Motorcycle specifications Bultaco Rapitan 2015 Amperic return

An emblematic figure in off-road motorcycling in the 70s, the Bultaco brand is back on the scene after a 31-year closure. With a brand-new motorcycle model, far removed from the Spanish firm's former core business. The new Rapitan is an electrically-powered roadster with full tubular technology.

full tubular!?! By this I mean that Bultaco has made some daring technical choices, in order to create a buzz around its comeback. The frame is in fact a tubular steel architecture. The swingarm is also a tubular steel structure. And now for the real kicker: the front axle, dubbed "Dual Link Evolution". This is an assembly of double longitudinal arms linked to the chassis by a set of triangles and ball joints. It's a gas factory, technically quite similar to BMW's Duolever, offering greater stability, anti-dive effect, better feedback of road information and comfort. Borderline captivating, and certainly attractive. Engine-wise, we're also changing centuries.

the Rapitan is equipped with a 40 kW brushless electric motor. The power output may seem modest, barely exceeding that of a CB 500 F. But an electron-powered unit is a different kind of wattage from an oil-fired boiler. Reading 55 hp on the specification sheet, would you believe that this bike is capable of swallowing 0 to 100 km/h in 4 seconds? Reacceleration promises to be dazzling, with no less than 12.7 mkg of torque available. That's the equivalent of the twin of a Ducati 1200 Monster S. Top speed is less flattering, but close to highway legal: 145 km/h.
Of course, no fuel is required, but Lithium-Ion batteries can be recharged in between 3 and 5 hours. The advertised range is 110 km on freeways, 200 in urban use. Bultaco has added interactivity to its Rapitan, with the possibility of selecting several maps and a battery recharging system inspired by F1's "KERS". This enabled the bike to recover watts under braking.

as the Rapitan doesn't need gasoline, the location of the fuel tank makes it possible to conceal a trunk, as on the Honda NC 750. An integral can also fit in.
Claimed to weigh 189 kilos, the Spanish roadster is braked by two petal brake discs: a 320 mm disc at the front with a 2-piston caliper, and a 240 mm disc at the rear with a single piston. ABS is standard. A sport version is also planned. Expected in 2015. Pricing is a complete mystery.