Society has deteriorated; civilization as you remember it is nothing but a crumbled shell of its former self. There are no gas stations, no power grid, no grocery stores, no money, no nothing but you and your bug-out vehicle sucking the last vapors of what’s left of your emergency fuel supply. Miles from nowhere and still miles to go, it is time to break out the B Team, Daymak’s latest off-road offering, The Beast.
The Toronto, Canada company has launched its all-new eBike, a street-legal two-wheeler geared for rough off-road terrain as well as city riding. “The Beast is perfect for the woods or the road. Imagine going quietly in the woods or going off on dirt roads, and then going straight on to legal roads. This Beast can do it all,” said Daymak CTO, Aldo Baiocchi. “We want the rider to have a comfortable, powerful ride whether it’s on or off-road.”
The stand-out feature on this bike is a solar panel and a battery pack that continuously recharges, allowing the rider to enjoy a completely silent experience while still charging the battery. When depleted, merely rest it in the sun and wait a few hours for a full charge. Fully electric, the Beast can go as fast as 20mph with up to 28-mile range with the Beat Ultimate model. It is quiet, economical, good for the environment, and can take the rider anywhere they want to go.
Five Advantages
The enclosed solar panel battery case offers five distinctive advantages:
The battery is always trickle charging, regardless of if it is in use or not. This avoids the number one failure of most eBikes on the market today, which is battery failure due to prolonged time without charging. The longer a battery sits idle in a no charge mode, the less likely it will fully charge again.
The solar panel yields about six miles of range per eight hours of any ambient daylight. If the rider does not ride more than roughly 25 miles a week, he never has to plug it in to charge the battery. What if the battery runs out mid trip? No worries, because the pedals drive a chain to the rear wheel (like a traditional bicycle) to continue on.
The Beast offers a lower cost of charging. With the solar panel working, the battery takes less grid-based electricity than standard plug-in eBikes.
There is less of a carbon footprint as well. With the world in a heap of smoking ruins, this isn’t exactly a big concern, but an electric motor provides little to no impact on the environment. When the solar panel is used, electricity from the grid is avoided.
The removable battery pack can be used as a back up generator, since it comes with two USB plugs. You can plug in your phone, tablet or anything running off of USB-supplied power. The Ultimate model also comes with a 110-volt power converter.
At only roughly 165 pounds, the Beast can be easily transported in the trunk of a car or the back of a truck, pulled out when needed. The removable solar panel/battery pack can charged when removed from the bike, so even when parked in the shade, the battery can be placed in the sun to charge. When an alternate source of transportation is needed after the gas runs out or the standard internal combustion engine of your primary vehicle has quit, as long as the sun still shines, The Beast can help you get outta Dodge.
| Beast Standard | Beast Deluxe | Beast Ultimate | |
| Battery | 48V 12AH Lead Acid | 60V 12AH Lead Acid | 60V 12AH Lithium |
| Motor | 500W Gearless Hub | 500W Gearless Hub | 500W Gearless Hub |
| Controller | Daymak Drive | Daymak Drive | Daymak Drive |
| Solar Panel | Optional | 15W/hr output | 15W/hr output |
| Torque Sensor | Sprocket | Sprocket | Sprocket |
| Shocks | Stock | Inverted/Adjustable | Inverted/Adjustable |
| Frame | Steel | Steel | 6000/7000 alloy |
| Rim – Front | 10” x 4.10” | 10” x 4.10” | 10” x 4.10” alloy |
| Tire – Front | 21” x 7” x 8” | 21” x 7” x 8” | 19” 7” x 8” |
| Tire – Back | 21” x 7” x 8” | 21” x 7” x 8” | 19” 7” x 8” |
| Headlight | Stock | Stock | LED 4500 Lumens |
| Length/Height | 6’3 / 45” | 6’3 / 45” | 6’3 / 45” |
| Weight | 165lbs. | 165lbs. | 165lbs. |
| Tool Kit | Standard | Standard | Deluxe |
| Charging ports | 2 USB | 2 USB | 2 USB + 110v |
| Battery life cycles | 300 | 800 | 1000 |
| Carrying case | Not Included | Not Included | Included |
| Speedometer | Not Included | Included | Included |
| Range | 15.53 miles | 21.74 miles | 27.96 miles |
| Top Speed | 15.6 miles/hr | 20 miles/hr | 20 miles/hr |
| Charger | 60V1.8A 110V/220V | 60V/2.5A 110V/220V | 60V5A 110V/220V |
| Charging time | 6 hours (by 110V) | 4 hours | 3 hours |
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared in the June 2015 print issue of American Survival Guide.