A Vision on Two Wheels: Engineering a Custom Electric Bike
When a dynamic mobility startup approached WARNING MACHINES with a bold vision for a custom electric bike, they weren’t just seeking another off-the-shelf e-bike. They demanded something truly different: a modular, rugged, and exceptionally reliable electric bike, purpose-built for real-world urban logistics and ready for efficient, low-cost assembly.
At WARNING MACHINES, our mission is to transform ambitious ideas into tangible, manufacturable products. This project was a testament to that commitment. Here’s an exclusive look behind the curtain at how our team of expert engineers turned their innovative vision into a rideable, production-ready machine in a remarkable timeframe of under 90 days.
Defining the Mission Precision in Purpose
Before any design work began, our first critical step was to define the project’s core mission and functional requirements with meticulous care. This collaborative phase with the client ensured every engineering decision was aligned with the final product’s use case and business objectives. The client’s key requirements included:
- A custom Electric Bike designed explicitly for short-range urban logistics, demanding durability and practicality.
- A highly efficient swappable battery system for continuous operation and easy maintenance.
- Seamless rear-wheel motor integration without compromising balance or aesthetics.
- A lightweight yet robust aluminum frame to optimize performance and reduce overall weight.
- A design optimized for low-cost assembly in small batches, preparing for future scalability.
Our job at WARNING MACHINES was not just to meet these requirements, but to exceed them, always with real manufacturability and cost efficiency firmly in mind from day one. This deep understanding of manufacturing processes is what sets our hardware development services apart.
Frame Design & CAD Engineering: The Structural Blueprint
With the mission clearly defined, our mechanical engineering team dove into the heart of the bike: its frame design. This phase leveraged our advanced CAD engineering capabilities to bring the structural vision to life.
We initiated the process with:
- Multiple CAD sketches and iterative refinements using SolidWorks, allowing for rapid design exploration and optimization.
- A clever rear hub design meticulously crafted to safely house motor wiring, protecting it from environmental exposure and damage.
- Strategically placed mounting points for essential accessories, including robust baskets for cargo, integrated GPS modules for tracking, and discreet anti-theft systems.
- A unique lightweight frame geometry, drawing inspiration from the stability of BMX bikes for agile urban navigation and the practical comfort of classic Dutch bikes.
Every single bolt hole, weld point, and structural curve was designed not just for aesthetics or strength, but with future production tooling and efficient manufacturing processes as the paramount consideration. This focus on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) is integral to our prototyping services, ensuring a smooth transition from prototype to production.
Electronics & Power The Custom Electric Bike Intelligent Core
A custom electric bike demands a custom electrical system. Our in-house electronics team took on the challenge of developing the bike’s intelligent core, focusing on efficiency, modularity, and rider safety. This involved extensive PCB development and meticulous integration.
We carefully selected and integrated components, including:
- A powerful yet efficient 250W hub motor, equipped with regenerative braking capabilities to enhance range and extend battery life.
- A custom-designed PCB (Printed Circuit Board) tailored explicitly for precise power distribution across all bike components, along with integrated indicator lights for intuitive rider feedback.
- A modular battery system engineered for hot-swapping, allowing users to exchange batteries without downtime quickly – a crucial feature for urban logistics.
- A sophisticated Battery Management System (BMS) is seamlessly integrated into the seat tube, ensuring optimal battery health, safety, and performance.
Our dedicated team worked diligently, wiring, soldering, testing, and refining every circuit to ensure flawless functionality and reliability, highlighting our expertise in electronics assembly.
Prototyping & Assembly the Custom Electric Bike: Bringing the Vision to Life
The moment of truth arrived as we transitioned from digital designs to physical reality. Our rapid prototyping capabilities were crucial in enabling us to iterate quickly and cost-effectively.
Initial prototypes were meticulously built using:
- CNC-cut frame tubes ensure unparalleled precision and strength for the aluminum frame components.
- 3D-printed battery housing, allowing for quick iterations and functional testing of the modular battery system’s enclosure.
- A combination of off-the-shelf mechanical components for faster iteration cycles on fewer custom parts, accelerating the development timeline.
Rigorous real-world street tests were then conducted to validate performance and refine the design:
- Range and performance under various urban conditions.
- Vibration tolerance to ensure durability on diverse road surfaces.
- Rider comfort and optimal center of gravity for ergonomic design.
Through this intensive testing and feedback loop, we underwent 11 significant design revisions before confidently arriving at the final, optimized form of the custom electric bike prototype. This iterative approach is fundamental to our prototyping services.
Ready for Small-Batch Production: The Path to Market
The culmination of our efforts resulted in a custom electric bike design that was not only functional and robust but also perfectly poised for small-batch production—our focus on manufacturability paid off in this final stage.
The final product was delivered with key features designed for scalable assembly:
- Fully modular design, notably featuring tool-free battery removal for ultimate user convenience.
- Compatibility with both manual and automatic pedal sensors, offering flexibility for the client’s final product variations.
- Assembly processes are optimized for a 2-person manufacturing cell, highlighting efficiency for future production runs.
- Comprehensive documentation, including detailed exploded views and a meticulous Quality Control (QC) checklist, ensures consistency and quality throughout the manufacturing process.
The client is now confidently preparing their first production run, benefiting from the full support and technical expertise of the WARNING MACHINES team, demonstrating our capability in low-volume manufacturing.
What This Project Showed Beyond Flashy Design
This custom electric bike project beautifully illustrates a core philosophy at WARNING MACHINES: it’s not just about flashy design. It’s about real engineering – the kind that holds up on real roads, with real riders, and meets real-world deadlines. It’s about combining CNC machining, 3D printing, and PCB development expertise into a cohesive, scalable solution.
At WARNING MACHINES, we don’t just build custom electric bikes or any other hardware. We build systems that scale, ensuring manufacturability from the very first concept to a single, rideable prototype and beyond.
Partner with WARNING MACHINES for Your Next Mobility Innovation
If your startup or enterprise is building the next generation of mobility products – be it custom electric bikes, innovative scooters, or something the market hasn’t even seen yet WARNING MACHINES is ready to be your engineering partner.
Let us handle the complex hardware development, the precision prototyping, and the strategic planning for low-volume manufacturing. This way, you can focus on your core business and successfully launch your groundbreaking product to market.
