The bicycle craze of the 1880s and 1890s was probably the first big consumer boom. Young people took to the bicycle in droves as a means of freedom, inexpensive travel and exercise. However, as time went on and people got tired of pedaling, the single-cylinder motorcycle became popular. Early motorcycles would happily carry one rider up hills and around town at speeds up to 30 mph. Although motorcycles soon evolved to be bigger and faster, there continued to be a market for a simple, light machine. In 1948, Harley-Davidson sold 29,612 motorcycles — 10,117 of which were single-cylinder 125cc lightweights. Over a 10-year period, starting in 1959, Honda sold 101,106 Cubs.
Fast forward 60 years, after battery technology evolved to make lightweight, battery powered motors reliable and cost-effective, and the next step was the e-bike: a two-wheeled machine with pedals and a small electric motor. The modern e-bike appeared during the 1990s. Acceptance in the U.S. grew slowly until the COVID-19 pandemic led to skyrocketing sales.
The e-bike market has continued to grow, in part due to encouragement by different governmental entities. For example, in addition to rebates, California has recently opened some scenic trails to e-bikes where motorized vehicles were previously banned. In response, manufacturers have designed a wide variety of off-road and dual-sport e-bikes, which dealerships like Stealth Tahoe sell and rent, offering select brands built for a wide variety of surface conditions.
Stealth Tahoe is a standalone e-bike dealer, rental agency and repair shop, started in 2016 by partners Aaron Vacek and Anthony Zingaro in Truckee, California, a small town bordering the resort area of Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is a destination for four-season outdoor fun. Winter is skiing, snowmobiling and snowboarding. Spring and fall are fishing and trail riding seasons, and summer is the beach. Stealth Tahoe is busy three seasons out of four and recently started selling Moonbikes, an e-bike for the snow. It has less power than a snowmobile but is legally able to go many places in the Tahoe area where snowmobiles are banned.
The company started as a way for Vacek and Zingaro to spend more time in the mountains. Both were unhappily working at desk jobs and were spending all their free time in outdoor pursuits. In 2015, they hit on the idea of opening an e-bike retail outlet. It took a year to finalize the business plan, locate a store to rent and acquire inventory. The whole endeavor was self-financed.
“No one thought we were going to make it,” Vacek says. “When we both got laid off, we decided to go all in. Early autumn used to be our slow season, but we are so busy we haven’t been able to work on any of our off-season projects.”
One of the problems the duo encountered when they first opened was finding the right product for their area. Some brands don’t do well in mountainous territory, and the Truckee area is full of elevation changes. Vacek explains that most of their customers are either people who live in the area year-round or have vacation homes in the area. The average income in Truckee and Tahoe is quite high, and potential customers are willing to pay for the right product.
The city of Truckee has built a network of paved bicycle trails, and as a result, many people find that it is faster for kids to get to school and parents to get to work on an e-bike. The small machines have become so popular that the local police hold educational classes at schools on e-bike laws and safety. Vacek and Zingaro tried several different manufacturers, with limited success. Eventually, the partners encountered the SUPER73 brand at an event, decided to trial their products in 2017, and found that SUPER73’s were what customers were looking for.
“They sold faster than anything,” Vacek notes. Since then, Stealth Tahoe has started retailing non-street-legal dirt bikes made by E Ride Pro and Stealth Electric (a manufacturer not connected to Stealth Tahoe), RAD cargo and utility bikes, and Moonbikes.
Despite the concerns of some motorcycle dealers that electric vehicles will limit the profitability of the service department, the service department at Stealth Tahoe is a major profit center.
“We replace tires and brake pads and troubleshoot the electrical system,” he says. “Fifty percent of what we do is repairs to the chassis and 50% electrical. Customization is big — people want modifications to the brakes, controls, suspension and chassis.”
Interestingly, e-bike rentals are not an important part of the business. “Our primary customers are local. We do get some out-of-towners who want to spend a morning riding around, and we also rent to people who’s own bike is going to be in the shop for a while.”
Stealth Tahoe has found that the best advertising for the company is social media. “We built our name on word of mouth and good online reviews,” Vacek says. “Most people find out about us on social media.”
Vacek carefully tends social media and ratings sites, thanking people who post positive reviews and trying to resolve any complaints. The Facebook page is updated often. A frequent theme is family fun, with photos of attractive, young couples taking their toddlers for a spin.
“Stealth Tahoe is growing fast and wants to expand. The partners are exploring several possibilities, including hiring employees, opening a satellite store and setting up franchises. The sky is the limit in their eyes.
At this point in time, e-bikes are much more popular than electric motorcycles and probably exceed electric cars in sales. Vacek points out that the limited success of electric motorcycles can be traced to the lack of range and the lengthy charge times. He feels electric motorcycles and cars will increase in popularity once charging times decrease and range increases. With present-day technology, an e-bike is a practical vehicle for people with relatively short commutes. The small battery on an e-bike can be removed from the vehicle and charged at a desk while the owner is at work. An e-bike is relatively inexpensive and can legally go on bike paths and other places that a car or traditional motorcycle cannot go. The parking lots at the Truckee middle school and high schools are filled with e-bikes.
“The trend is to restrict gas power,” Vacek says. “The kids are learning on what they are going to be able to ride when they are older.”
Stealth Tahoe
11253 Brockway Road #103a,
Truckee, CA 96161
(530) 536-5089
https://stealthtahoe.com/
OEM: SUPER73, RAD, Stealth Electric, Moonbike, E Ride Pro, OneWheel
Aftermarket: GRZLY tires, Blain USA, Irv Labs, Loomenade, MBB
