More Shop Visits >>

Rural Bali's Sepeda Listrik

The Editors, eBikesDaily.com

Near Ubud, Bali, Indonesia  -  April 4, 2009  10:00 GMT

Meet Giri.

Giri is the son of the founder of a bengkel, a garage, for motorcycles in rural Bali.  By far, small motorcycles are the main form of transportation on this tropical Indonesian island.

His family's repair shop, Osin Motors, is  located just four kilometers from Ubud, an ever-expanding town popular for its traditional Balinese art and Hindu ceremonies, expatriate fine arts community, handicraft workshops, tourist bungalows and small, scenic hotels, amidst rice paddies and narrow river gorges.

The bengkel is not quite in Ubud, nor is it in the nearby rural villages of Singakerta and Sayan.  It is about 100 meters south of a busy intersection, where the low buildings of family-run eateries and small groceries are dominated by a Pertamina government petrol station.

Through this crossroads passes most of the tourist and commercial traffic between the busy sea-level provincial capital, Denpasar, thirty minutes to the south, and the mountain towns of Batur and Kintamani thirty minutes to the north.

Nine months ago, in July 2008, Giri became the area's first dealer of e-bikes (sepeda listrik in Bahasa Indonesia).

His bikes are Taiwanese designs, manufactured in Solo, Java, by Trekko, at a factory opened in 2006. 

They reach his shop via Denpasar, where there is a larger retailer, also in business since 2006.

Support from that dealer can be slow.  The market seems still too small to justify keeping even a small inventory of bikes and parts.

Accordingly, Giri is cautious about advertising at present.  He fears creating dissatisfied customers, should he be unable to meet their expectations for the delivery of bikes, parts, and service.

His caution seems wise, as his potential customers are largely Westerners, with Western expectations, residing in villas in the area.

Osin Motors had only one e-scooter in stock when we visited.  Other models available, Trekko's Flame, Flash and Meteor, appear in the brochures at the bottom of this article.

Giri says he can have a new Meteor at his shop  for a buyer tomorrow.  In Indonesia, "tomorrow" often means sometime, anytime in the future.

Retail price?  About 5,800,000 Indonesian Rupiah, or about USD 500, the same price as a quite well-worn second-hand motorbike.

In his nine months as a Trekko dealer, Giri has sold eight units.

This seems an accomplishment, considering that there are only several kilometers of flat streets, lanes, and alleys between the steep roads that traverse narrow river gorges throughout the area.  Also, one must consider the modest climbing ability of his bikes, his shop's non-central location, and his lack of advertising.

Of the eight units sold, seven bikes were purchased by foreign residents -- members of the expatriate community composed mostly of ecologically-minded Europeans, Australians, and North Americans.

One unit was purchased by a Balinese.

As word spreads in the growing town of Ubud about the e-bikes at Osin Motors nearby, sales are sure to increase. 

We look forward to watching Giri's business grow.

For more photos from Giri's shop, and to see some promotional flyers
for the Trekko Meteor, Flame, and Flash,
click here >>

More Shop Visits >>

Visit eBikesDaily.com each day for photos and news of smart riders and the electric bikes and scooters they use for daily transport.  Here are the bikes and people who help drive today's exciting innovation in e-bikes worldwide.