The beautifully retro Juicer ebikes with striking EV-Twin battery mount

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The frames that would form the basis of the Juicer line; Top: A classic, but still manufactured, Worksman Newsboy, Below: a modern stretch-cruiser frame

Essential components of the Juicer 36 include a 1000w motor, an inexpensive controller and throttle, a box of Headway LiFePO4 batteries, band of copper sheet for bus-bars, and various sprockets and bearings

Juicer 36 rolling-chassis, ready for welding motor-mount brackets

Pages from Twomey's sketchbooks show the Juicer concept taking shape

The first Juicer EV-Twin powerplant; 36v/1000w

Electric components of Juicer 36 getting mounted in the frame

First time out of the workshop, the Juicer 36 is ready for a test-ride

Shop hound guards top-secret Juicer 36 prototype

Top view of the unpainted Juicer 36 "tank" shows the volt-meter, keyswitch, and recharge plug-socket

Juicer 36 center-stand is an unconventional spot to mount a chain-tensioner

Juicer 36 jack-shaft close-up shows how it is mounted on pillow-block bearings u-clamped to the seat-tube (a welded bead on the seat-tube lines up with a hole in the mounting plate which keeps it from twisting on the frame)

Shot from Juicer 36' maiden voyage through Echo Park, CA

A 12s2p configuration of the Juicer 36 doubled its range, enabling a trip to Burbank and back on a single charge

The extra batteries in the parallel string were housed in the "oil tank" area and under the seat

Final paint applied to Juicer 36, closeup of volt-meter reading 41v

Bike speedometer showing max unassisted speed of Juicer 36 on level ground

Creator's pal, Skip rides the long-range version of Juicer 36 through Manhattan Beach

Twomey's love of bikes predates the Juicer line, visible behind the Juicer 36 is his first bike-build, a custom BMW R60/2

Beautiful Leah poses on the Juicer 36 on the banks of the LA River

Sectioned Worksman frame with the drop-loop positioned (Juicer 48v)

Conventional coaster-brake with the flanges lathed off is the basis for Juicer 48's overrunning clutch jack-shaft

Original springer-fork made with "Brain Fork" elements and bike-stems for risers

Visualizing what will become the Juicer 48 in the artist's studio/workshop

First glimpse of how an Etek type motor might go with the Worksman frame

Juicer 48 begins to take shape in Twomey's den

Creating templates for the Juicer 48 "tank"

Juicer 48 "tank" welding complete, before sectioning lengthwise

With half of the tank-lid removed the 400a Kelly controller, BMS, and Anderson recharge plug are visible

Maiden voyage shot of Juicer 48 - a floating-sprocket chain tensioner is visible in the left-handed "human-drive" chain

Hipstamatic view of Juicer 48

Top view of Juicer 48 "tank" showing surface-mounted volt-meter gauge

Starboard view of Juicer 48 showing pride in her home-state

Creator, Dave Twomey with his Juicer line behind Hollywood Electrics motorbike shop

A slightly disguised version of the Juicer 48 was entered in the bike competition at the Easyriders show

Article Summary

If you think that you've spotted a strangely old-looking motorized bicycle cruising around the streets of Los Angeles, don't worry, you're not hallucinating. What you're likely seeing is one of two hand-built Juicer e-bike models - both of which harken back to the very early days of motorcycle development, when engines and motors were fixed to bicycle frames. The Juicer 36 is fashioned like a stretch cruiser and the 48 is an homage to the board-track era. Retro styling aside, the stand-out feature for us has got to be the gorgeous battery/motor configuration, that's been arranged like cylinders of a V-twin engine.

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