The American brand with the Italian name Bacchetta has been around in the recumbent world for quite a few years. It’s best known for its very fast models, though many people have also used Bacchetta bikes for unsupported multi-day tours or laid-back rides around town. Surprisingly, the so-called LWB (Long Wheel Base) model Bella was one of its bestsellers.

Today’s recumbent scene, however, revolves mostly around trikes. Bacchetta did briefly offer a trike called CT 2.0, but it was essentially a rebadged model from Swedish manufacturer Carbon Trikes, and their collaboration ended during the COVID pandemic. But that’s a different story.

At present, Bacchetta—under the leadership of Dana Lieberman—doesn’t offer any trikes. Since taking over the brand, Dana has been exploring which direction to take to boost sales significantly. It’s no big surprise that besides the performance-oriented two-wheel recumbents, he found his path in e-bikes. He initially collaborated with Portland-based TerraCycle, which helped convert non-electric Bacchetta frames to accommodate motors. His first e-assist model, the Pronto, was unveiled at Cycle-Con in 2023. That first bike featured a mid-drive motor, but the downtube-style battery was still mounted on the seat. And it was a success. Dana decided to take things a step further, enhance the look of his bikes, and at the end, elevate the entire recumbent category.

Just a few days ago, Bacchetta revealed the first photos of two new models in the electric Pronto line: the dual 26″ SWB (Short Wheel Base) stick bike Pronto Alto and the 20/26″ LWB Pronto Bella. Both bikes now feature not only an integrated Bafang M510 mid-drive motor, but also an integrated battery—something now standard in the world of upright e-bikes, but unseen among recumbents. These two new Bacchettas are, after the Performer e-Unicorn, the first recumbents with a fully integrated electric system. However, e-Unicorn is still kind of hidden model, Performer doesn’t have it on a webpage and only few people have ever seen it. So the fact that Bacchetta is coming with such a solution is fantastic news! On top of that, both them look seriously good.

As mentioned, both models are built around the Bafang M510 motor. It is a powerful and lightweight mid-drive motor designed specifically for high-performance e-bikes. With a nominal output of 250 watts and a peak torque of 95 Nm, it provides strong support for steep climbs and fast acceleration. Thanks to its magnesium housing, the M510 weighs just 2.9 kg / 6.4 lbs—making it one of the lightest motors in its class. Optimized for sporty riding, the M510 features improved cadence sensing, and better heat management compared to its predecessor, the M500. It supports a high pedaling cadence of up to 120 rpm, offering smooth and responsive assistance.

While the Pronto Bella has its battery positioned above the bottom bracket, with a short, shaped tube housing it, the Pronto Alto—with two 26″ wheels—uses the entire mainframe tube to store a 14Ah integrated battery. This required the development of a new sliding seat clamp, now significantly larger to fit the wider tube. A notable detail on the Pronto Bella is the use of a headset that allows for internal cable routing into the frame. On that topic, Dana Lieberman says: “We are just using it for the motor wires. It is too much of a pain for shifter and brake cables, and I don’t want to subject the future mechanic of the bike to that headache.”

You can find more detailed descriptions of both bikes on the Bacchetta Bikes website—Pronto Alto here and Pronto Bella here. I’d love to take them for a spin and bring you a short review, and I’m expecting nothing less than top-tier handling. But with no Cycle-Con happening this year, it’s anyone’s guess when I’ll get the chance.