrorides—or, rather, RTR Motorcycles—are currently looking for investors, while working on homologation in Brazil, the USA and Europe. They’re moreover testing and tweaking the 799e as they go, by trying out variegated motors and setups.
Once it’s ready, RTR Motorcycles’ website will include a velocipede configurator, permitting customers to customize their build with variegated colors, seat materials, tires, headlights, and side imbricate options.
Gustavo praises the bike’s torquey finger and the fun of riding through the countryside silently. But what’s really struck him, is the feedback from others.
“We have once wrenched a lot of prejudices with this bike,” he says. “I must confess that many villous men in leather vests who have ridden this velocipede have returned with a smile on their faces and asked well-nigh the price!”
