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Welcome to designbivouac’s inspiration collection.
Exploring design and innovation.
Over 30 years of collaboration, designbivouac has uncovered lasting insights. Inspirations is a curated collection of inspirational objects and ideas shaping a continuous journey of creative exploration.
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Bimotal’s Elevate Electric Motor System
In the ever-evolving world of e-mobility, Bimotal’s Elevate system has carved out a niche that's both clever and disruptive. Instead of building a whole new e-bike, Bimotal offers something refreshingly modular: a lightweight, clip-on electric motor system that can transform almost any traditional bike into a high-powered e-assist machine, and then back again.
In the ever-evolving world of e-mobility, Bimotal’s Elevate system has carved out a niche that's both clever and disruptive. Instead of building a whole new e-bike, Bimotal offers something refreshingly modular: a lightweight, clip-on electric motor system that can transform almost any traditional bike into a high-powered e-assist machine, and then back again.
What Is It?
The Bimotal Elevate is a removable electric drive system that attaches directly to a bike’s brake rotor. Yes, you read that right — it drives the bike by powering a specially designed rotor, offering up to 50 Nm of torque with a sleek, whisper-quiet motor that weighs under 2 pounds. This makes Elevate one of the lightest and most compact e-bike conversion systems available, and uniquely ideal for riders who want the benefits of electric assist without compromising the handling, weight, or aesthetics of a traditional bike.
Bimotal’s motor is engineered for quick, tool-free removal, allowing riders to clip it on or off in seconds—perfect for switching between electric assist and traditional pedaling on the fly.
How It Works
At the heart of the Bimotal Elevate system is a compact, hub-mounted motor that delivers power directly through a modified rear brake rotor. This ingenious design eliminates the need for bulky mid-drive or hub motor setups. This clever configuration allows the system to maintain the natural feel of the bike while providing smooth, efficient assistance when needed.
The whole system includes:
A lightweight motor unit that clips on and off the rotor in seconds, letting riders switch between powered and analog riding effortlessly.
A custom rotor that replaces the standard rear brake rotor and doubles as the physical interface for the motor, seamlessly integrating into the bike’s existing disc brake system.
A removable battery pack that can be mounted on the bike frame or carried in a backpack, offering flexible installation options and easy charging access.
A handlebar-mounted thumb throttle and Bluetooth-enabled control system, giving riders instant control and access to performance settings via the companion app.
Together, these components form a modular, rider-friendly e-assist platform that brings power and precision to nearly any bike, without the bulk or commitment of a full-time e-bike.
The custom rotor is permanently installed on the bike, while the motor unit attaches and detaches in seconds, giving riders seamless flexibility between powered and traditional riding.
Performance & Range
Power delivery is instant and intuitive, giving riders a natural-feeling boost right when they need it. Acceleration is controlled via a responsive thumb throttle, while disengaging the system allows the bike to ride completely unassisted—just like a standard bike. Because the Elevate system operates independently of the drivetrain, it’s compatible with a wide range of bikes, including full-suspension mountain bikes, road bikes, and gravel rigs, without affecting shifting, suspension performance, or pedaling feel.
Bimotal claims a range of around 15–30 miles, depending on terrain and usage, with speeds up to 28 mph (Class 3). While it's not meant for long-distance touring or heavy cargo duty, it’s plenty for urban riding, spirited trail sessions, or that final push up a brutal climb.
The Bimotal Elevate system features a compact thumb throttle for intuitive power control and a Bluetooth-connected app that allows you to adjust assist levels, monitor battery status, and update firmware—all without interrupting your ride.
Why It Matters
For riders who want one bike that can do it all, Elevate delivers. Commute with assist during the week, and ride fully analog on the weekend. If you’re recovering from injury, hauling gear, or need a little help up the hills, this system gives you the flexibility to adapt your ride on the fly.
It also taps into a growing trend of "electrification without compromise." Instead of committing to a heavy, dedicated e-bike, Bimotal lets riders keep their current setup and add power when it’s needed.
Final Thoughts
The Bimotal Elevate is one of those innovations that feels obvious in hindsight. It’s smart, lightweight, easy to install, and doesn’t require you to replace your bike or relearn your ride. For cyclists seeking a modular, minimalist approach to e-assist, this might be the most elegant solution yet.
Whether you're a performance rider, a commuter, or someone just looking to ride more often, Elevate makes it easier to say yes to two wheels.
The Sur Ron X Evolved
As you can see in the excellent demo ride video from Electric Cycle Rider, the folks over at 4MFoundry are applying all that has been learned over the past few decades about off-road riding in designing their upgraded body and seat kit for the Sur Ron X.
The kit features an extension of seat padding over the battery storage area. This allows riders to shift their weight more comfortably forward when needed. Side skirts enable riders to grip and control the bike with their knees. Aesthetically, the kit cleans up the bike design. 4MFoundry’s efforts highlight one of the best things about the Sur Ron platform—passionate and relatively easy community-based customization. Here’s wishing 4MFoundry all the best in improving the already remarkable Sur Ron X.
Photo: 4MFoundry
Learn more about the remarkable Sur Ron at sur-ronusa.com.
You can read more about the kit which is still in prototype form over at Electric Cycle Rider.
Ready to pick up a Sur Ron for yourself? The bivouac had a good experience with Sur Ron’s distributor Luna Cycles, quickly procuring its Sur Ron Black Edition.
The Sur-Ron Is Spot On!
The bivouac has been impressed by recent videos highlighting the surprising capabilities of the Sur-Ron electric bike, proving that companies like Tesla are not alone in disrupting mobility as we know it.
The bivouac has been impressed by recent videos highlighting the surprising capabilities of the Sur-Ron electric bike, proving that companies like Tesla are not alone in disrupting mobility as we know it. Check out what Electric Cycle Rider says while shaking down a Sur-Ron and watch it perform while racing. It is still early in the electric bike segment, so reaching these performance levels is impressive. While riders are dialing in brakes, forks, and other components, the Sur-Ron platform, in particular, is amazing right out of the box. Even so, companies like Luna Cycle are finding new ways to get even more out of their Sur-Rons by adding belt drives by Gates and even engineering their high-output batteries. Watch this space and keep up if you can. 2020 looks to be another fast-moving year for this segment.
24 Hours of Adrenaline
This should be fun...24 hours of fun, to be exact.
This should be fun...24 hours of fun, to be exact. For more details, visit the 24 hours of Adrenaline website.
We'll see how one of these does during the event this year at Laguna Seca Raceway: 2002 Cannondale Jekyll 3000
