The whole point of making new motorcycles from scratch is creating them the way you want, right? Think aviation-inspired geometry, full carbon-fiber body, top-spec components, and an artsy design … and once you have all of that in there, sure, chuck an electric motor in there that gives it a 150 mph top speed.
Doesn’t sound too bad, huh? Well, that’s exactly what we have here. It comes from a small Korean electric motorcycle company called Compass Rose. But wait until you hear what it’s called… Ciulator (as in ‘see you later’). Brilliant!
Compass Rose says that the phrase “I’ll go into the cafe first – see you later” served as the basis for the bike’s name. On show at this year’s CES, the motorcycle grabbed plenty of attention for its arresting visual details.
The track version is equipped with a 34-hp BLDC in-wheel hub motor that produces 258 lb.ft of peak torque
Compass Rose
It’s a neo-retro e-moto that blends 1950s British cafe racer design, functional craftsmanship, and forward-thinking technology with an aesthetic sensibility. I mean, just look at it … it looks like it was specifically built for land speed records. The funky-looking bike comes in two trims: a track version and a more basic, standard trim.
The track version is equipped with a 34-hp BLDC in-wheel hub motor that produces a peak torque of 258 lb.ft (350 Nm). It’s pretty fast too, sporting a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h). As for the battery, this trim comes with a 72-V/150-Ah Samsung battery that offers a range of around 93 miles (150 km).
The battery pack on the motorcycle is sculpted to resemble a combustion engine
Joe Salas/New Atlas
The standard trim, though, comes with a 10-hp electric motor that tops out at 93 mph (150 km/h). The battery on this one is a smaller 72-V/100-Ah Samsung unit that offers around 80 miles (130 km) of range. Speaking of which, the battery pack on the motorcycle is sculpted to resemble an actual engine. Ain’t that cool?
The components used are all top of the line – from Reynolds 953 steel tubing for the frame to the full carbon-fiber body that helps keep the weight down to a total of 308 lb (140 kg). Even the saddle is special, made from Cordovan leather sourced directly from Argentina.
The Ciulator isn’t the only motorcycle that Compass Rose produces. There’s another artistically designed model, called the Dandelion. The inspiration for this moto comes from the Dandelion seed, which the company says is “light, free, yet destined to travel far.”
Compass Rose also produces another artistically pleasing model, called Dandelion
Compass Rose
This one features a retro-futuristic style, with its centerpiece being the 19-inch aero-disc wheels combined with a long wheelbase. The Dandelion also comes in two variants.
A top-spec ‘Lighting’ variant comes with a 10-hp electric motor that tops out at 93 mph (150 km/h). The battery on this one is a 72-V/100-Ah LG unit that offers 93 miles (150 km) of range. Meanwhile, the standard trim comes with a 6.7-hp motor with a 56 mph (90 km/h) top speed. This gets an even smaller 60-V/60-Ah Samsung battery that’s good for around 62 miles (100 km) of range.
These bikes are currently only on sale in South Korea, and they aren’t cheap by any means. The Ciulator costs a whopping KRW 66,000,000. That’s around US$50,000 per direct conversion. Good luck trying to own one. Looking for something cheaper? The Dandelion would be your best bet, costing KRW 8,400,000 (around US$5,700). That’s quite the price difference between models.
The Dandelion costs KRW 8,400,000 (around US$5,700)
Joe Salas/New Atlas
One look at these motorcycles and you’ll realize Compass Rose doesn’t operate on traditional motorcycle guidelines. These bikes aren’t boring; they’re artistically designed, albeit a bit extra for some folks, but still very cool.
Who says electric motorcycles have to be boring anyway?
Source: Compass Rose
