Culture
That gnarly electric bike from ‘Westworld’ is actually real, and you can order it right now
You too can live in a science fiction dystopia for a mere several thousand dollars.
When I was watching this last episode of Westworld (episode seven of season three,) I noticed Aaron Paul’s character Caleb roll into a scene with a very futuristic looking electric bike. I’ll admit I was whisked away by the plot and Evan Rachel Wood’s self-confidence destroying cheekbones and completely forgot about it until today, when avid Westworld theory-crafter Hax Dogma mentioned the bike in their latest video. Somewhat unusually, the showrunners (or sales people) decided to leave the brand name in: Trefecta. Turns out; this is a bike that (probably) exists in our world and you can order one right now.
I say probably because the company has been around for quite a while but doesn’t seem to have shipped many bikes. There was an Indiegogo campaign that started back in November of last year, but the company’s Vimeo page has videos of what appears to be the same bike that date all the way back to 2014. That said, the “updates” portion of the Indiegogo has an all-too-familiar mea culpa on coronavirus-related delays, plus a few manufacturing updates for parts like the aluminum frame. We’ve reached out to Trefecta and will update this post if the company responds. It doesn’t seem like total vaporware, more like a special-order piece of kit.
The bike, regardless of age or availability, is hot. Just look at that shot above. That solid aluminum frame? The Tron-esque swing arm? Looks great. But does it go fast? Well, according to one of the company’s 2015 brochures, the top-end DRT model can go up to 70 kph, or about 43.5 mph, which isn’t bad at all for a pedal-assist bike. The Trefecta does have a throttle, so you can use it without pedaling, but the range will obviously take a hit. It’s unclear whether the 50 kilometer range cited in the brochure is with or without pedaling, but from my experience with the Sur Ron, 50 kilometers seems plausible using just the throttle.
This video from 2015 featuring company founder Haiko Visser goes over several of the design details of the Trefecta. Notably the bike appears to have been made for military use first, which is corroborated by some of the early articles written about it. This is actually quite fitting for the universe of Westworld, where technological development serves mostly to benefit and protect the ruling aristocracy. Spoiler for those who aren’t caught up: Caleb is essentially a mercenary, so it makes perfect sense that he’d be outfitted with an overpowered electric bike that was comically marketed to billionaires while doing double duty with the military.
On the one hand, this bike does look cooler than its more affordable competitor, the Sur Ron. On the other hand, you can actually buy the Sur Ron. You can buy a new battery for it without making any international phone calls. But is it neat that at least enough of these Trefecta bikes exist to get one onto the set of Westworld? Absolutely. Plus the fact that the bike still looks futuristic after half a decade is a testament to its striking industrial design.
Update: Trefecta founder and board chairman Haiko Visser responded to a request for comment saying the following:
"Due to the Corona Crisis we expect a two to three months delay, due to delayed deliveries of components across the board. Nonetheless we are doing our utmost to limit the delays as best we can."
And that:
"The normal retail price is €9990 euro for the full option Trefecta RDR."
Visser also mentioned that the Trefecta that appeared in Westworld was in fact the DRT model.