The popularity of e-bikes just keeps on rising, if you can afford them. That's becoming a bigger 'if' than it was before, in the wake of tariff uncertainty, but it still remains true both inside and outside of the US.
And, I mean, there's a lot to love. While you'll always get the same kind of doom-and-gloom naysayers who decry anything they see as being overly trendy, or changing their perception of a thing they thought they understood, you'll find more riders flocking to them for their own, quite sensible reasons.
From the convenience of rideshare e-bikes, to how much easier they make things for folks who haven't been training religiously to run the Tour de France, or for those who have disabilities—honestly, there are probably far more instances where an e-bike is a net benefit than I'm listing here.
If you're the kind of person who's admired a fat tire e-bike, but wished it came in extremely attractive e-moped form, then you should probably know about the Yamaha Booster. Available in your choice of an almost MT-esque aqua or black, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a head turner.
For your short commute or errand-running needs, it has all the road-friendly necessities you need. LED lighting all around, disc brakes front and rear, a handy mirror on the left handlebar, a horn, a nice and tidy little TFT dash, and Pedelec assistive functionality to keep your ride mellow and easy.
Available in Europe, the Yamaha Booster is made to fit AM moped license criteria, and its lightweight aluminum chassis makes it a relative snap to move around. Weighing in at a claimed 36 kilograms (that's around 80 pounds), offering five different ride modes, and coming with a front fork setup that offers 80mm (just over 3 inches) of travel to soak up those potholes, this might be an ideal BFF for congested city centers.
E-mopeds like this make particular sense not only for life in congested cities, but specifically for life in congested city centers with low emissions zones. Pretty much since the beginning of life on two wheels, manufacturers have continually risen to meet the demands of the modern environment. If you know the history of heavy hitters like the Vespa or the Honda Cub, you know this. The Yamaha Booster seems like the next logical step (or tread) down this path.
It's good news if you live in Europe, where the Booster is currently rolling out through Yamaha's network. Unfortunately, if you live in the US, Yamaha pulled out of offering its e-bike range here, so once again we'll have to admire these from an ocean away. Sigh.
