If you live in the city, you're probably seeing an increasing number of e-bikes making deliveries or parked in front of your favorite coffee shop. I’ve always wanted a moped or smaller scooter, but never brought myself to buy one. I'm a car guy and a family car at that. However, like most 4-wheel drivers, I am increasingly aware of my carbon footprint; my growing desire to steer my life in a sustainable direction is not unique. My family and friends feel the same way. This 'time to act' motive, together with the increasing hassle of commuting in the city, led me down the path to buying an e-bike.
That's when I discovered AMO, the e-bike made by a motorcycle company.
AMO is a product of MV Agusta, the Italian motorcycle company known for producing motorbikes of exceptional beauty and performance. MV Agusta is a relatively new player in the global e-mobility market. E-bikes and motorbikes are both two-wheeled, certainly, but that's about the only thing they share. Or so I thought. While MV Agusta's website is likely the only place you'll see these two product lines in the same place, the design resemblance shared by the conservative e-bike and the power-hungry motorbike is striking. As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
So, I dug a little deeper. It turns out that while MV Agusta motorbikes serve an entirely different market than e-bikes, they are from the same womb and share the same DNA. Specifically, MV Agusta's product lines – motorcycles, e-bikes, and future e-two wheelers – all come to life in the company's industry-leading research and development center. It's here where designers and engineers develop new designs without comprise of fit, finish, function, or finesse (say that real fast), transforming designs from paper sketches into VR prototypes. MV Agusta leverages the company's deep research and development staff and technology to develop two-wheeled masterpieces that are modeled, critiqued, and further refined before finally earning the right to wear the MV Agusta badge.
MV Agusta's e-bikes are aptly named AMO, Italian for love, because it was, at least for me, love at first sight. AMO's design pays homage to the phrase: a picture is worth a thousand words. Whereas other e-bikes come out the mass production door of an additive manufacturing process; a battery attached here, clamps attached there, and cables protruding in between, the sleek and understated AMO almost defies the logic that it delivers more than a normal bicycle. All the potentially obtrusive electronics are integrated within the premium handcrafted components.
Lightweight, classic, and comfortable, AMO turns heads as it takes urban cycling to a whole new level. It is an excellent choice for both the cycling enthusiast wanting to experience fun and admiration around the metropolis and the environmentalist wanting to leave behind only smiles after a trip to the grocery store. Such a personalized, self-reliant, and intrinsic e-bike inspires joy in all sorts of riders, young and old alike.
AMO connects to the road, the soul, and the e-world around you with tactile poise. Its one-button operation calls up an intuitive application that allows ride customization, along with a host of data displaying your whereabouts as well as an analytical display of your experience. MV Agusta AMO is a perfect match for urban cyclists who appreciate the finest materials, precisely machined to deliver an ever-splendid ride with literally no maintenance.
I consider myself somewhat of a savvy consumer, so I did look past the beauty to the spec sheet: a frame crafted from aircraft-grade 7070 aluminum alloy, a deep multicoat finish, Magura MT4 hydraulic disc braking, MAHLE X35 M1+ motor with an integrated 250 watt-hour Panasonic battery, carbon drive belt, seamless 3D design saddle (it IS comfortable), and Pirelli tires with carbon rims. More importantly, the AMO e-bike performs flawlessly, and I have to say, I get more attention on this thing than any car, bike, or scooter I've ever ridden.
Let me leave you with encouragement to test ride the new AMO. Feel the difference of Italian handcraftsmanship, and experience firsthand the elegant, understated e-bikes that are a joy to own and ride.