Michael Blast Greaser E-Bike Review: A New Take on Retro

POSITIVES

✓ 5 inch LCD display

To monitor speed, range, & total mileage

✓ Comfortable to sit on

Ergonomic and stylish

✓ 7-speed gears

Front and rear disk brakes

NEGATIVES

✘ Weighs 63 pounds

Not easily transportable with a car

✘ 36 volt 13 mAH battery

Approximately four hours to charge

✘ Price Point

More expensive than some other electric bikes

Purchase Price: $2,100

buy on amazon

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees and support our channel by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

A New Take on Retro

Call me an old soul, but one of my guilty pleasures has always been collecting retro products. Collecting items from previous generations gives me a sense of identity in an oddly satisfying way. Everything we are today is a result of those products from the past.I know how ironic that is coming from a tech enthusiast who can’t wait for the future, but I like what I like.

Two years ago, I purchased something interesting that links the past with the present. Stylized after cafe racers of the 1960s, the Michael Blast Greaser Electric Bike immediately captured my attention when I came across it on Amazon. This is after all a modern electric bicycle molded after a classic motorcycle design. Cafe racers originated in London and were identified by their minimalist design. With semi-low mounted handlebars, a large center motor compartment (or in this case battery housing) as well as a gigantic attention seeking headlamp the Greaser personifies all the classic traits of a cafe racer.

Despite looking like a bad-ass motorcycle, I was curious how the Greaser would perform as an electric bike by today’s standards. The first thing any electric bike owner wants to know is charging time and battery capacity. The Greaser houses a 350W electric motor powered by a 36 volt 13 mAH battery. It takes approximately four hours to fully charge the battery. 

On urban terrain, I found I could stretch the top speed to about 25mph on a flat surface road. While I didn’t dare to deplete the battery completely, a casual ride around town and back home never gave me range anxiety thanks to the rather lofty battery. They advertise 37 miles per charge and for a bicycle that’s plenty enough for most urban round trips.

Having that terrific range is great, but it comes at a cost as the Greaser weighs 63 pounds and is not a bike that is easily transportable with a car. That means this is truly an urban transportation vehicle and is meant to be ridden to and from your location. I probably won’t be throwing this into my car to take to the beach. 

There’s an easily legible 5 inch LCD non-touch screen display where you can monitor your speed, range, total mileage and drive mode. The interface is user friendly and all the buttons required to navigate the bike’s display are conveniently spaced around the screen. The power button turns on the bike while a + and - button adjusts your ride speed on the fly. 

Unlike a motorcycle or something like the Swagcycle, you don’t use the handle bar as a throttle to accelerate. The Greaser forces you to press a distinct toggle under the right handlebar to drive the bike. The cool factor would have been through the roof accelerating with a hand bar throttle, but I do understand why this layout is more practical considering it is a bicycle and not a motorcycle.

Another feature I find pivotal to the riding experience on the Greaser is assisted pedaling. The analogy in which I would explain assisted pedaling is that it is the bike equivalent of a 401k contribution. After you exert energy pedaling, the motor will contribute a certain amount of force to assist you in your battle against gravity. When I’m not lazy, this is a fun way to get some exercise in and not overexert yourself. There’s a lot of versatility in this ride mode thus making it simple to alternate between assisted pedaling and not pedaling at all. Some days when you need to go to a coffee shop for a date and you don’t want sweat to stain your clothes, just hit the throttle and let the bike take you to your destination while you enjoy the wind against your face.

For a transportation method, the Greaser is pleasantly comfortable to sit on for long rides. The leather seat is ergonomic and stylish in my opinion. I’m 5’8 and although the ride height is slightly higher than what I’d prefer as a result of the dual springs elevating my feet barely past the point of comfortability, you do adjust to it after a few rides. The Greaser is a little clunky off and running due to the bulky size of the bike, but once it gets in stride it handles well.

Accompanying the assisted pedaling are 7 speed gears with front and rear disk brakes. Thanks to the gigantic fat tires, the ride is effortlessly smooth and performs effectively. I feel in control at almost all times when driving the Greaser. Takeoff and stopping at a full halt are the only times I feel like I give up some control due to the center heavy frame. However, what really completes the look of the Greaser is the large motorcycle lamp, front and center. The light is impressively bright and is both a practical and excellent way to give the bike its own distinct personality. 

As much as I want to buy a motorcycle one day, the roadblocks preventing me from doing so are rather substantial. Insurances, licenses and restrictive motorcycle laws make it quite a hassle for weekend riders. I have no plans to drive a motorcycle as my primary form of transportation, but that’s why a bike like this has a market . It has the cool factor look of a motorcycle with the functionality to transport you with minimal effort using the throttle. Because the Greaser’s max speed is less than the maximum legal speed for a bicycle, you can accomplish all of this legally without the hurdles of insurances and licenses. 

I know $2,100 MSRP sounds expensive but if you look at the overall market for electric bicycles, the Greaser really isn’t far off from competitors. What personifies this e-bike from others is the heritage it claims to represent. Cafe racers once ruled the streets in England and riding this bike today will bring you back to a time when the designs of our machines brought us a sense of beauty and wonderment. That’s what it means to be retro.

---

---