From our correspondent in Japan | Hiromi Kinukawa | You must be wondering why no Japanese motorcycle makers are pushing into electric motorcycles, yet. However, finally, this electric motorcycle for kids is produced by a Japanese company.
Meow!
Yes, that is the name of the electric motorcycle. “DIRT FREAK”, a company specialised in off road motorcycle equipments comes out with this cute and nice eMoto for kids.
Safety first!
1. Lightweight
Machine itself weight around 12kg. 12kg is about 1.5 times more than a regular bicycle, which means for kids it is much easier to handle compared to a regular engine motorcycle. Also, much safer in case machine falls on rider when fall.
2. Auto motor stop
Meow is equipped with 3way sensor which detects machine falling and automatically kills motor to rotate. This eliminates unwanted injury after fall. In addition, since there are no chain or sprocket, Meow is much safer than engine motorcycles.
3. Speed adjustment
You can adjust top speed of your Meow depending on your child’s ability. From 6km/h to 20km/h in 3 steps. So kid can get used to Meow little by little without risking injury.
4. Certified
Meow is certified with Europe’s CE and North America’s FCC, UL.
Economic!
As a father of 5yrs old son, I am willing to give as much as possible to him, but for something that won’t last long, I need to be careful, you know like shoes, socks and so on that after a few month or so, you need to buy new ones to fit your kid’s body.
So as bicycle or motorcycle for kids. When my son turned 3yrs, I started to look for a motorcycle for him. A normal thing moto freak parent would do. However, at that time it was either HONDA/YAMAHA 50cc or Oset. As I am running an electric motorcycle news site, my only choice was Oset.
However, they are great, and am sure my son will love it, but price was too high for my budget, and also considering my son growing up, I had to wait to make sure I will buy the right model.
And now comes “Meow” almost one third of an Oset and still having basic feature of motorcycle with special safety equipments for kids.
There are two models, one with 12inch wheels designed for kids under 100cm height. And another model with 16inch wheels for grown ups. Priced at JPY69,000(w/o TAX) for 12inch model, and JPY78,000(w/o TAX) for 16inch model.
Express your character!
There are two frame colors and with optional 6 decal kits. You have total of 12 color versions to choose from. So kids can express their passion and character with Meow.
- Battery range of Meow is 30min~2hours depending on speed mode and accel usage.
- Charging is direct plug in to chassis, with charging time of 2hrs and a half.
- This enables to enjoy riding in the morning, charge during lunch time and again ride in the afternoon.
- Also, electric motorcycle is a great way to teach kid how to save and manage energy and learn how to balance fun and time.
Race!
In Japan, there is a kid category race held in conjunction with Top category off road racing series “JNCC”. Racing is not only winning for kids, it is a great challenge to know how to compete, to manage, and to finish. With Meow there are a lot less risk of injury thanks to its safety equipment.
Or, if you don’t want your kid to race, you can always take Meow to park or off road course to enjoy and to gain great experience that only motorcycle can provide.
Meow is ready to be shipped worldwide and DIRTFREAK is looking for distributors around the world.
If you are interested, contact
yotsuba-int@dirtfreak.co.jp
Official Website
https://www.yotsubakids.jp/yotsuba-moto-eng
Distributor in France
BUD racing
https://www.bud-racing.com/fr/
