Sterka M1: A Build-It-Yourself e-Bike

Sterka M1 is a modular, build-it-yourself e-bike that people can upgrade, customize and build themselves.

Inspired by a career in professional RC racing, father and son duo, Rick and JJ Wang, created an e-bike kit that appealed to builders, mountain bikers and tinkerers.

This is a fully functional pedelec e-bike that can be assembled in three hours. With the included stock components, builders can control their riding settings based off of terrain conditions by adjusting the front and rear suspension for rugged trails. You can also swap out the tires for urban riding. The creators made it easy to swap out existing parts with any upgrades you may want in the future; this way the bike can be maintained and last for quite some time.

The 350W Mid Drive Pedelec motor at the core of the bike provides rider support, which drives the crank instead of the wheel doing the work. This multiplies the bike’s power and takes advantage of the Sturmey-Archer 5-gear internal hub transmission.

Photo Courtesy: Sterka

The Pedelec motor also features two sensors that help the bike’s performance. The Torque Pedal Assist System measures the actual force of your pedaling and uses the engine to keep the same effort when going up hills to maintain speed.

The Cadence Pedal Assist System is recommended for flatter conditions, and measures your pedaling to add boosts and speeds through manual adjustment.

The Sterka M1 is made from carbon fiber sheets and #6061 aluminum alloy material. The total weight of the bike, including the battery, is under 60 lbs.

Front and rear pneumatic shock absorbers provide riding comfort and an adjustable pre-load pressure corresponds to the rider’s weight to alleviate impact from the road surface.

Additional components are included with the Sterka such as a LCD display, LED headlamp, thumb-control PAS and a USB port.