Bultaco to make comeback with electric bikes

Bultaco, the legendary Spanish sportsbike manufacturer, has announced its return to the motorcycle market but this time around as a green vehicle manufacturer.

Instead of the conventional internal combustion engined-motorcycles it used to make, the re-born Bultaco plans to roll out two-wheelers with an in-house developed electric propulsion system, employing the latest advances in electrical and hybrid traction and ultra-light materials.

Founded in 1958, Bultaco – the first Spanish brand to win the World Grand Prix – is renowned for its bikes that were ridden by a number of ace racers including Mike Hailwood, Sammy Miller, Barry Sheene, and Sito Pons. The company ceased operations in 1983.

The new Bultaco is backed by an entrepreneurial team that includes international professionals, executives and engineers with technical prowess in the automotive sector worldwide.

The prototypes revealed – the Rapitan and Rapitan Sport – give a cue to the motorcycles slated to be rolled out from 2015 onwards. “What began as a thesis project has become a company with the size and solidity needed to create a new generation of Bultaco motorcycles,” says Juan Manuel Vinós, CEO and co-founder.

Bultaco is targeting the new-generation motorcyclist in Spain, the US, the UK, Germany and France. Its sales plan is based on four factors: Progressive evolution for electric motorcycles, needs of new-generation users, modern-day environmental needs and the opportunity to integrate business lines.

Initially, the Bultaco range will include different kinds of vehicles driven by its in-house electrical propulsion system. The Bultaco Drive Train System (DTS), unlike other electrical two-wheeled vehicles, enables the maximum energy performance to be yielded from regenerative braking. This is possible because the technology applied to the chassis maximises the rear wheels’ adherence during braking, which enables a considerable electrical braking torque to be applied.

The energy accumulation system, which combines a lithium-ion battery and ultra-condensers, is yet another feature that ensures performance far superior to that of other comparable vehicles.

The development of the BEDTS has been carried out in collaboration with Viesca Engineering which has wide experience in the field of high-speed rail. The software in the Bultaco Control Unit (BCU) enables the rider to manage engine power, energy recovery, battery recharge and connection to mobile devices.

Through the Biker Manager application, users can find out information such as the battery charge, the autonomy depending on the kind of riding and the location of the motorcycle, among many other features. All this technology will be employed in the Rapitán and Rapitán Sport prototypes.

“Electrical propulsion is the right kind of propulsion for everyone seeking fun and outstanding features. We are also currently working on other solutions, such as hybrid propulsion, to cover other needs,” adds José Germán Pérez, R&D director and cofounder.

In early 2015, Bultaco plans to introduce an electrical light bike to market, various versions of which will be developed. In mid-2015, the Electrical Urbanmotard will be launched, which previews the Rapitán prototype. The Bultaco engineering team is already working on another kind of vehicle using the technology shown in the prototype, and on other future developments, as well as on other propulsion systems.

While the company’s Innovation Centre is located in Madrid, the manufacturing will take place in Barcelona with part of the managerial team of the former Derbi factory.

Photographs: The Rapitan and Rapitan Sport prototypes give a cue to the motorcycles slated to be rolled out from 2015 onwards.