Benelli Public Service e-Bike: Built for the Job

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by Eric Barnes, EMSCI #400-B/PCI #1908-B
Cypress Creek (TX) EMS/Montgomery County Constables Office Pct. 3

With e-Bikes slowly but surely making their way into public safety cycling, Cypress Creek EMS (CCEMS) has added five Benelli Public Service e-Bikes to its fleet. Benelli, which has been manufacturing motorcycles since 1911, introduced its first e-Bike to the European market one hundred years later, in 2011. They broke into the US market in 2018 with the creation of a new rear hub drive e-Bike specifically designed for public safety cycling.

Members of the CCEMS team were initially introduced to this product at the 2019 IPMBA Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Two weeks later, a demo model was at our facility for use during the Memorial Hermann Ironman Triathlon, which was held on April 27th. I spent 18 hours riding the bike in conditions ranging from crowded spectator areas (using no supplemental power) to open routes on the course, using power to move from section to section making emergent responses. The bike performed well and made my long day much easier. Based largely on our experience at the Ironman, we decided the bikes would be an asset to our organization.

Since taking delivery of our new bikes in August of 2019, we have deployed them at numerous events. With nothing but big smiles and positive feedback from the riders and the public, we have even converted a few skeptics. The Benelli platform enables our medics to ride further, longer, and respond faster to emergency incidents. The increased time we spend on the bikes gets us out in view of the public more often and encourages more interaction with the people we are there to support. The Benelli e-Bike is frequently a conversation piece among the general public as well as other public safety professionals. With the motor located in the rear hub rather than in the center of the bike, most people don’t immediately recognize it as an e-Bike.

The eye-opener for everyone we talk to is when we explain that the e-Bike enables us to respond more effectively to serious medical or traumatic emergencies and in-progress calls. Additionally, when they arrive on scene, the riders are not spent. With plenty of “gas in the tank”, they are able to perform any treatment required or perform essential law enforcement functions. This in turn increases officer and medic safety and efficacy.

Some call riding the e-Bikes “cheating”. Well, to them I say, “If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’”. In this line of work, if some gee-whiz new thing makes the performance of my duties easier, I’m all in. With that said, there are times while riding slow-speed, such as in crowded areas, you have to pedal with no power assist. The Benelli is not difficult to ride without the assist, but the added weight of the bike made it feel at times like I was one or two cassette gears too high.

Switching the power assist off when riding slow in high pedestrian traffic areas and turning the controller off when dismounted will extend the battery life during a shift. I got into the habit of switching the controller off and on when dismounted due to the bikes’ auto-off feature. That way, when I mount the bike, I know it has been turned back on and I am ready to respond.

The Benelli Public Service e-Bike is designed and built specifically for public safety cyclists. The integrated rear rack frame adds stiffness to the frame and supports more weight than aftermarket products. The adjustable stem facilitates use as pool bikes because individual riders are able to make adjustments for comfort and rider efficiency. The tires offer a good balance of fast-rolling, small block tread in the center and larger side knobs for grip. The tires are 2.8” wide and feel stable when riding at higher than conventional bike speeds. You just need to be careful in harder leaning corners on paved or hard-packed surfaces as the tires do feel and act more like a knobby, trail-style tire.

One of the unique features of this bike, being purpose-built, is the integrated safety equipment. The headlight/tail light, emergency lights, and horn (yes, it has a motorcycle horn) are all powered by the same battery that powers the motor. All of the wiring runs internally, which keeps the appearance of the bike very clean. The lighting system is comprised of a three-light cluster with a large center (white) headlamp and two smaller emergency lights (red/blue). The emergency lights have two flash patterns controlled with via a left side, handlebar-mounted controller

Since it can’t be sunshine and rainbows all the time, here are some relative downsides. The bike weighs more than a conventional bike, so certain tactics and techniques are more difficult. A stair carry for EMS would be a challenge and might necessitate an alternate route to the patient or a two-person carry. Law enforcement officers who perform BRT skills that involve lifting the bike, such as forward at the half step, will find it more physically demanding. Currently, the bike is only offered in two frame sizes, medium and large. The top rack frame is integrated and strong, but it is slightly wider than a typical frame, which makes mounting some one-piece bag/pannier sets difficult. Also, the battery location under the top rack frame causes a top rack bag to sit higher, which makes mounting and dismounting more challenging for “vertically challenged” riders.

The battery has a locking feature; once slid onto the track and seated, a pin locks the battery in place with a key. Each bike comes with two keys; however, each bike is keyed differently. This makes sense for individuals but does not work as well with pool bikes.

The cost is another relative negative; however, when compared with the cost of a conventional bike from a reputable manufacturer equipped with mid-range components and racks, bags, lights, etc., the cost of the Benelli e-Bike is only marginally higher. The integrated headlight, taillight and emergency equipment are included in the base price, which is still significantly less expensive than many other public safety oriented e-Bikes.

One of the best parts of this purchase has been the level of customer service and technical support we have received. Any questions or concerns we have had thus far have been answered without undue delay, usually with a quickly returned phone call or email.

The Benelli team has truly gone above and beyond to make this bike work for EMS as well as for law enforcement. Based on input from us and other testing agencies about the first-generation model, Benelli made several changes to the design and manufacture.

We requested a rear-mounted kickstand to support the heavier EMS gear and panniers and that they add an attachment point to the top rack frame to secure the lower pannier hooks, which they did. We also suggested that they upgrade the braking system. Benelli upgraded the discs from 180mm to 203mm, adding a little more “whoa” to balance out all the e-Bike “go”. Several other upgrades were made to the second generation e-Bike, and it is now even more well-suited for public safety use.

Benelli Public Service E-Bike

Key Specifications

Frame: 27.5" Aluminum Alloy 6061
Brakes: 203mm TEKTRO Hydraulic Discs
Derailleur: Shimano Acera 1 x 9
Front Suspension: SUNTOUR XCT 29"
Tires: 27.5 x 2.8 WTB Trailblazer
Rims: 36-spoke
Rear Rack: Frame Welded, 88-lb Capacity
Saddle: Selle Royal Comfort Gel
Handlebar Mount: Adjustable -10° to +50°
Pedals: Metal w/Adjustable Studs
Electrical Controls: Motorcycle style: Fully Integrated with System Battery
Headlight: 2400 Lumen, 4 LED
Flashers (F/R): Red/Blue LED Flashers
Stoplight (R): Red LED, Flashing
Horn: 110dB Motorcycle Style

Additional Features:

Motor and Derailleur Protection
Rock Bros Bags with Panniers
Rear Mounted Side Stand
Multi-tone Siren

Performance

Max Assisted Speed: 22 mph
Range at full charge: Up to 40 miles
Power Assist: 3 Levels
Net Weight: 44 lbs
Charge Time (max): 4 hours
Battery: 36V/10.4AH Lithium-Ion
Motor: 350W rear hub
Rated Power: 500W

The Benelli Public Service E-Bike currently retails for $1998. Color, size and identification labeling options are available. For general or purchasing information, contact Ron Toler with Benelli North America at 1-800-832-2966 ext 800, or by email.

Eric is currently a Special Operations Specialist for Cypress Creek EMS (CCEMS), where he is the Team Leader for a multi-jurisdictional special operations group. He is a course coordinator for multiple trauma courses for the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. He is a deputy constable with the Montgomery County Constables Office Precinct 3, a commissioned peace officer since 2011, and has been in EMS since 1999. He speaks nationally on public safety training and specializes in tactical emergency medicine and tactical operational medical support. He can be reached at ebarnes@ccems.com.

Photo courtesy Cypress Creek EMS.

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