Have you seen that Harley-Davidson is getting into e-bikes? Yes, that Harley. The motorcycle brand known for its loud, rumbling v-twin engines has created a line of nearly silent e-bicycles (there’s also the electric LiveWire motorcycle, but that’s a different story). Called Serial 1 in homage to the first ever Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was essentially a motor shoved into a bicycle frame, the first Serial 1 range has just been unveiled with four new models.
Rush Speed
With a name like Rush Speed, you’d expect this bike to be fast. And it is. The only S-pedelec in the range, the Rush Speed assist tops out at 28mph. For the rest of the range, the top assisted speed is 20mph. All of the Serial 1 e-bikes utilize the Brose S-Mag mid-drive motor and offer 250W of power with 90Nm of torque.
The Rush Speed houses a 706Wh integrated and removable battery which is said to provide around 25-115 miles of range depending on use. Those batteries are housed in a hydroformed aluminum frame with aluminum forks.
All of the Serial 1 bikes also include automatic shifting thanks to the Enviolo Automatiq rear hub. The hub offers a continuously variable drive ratio that eliminates the need for the rider to shift, and is said to constantly keep the rider in the ideal gear range. Those hubs are propelled with a Gates Carbon Belt Drive for a silent, near maintenance free drivetrain.
All that speed is controlled with hydraulic four-piston disc brakes with 203mm rotors that measure 2.3mm thick (they look like the TRP R1 2.3mm rotors). Traction is put to the ground with 27.5 x 2.4″ Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires that are wrapped in full coverage fenders.
The bikes look to be well equipped with both front and rear racks, integrated lighting, and even a ‘glove box’ in the downtube that is lockable to stash a small tool kit or similar items.
Currently offered through a pre-sale, the Rush Speed is priced at $4,999 with delivery expected summer 2021.