Harley-Davidson is preparing to market its first e-bike experiment, the Serial 1. It will go on sale next March. The Serial 1 will have thick white tires, a relatively thin black frame, a leather saddle, and most importantly a belt drive rather than a chain drive.
The electric bike's name is a reference to Serial Number One, the nickname for the very first Harley-Davidson motorcycle, released in 1903. Serial 1's design is intended to highlight its resemblance to its distant progenitor. The company does not disclose any information about its brainchild, so its capabilities can only be judged by the photographs. It is already clear that the electric bike will have a central motor, internal wiring of cables and wires, a belt drive, an integrated battery and the same elements of the lighting system.
Harley-Davidson does not name the price of the e-bike, but according to various estimates, it is likely to be in the region of several thousand dollars. The company expects the US e-bike market to grow significantly in the coming years and aims to carve a niche in it. It won't be a pioneer - British motorcycle brand Triumph launched its own Trekker GT prototype earlier this year, and Ducati did so a year earlier.
Large car manufacturers will also compete in the electric bike market. Today, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Jeep are already engaged in the development or creation of electric bicycles.
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