Californian cycling accessory manufacturer Livall is back with a successor to its PikaBoost e-bike conversion kit. The straightforwardly-named PikaBoost 2 promises greater peak power than the original version with the first orders due to start shipping within the next few weeks.
There’s a growing number of friction drive e-bike conversion kits (those where power assistance is applied via the bike’s tyre) jockeying for position at the minute.
As well as the original PikaBoost, we’ve also reported on the Zipforce from Sweden and the CLIP kit, the latest version of which is supposedly due for a UK launch any day now.
While friction drives aren’t an especially efficient way of translating battery charge into wheel power, the big advantage is that they are often dead easy to fit. Many of them are billed as ‘clip on, clip off’ units that you can swap between bikes.
The PikaBoost 2 is no exception. The Indiegogo campaign – which drew over £400,000 in funding – promises one-minute installation and is designed to fit “most bike models and tyre sizes”.
The 3kg unit attaches to the bike’s seat post and you get a proprietary tool for the four screws involved as an anti-theft measure. You can then remove the whole unit from the fitting by removing another screw.
It doesn’t sound like much, but the shock-absorbing spring design promises, “a secure fit, even on rough terrain.”
The roller through which power is applied now has a V-shaped profile to accommodate the bike’s tyre and a tread pattern with drainage grooves to reduce the risk of slipping in wet conditions. It's also available with different roller tyres to go with different types of bike tyre (e.g. one for road bikes, another for mountain bikes etc).
The motor's technically a 250W unit, but it now offers up to 500W of ‘peak power’. This is entirely legal in the UK where the 250W limit is for ‘continuous rated power’ – although the 32km/h (20mph) top speed unfortunately isn’t.
Fortunately, the associated app ensures “global compatibility” by automatically adjusting settings to comply with local riding regulations.
The PikaBoost 2 comes with a 158Wh battery as standard, which is said to deliver range of up to 70km (43 miles). To that, we’d say “good luck” – although there is also an option to upgrade to a larger 220Wh battery.
It also offers our old friend regenerative braking. While it’s hard for this to contribute much on an e-bike, the fact you can charge other devices from the PikaBoost battery means you could theoretically ride around with a bit of extra resistance and essentially use it as a human-charged power bank.
Four power assistance modes are listed: Workout Mode, with added resistance; Eco Mode, which provides assistance only on inclines; Power Assist Mode, which offers ‘balanced support’; and Cruise Mode, which provides continuous, steady power, regardless of whether or not you’re pedalling – and which would therefore be illegal in the UK.
The basic version of the PikaBoost 2 is listed at a budget-friendly £282 on the Indiegogo campaign. (Currently £221 with the ‘early bird’ discount.)
The Endurance version – which comes with both the 158Wh battery and a 220Wh one – is listed at £434 (or £296 at the minute, via the crowdfunder).
Shipping of the first 100 units should begin later this month with further waves of deliveries in the coming weeks and months.
> Best e-bike conversion kits - motorise the bike you already have
