Get your motor runnin’, err, make that charging.
A few weeks ago, Harley-Davidson’s spinoff brand, Serial 1, announced that they would be taking pre-orders for their new e-bike portfolio. According to Aaron Frank, Brand Director, the initial product offerings will be targeted toward casual recreational riders and urban commuters. Available in four different models, the battery-powered bikes will have a price range of $3,399 to $4,999, and will be available in America and Germany next year, with additional countries to be added as they support new growth opportunities. But with an iconic name like Harley-Davidson, why would the Serial 1 brand branch off?
“Engaging the e-bicycle market through this joint venture with a dedicated brand allows Harley-Davidson to play a key role in the e-bike mobility revolution while allowing Serial 1 the opportunity to focus exclusively on the e-bicycle space, to better understand the customer, and to deliver an unmatched riding experience rooted in the core Harley-Davidson values of freedom and adventure,” Aaron explained. While the Serial 1 collection represents the future of electric bicycles, the company is also harnessing the power of the past. Two years before Harley-Davidson was founded, 20-year-old co-founder William S. Harley drew up plans for a small motor designed to be used in a traditional pedal-bike frame.“When the company was founded in 1903, the motorcycle was the cutting edge of personal mobility,” Aaron explained. “Thus, Harley-Davidson Motor Company became a motorcycle company. I believe that there is a strong case to be made that if Harley-Davidson was formed in 2020, the pedal-assist electric bicycle could be considered the cutting edge of personal mobility, at least in urban areas. So in some ways, Serial 1 is about channeling that original entrepreneurial spirit of Harley-Davidson’s founders, and applying it to our modern context. And that’s why the company takes its name from ‘Serial Number One,’ the nickname of Harley Davidson’s oldest known motorcycle.”Depending upon the model, the Serial 1 e-bike can reach top speeds of 28 miles per hour. The top-tier model, the RUSH/CTY SPEED, is equipped with an airy, mid-mounted Brose TF MAG motor that churns out 66 ft.-lb. of torque. This innovative technology is seamlessly paired with the aesthetics of Harley-Davidson’s loop-frame prototype.Aaron, author of The Harley-Davidson Story: Tales from the Archives, appreciates the company’s compelling history as not only a motorcycle company, but a mobility company. The Serial 1 brand will continue to carry this long lineage of mobility and adventure to a brand new target audience, while paying homage to Harley-Davidson’s past. “You can have that same spirit of adventure in the confines of your city on an electric bike. You don’t have to take two weeks and ride a motorcycle across the country. You can take two hours and discover new parts of your city that are only accessible on an e-bicycle,” Aaron stated.
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February 14, 2018
The Vintagent Selects: Josh Kurpius DKS! Harley Davidson Ambassador
DKS! went to Milwaukee, WI. to meet up…
A few weeks ago Harley showed a prototype of their e-bike. It did look really attractive! I cannot understand why the finished product looks so dowdy now. You can put fenders and racks on a bicycle and still look sexy. LeMond can do it… why not Serial 1?
I recognize H-D’s desperate need to regain relevancy ( and sales ) But the fact is .. despite the attempts at revisionist history … this aint what’s gonna do the trick . In fact … I’d place serious odds and dollars this’ll only put them deeper into the hole they’ve dug themselves over the last decade .
So what do I suggest ?
First off … they need to cleanse themselves of the stench of the last four years of misguided self destructive corporate cronyism ( distancing themselves from all politics on both sides of the aisle in the future )
Second .. they need to ream their investors a new one .. demanding they grow up and recognize every year will not always be a good year
And last … over the holidays ( such as they are ) their top brass needs to forego vacation plans … pull up a nice comfy leather recliner / lounger in front of the fireplace …. pour themselves a sturdy libation ( I’d recommend a bottle of pre – buyout Stranahans ) …
… and READ/re-read Faith Popcorns 80’s business classic … ” The Popcorn Report ” … then start taking major steps to become H-D again … rather than trying to follow one trendy wendy bouncing ball to perdition or another
Cause if they don’t … we’re probably witnessing the beginning of the end of a national icon
This … as a reminder .. from one who’s had H-D’s in the family … since 1926
Rock On – Ride On – Remain Calm ( despite it all ) and hopefully do Carry On
😎
No mention of the U.S. or North American component content in these e-bikes — likely non-existent. “Designed in Milwaukee/Made in Shanghai” won’t pair well with a Stars n’ Stripes do-rag. But 66 lb-ft is probably more twist than an 883 Sporty can muster. In terms of portability, e-bikes ain’t your dad’s Colnago: they’re heavy! Don’t expect to lug your $5,000 Serial 1 up three flights of stairs to that city apartment you’re sharing with three other woke young urbanites. And, what’s an “airy” electric motor…?
I’m guessing, even the most costly spin doctors money can buy can’t sell Chinese made product with the Harley Davidson name on it, enter “Serial 1”.
So tell me how is one Chinese product, among many, going to give Harley Davidson the “win” they seem to think they desperately need?
When AMF bought Harley Davidson the product and the name suffered, is this nothing but a role reversal of the exact same situation, that very likely will deliver the very same results?
How did your major competitor end things in the 50’s. Wasn’t it the result of re-branding foreign product?
This is so wrong, on so many levels, and you just don’t seem to “get it”?
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