It's been almost a year since Harley-Davidson's electric bike project was last discussed, and today it's been confirmed that The Motor Company has created a separate division called Serial 1 Cycle Company, the nickname of Harley-Davidson's oldest known motorcycle, built in 1903.
This announcement comes with a new prototype, but Harley-Davidson isn't offering any specifications yet, so we can only speculate on power levels, battery size, range, and price.
The Serial 1 eBike features a mid-drive motor, a belt-drive system, a frame-integrated battery, integrated headlights and taillights, and leather trim, unlike the more modern prototypes presented so far.
Harley is about to enter a crowded market where even big-name bike makers like Specialized, Trek, and Giant are competing with fast-growing e-bike companies like Rad Power Bikes, Pedego, and X-Treme Electric Bikes. It also won't be the first motorcycle brand to make this shift: UK-based Triumph unveiled its own prototype, the Trekker GT, earlier this year. And Ducati launched its first e-bike last year. Automotive brands are getting in on the action, too: BMW is making electric bikes and motorcycles, Audi is making electric mountain bikes, Mercedes-Benz unveiled an electric scooter, Ford acquired electric scooter startup Spin, and Jeep recently unveiled a high-powered electric motor for its mountain bike. On the other hand, Ariv, the e-bike brand launched by General Motors, quietly shut down in May, amid the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In any case, a door is opening for new generations of future motorcyclists to enter the world of two wheels. If brands are able to retain them and convey the sense of freedom and fun it represents, we may be witnessing a renaissance in the motorcycle world.
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