Infinite Machine Olto Review: A Tremendously Fun Ride
This is a 176 pound e-bike, so you’re not going to be carrying it around to keep it safe. Instead, you’ll have to live with the fact that you’ll have to park the Olto on the sidewalk or street; you can lock it like any other bike.
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
But you don’t need to secure it, as there is a lock for the motor and steering that activates automatically when the bike is turned off. There’s also a very sensitive alarm that roars if someone tries to modify the bike (it could be louder), with a battery backup that can run for weeks, keeping the Olto’s GPS and alarm alive. If someone manages to carry it, you can track their location through the app. (This backup battery recharges when you put the main battery back under the seat, but if you leave the Olto unattended long enough and it dies, you won’t be able to track the vehicle’s location.)
I made a mixture of the two. I locked the Olto to public bike racks, but also left it standing between parked cars several times (usually for two to three hours). I once received an alert in the app that someone had triggered the alarm, but I checked the location and the bike hadn’t moved. I suspect someone touched it, heard the alarm and panicked. I took a deep breath and continued with my day, and luckily, when I returned to the Olto a few hours later, he was there.
I’m fortunate to have a backyard in Brooklyn, New York, with access to a security gate, which allows me to keep the Olto in a safe place overnight. This has greatly helped alleviate my anxiety about someone stealing or vandalizing it, but it’s also far from the norm. You’ll have to trust Infinite Machine’s GPS, alarm system, and your favorite bike lock, and hope for the best when you park it outside your apartment. (Maybe get it in black, which stands out less.)
Edge Runner
Photography: Julian Chokkattu
I love the old-world charm – I drive a Fiat 500 and desperately want to own a Maeving RM2 – but I don’t have a motorcycle license yet, so the Olto fills that gap. It feels sturdier than a normal electric bike but is not as powerful as a motorcycle. Really, even though it’s a cool-toned, sleek, monolithic industrial look, I can’t help but feel like I’m on the Amalfi Coast about to climb into a Vespa when I put on my open-face helmet.
