The Toronto creators behind an electric bike that looks and feels like a motorcycle — as in, very, very cool — had their moment in the spotlight this month when they appeared on Dragons’ Den to pitch the innovation and subsequently went totally viral. Beachman founders Ben Taylor and Steven Payne appeared on the show on Thursday, Oct. 1, and when a clip from their episode was posted to Instagram, the comments and likes blew up.
Most clips from the series showcasing hopeful Canadian entrepreneurs get between 20,000 to 400,000 views and up to 10,000 likes. Taylor and Payne’s pitch racked up over a million views over the weekend and over 40,000 likes.
If you’ve ever strolled down Ossington or Dupont and spotted a not-quite-bike, not-quite-motorcycle that’s unlike the usual clunky e-bikes zooming across the city, you’ve spotted a local sensation in the wild: the Beachman electric bike. Designed and built by the Toronto duo, the brand has developed a bit of a cult following in the city and beyond over the years — and now it seems the rest of the world is taking notice.
Viewers flooded the comments with praise for the bikes and plans to buy one of their own.
“I want one of these so bad. Two friends have them and they look and ride so nice,” one person commented.
“I’ve had a Beachman 64 LSM for about a year now. I absolutely love it. It’s tons of fun,” another fan of the e-bike company commented.
As viewers of Dragons’ Den learned, Beachman bikes are sort of North America’s answer to the Vespa. The bikes comply with provincial codes regarding speed, power and weight while being designed to both look and handle like motorcycles with a retro edge. They’re also totally silent, unlike real motorcycles that roar through the city.
Beachman has expanded since the founders spoke with Streets of Toronto in 2024, creating their first e-motorcycle after becoming the first Canadian company in over 80 years to receive a motorcycle manufacturing license.
The best part? Every single bike is hand-built in Toronto.
Currently, the Beachman e-bike requires no license, registration or insurance to ride, as it’s classified as a Class-2 e-bike in Ontario. The new motorcycle, which is classified as a Limited Speed Motorcycle (it can hit up to 70 km per hour), does require a valid driver’s license, registration and insurance.
If you’re interested in joining the Beachman wave, prepare to shell out $4,999 (or $5,999 for the motorcycle). But according to Taylor, it’ll all be worth it. “I get a lot of nice letters from people after they get their bikes, telling me that every day is a joyride.”
