David Couthard on an electric bike ........!

[Peter Thornton]

Just watching C4 Spa F1 qualifying. One segment shows David Couthard along with a pro cyclist and a racing driver on a bike ride in the Belgian countryside. DC seemed to be keeping up well and I was beginning to suspect he was getting a little help, admitted right at the end, but I didn't get to see which bike it was. Anyone get the make and model?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It looked like a Vivax motor to me because it turned the crank.

 

[RobF]

I'm sure one of the current F1 drivers did a promotional pic of riding an ebike in the paddock of a track a couple of years ago.

 

[flecc]

There have been several cases of teams in F1 using e-bikes. Toyota when they had an F1 racing team supplied them for use in and around the paddock, I think in year 2008. They used the second generation Panasonic crank unit. Toyota are bicycle manufacturers of course.

The following year they stopped entering the F1 team, probably realised e-bikes were far more worthwhile!
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[Crockers]

I never knew Toyota made bikes. Never seen a Prius ebike.

 

[Peter Thornton]

I didn't get a proper look at the bike but it looked as if it was a "stealth" one with the battery hidden in a bottle?

 

[flecc]

I never knew Toyota made bikes. Never seen a Prius ebike.

Their bicycle side is only in Japan, but they did team up with another company to make a Prius e-bike. Gear shifting is by thought! Information link.

Their Lexus luxury division also released an over $10,000 normal bicycle. Information link.
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[chris_n]

It looked like a Vivax motor to me because it turned the crank.

They have one in their shop in town sitting there on a turbo doing just thay all day!

 

[Retyred1]

I never knew Toyota made bikes. Never seen a Prius ebike.

I believe Yamaha is a subsidiary of Toyota. Sure I've read that somewhere.

 

[flecc]

I believe Yamaha is a subsidiary of Toyota. Sure I've read that somewhere.

The Yamaha electric bikes and motors are a division of Yamaha Motors and under their own control. Yamaha Motors are the largest shareholder of their company.

Toyota have connections to some other Japanese motor companies but I can't find any trace of a Toyota connection witn Yamaha Motors.

There's lots of other Yamahas of course, the ship builders, the musical instrument company and the electrical company for example, and no doubt others.
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[egroover]

Coulthard was riding one of these
http://www.typhoonbicycles.com/product/road/

 

[Andrew Ford]

Coulthard was riding one of these
http://www.typhoonbicycles.com/product/road/

Mmmmm very nice

I'll take Two LOL

Andy

 

[flecc]

Coulthard was riding one of these
http://www.typhoonbicycles.com/product/road/

Using the Vivax downtube motor then.
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[egroover]

Using the Vivax downtube motor then.
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Nope, I don't think it is, looks like they have developed their own patented downtube motor
http://ebiketips.co.uk/content/news/the-10000-typhoon-e-assist-packs-a-250w-hidden-motor-interview-and-video-50

 

[Deleted member 4366]

That got me thinking about ultra-light motors. I wonder how much power you get out of a hub dynamo if you used it as a motor? Which ones are three-phase?

 

[Benjahmin]

Coulthard was riding one of these
http://www.typhoonbicycles.com/product/road/

HOW MUCH?
It won't matter how many freebies they hand out, I can't see it entering the mass market.

 

[flecc]

HOW MUCH?
It won't matter how many freebies they hand out, I can't see it entering the mass market.

People in F1 live in an unreal world, their one hundred has five noughts.
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[egroover]

People in F1 live in an unreal world, their one hundred has five noughts.
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I doubt DC paid for the bike, in fact they probably pay him, so they can say he's a 'customer' lol

 

[Retyred1]

The Yamaha electric bikes and motors are a division of Yamaha Motors and under their own control. Yamaha Motors are the largest shareholder of their company.

Toyota have connections to some other Japanese motor companies but I can't find any trace of a Toyota connection witn Yamaha Motors.

There's lots of other Yamahas of course, the ship builders, the musical instrument company and the electrical company for example, and no doubt others.
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Your probably right, Toyota & Yamaha have a very close relationship with each holding shares in the other company, but not ownership. In the past they have worked with each other on motors and very closely in racing, I once owned an import Toyota van that was supplied to Yamaha racing - even had Yamaha brand on the alloy cam cover!
2012 Toyota & Yamaha entered into an arrangement to build ebikes. Don't know if this still exists.

 

[flecc]

Your probably right, Toyota & Yamaha have a very close relationship with each holding shares in the other company, but not ownership. In the past they have worked with each other on motors and very closely in racing, I once owned an import Toyota van that was supplied to Yamaha racing - even had Yamaha brand on the alloy cam cover!
2012 Toyota & Yamaha entered into an arrangement to build ebikes. Don't know if this still exists.

Yes, when Yamaha packed in supplying F1 engines in 1999, the Toyota F1 team and engine quickly followed and were racing in 2002. I always suspected that wasn't a coincidence, suspecting Toyota picked up where Yamaha left off.
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