Harley Davidson determined to fee a line of electrical bicycles some time in the past, and I made a decision it was about time to put in writing about them. Just a few years in the past, they designed an electrical bike that they referred to as the “Dwell Wire” and it was styled as a heavy street cruiser, much like their primary product line. I’m certain they felt they understood that market, however they’ve additionally behaved in a means that exposed they understood that they’d be preventing an uphill battle in relation to EV’s.
Every thing of their analysis knowledge confirmed that almost all of their prospects are older, and that for them to develop over the subsequent decade or two, they would wish to attraction to a youthful viewers. They had previously designed a gasser sportbike called the V-Rod, with an engine designed by Porsche, to handle the issues that Harleys will not be nimble or fast. It “did” attraction to some youthful riders, but it surely has not offered within the numbers they wished, to succeed in their targets.
Harley spent a ton of cash selling their new electrical bike referred to as the “Dwell Wire”, and but, it too didn’t promote properly, or to a youthful set of riders. The styling appealed to the older set, however the older riders typically wished to stay with Harley’s gasoline engines. This yr, they dramatically modified the styling of the Dwell Wire, and likewise modified the bodily design.
The first version had a longish cylindrical motor at the bottom of the frame, operating length-wise. It drove a 90-degree gearbox to transform the shaft to driving a belt that ran again to the rear wheel. Within the pic under, you may see the brand new mannequin has switched to a traverse motor-shaft, and a direct belt from the motor to the wheel.
The 2022 Dwell Wire, from Harley Davidson
I’m going via some background to assist our readers perceive a few of Harley’s ebike selections. The aim for them is to indicate 20-somethings {that a} Harley ebike or electrical bike is one thing they need to take into account. One thing Harley has been profitable at prior to now is advertising the Harley “way of life”, however…they’ve solely been profitable advertising to males of their 40’s and 50’s. It stays to be seen if they will persuade younger adults to pay a premium for the Harley identify.
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Serial-1 Ebikes
Harley remains to be attempting to determine how “linked” they need to be to their electrical bikes. They don’t need to alienate their older core prospects, as a result of serving them has been very worthwhile. However by some means, they need to work out additionally attraction to 20-somethings…
This jogs my memory of a time when the Toyota model identify was extremely revered amongst middle-class automotive patrons, however their luxurious fashions weren’t promoting to their supposed potential prospects. Toyota created a brand new model, referred to as “Lexus”. The promoting and advertising have been directed at upscale patrons, and it was a hit. Harley is attempting out the identical trick, by forming a brand new “unbiased” firm for electrical bikes referred to as “Serial 1”.
One piece of excellent information is that these bikes are manufactured in Taiwan, which may be thought of the “not communist” Chinese language. They’re made by Big, who’s a revered producer, and recognized for producing a top quality product. That being mentioned, many Harley Davidson followers are closely invested within the “Made in America” mantra.
On this subsequent block, I’ll cowl the objects which are widespread to all the 4 fashions. These are all “pedal help” which implies there isn’t a hand throttle. It is a very European function, and it leaves your arms utterly free to focus on steering and working the entrance and rear brakes. To be clear, if you wish to get any energy, you must pedal.
These 4 fashions all use the well-known Gates belt drive. These run very quietly, and when transferring the bike round, you received’t get any oil in your leg, the best way you’ll with a sequence. In case you journey so much, the chain would put on, and have to be changed. I point out this as a result of the belt system will initially price extra, but it surely lasts for much longer. The price of a number of chains over time would ultimately equal having a belt. Nevertheless, these ebikes are being marketed at upscale costs, so it is a function that a majority of these prospects would count on.
The frames are hydroformed aluminum, together with an aluminum fork. This has a serious impression on preserving the burden of the bike low, which is a recurring theme as we’ll see under. The hydroforming permits engaging and artistic shapes, as an alternative of simply utilizing cylindrical tubing, and I prefer it. Fashion-wise, I might have most popular for the top-tube and the seat-stays to comply with a single curve, just like the cruiser-bicycles which are typically discovered at seashores. Even so, they appear good.
The rear brake cable and shifter cables run via the within of the body. I’m certain that may be a ache for the producers, however I prefer it, and if I used to be paying premium costs, I’d need that included.
The kick-stand is mounted close to the rear, which I like. Its a small choice, however after I have to stroll an ebike backwards within the storage, some drivetrains drive the pedals to maneuver, and with the kickstand moved again just a little, there isn’t a interference with the pedals hitting the kickstand.
The brakes are 4-piston calipers from TRP (Tektro). Each of them are giant 203mm diameter discs. I extremely approve of the entrance discs being these spectacular items, however I might really choose the rear discs being just a little smaller, perhaps 180mm. When braking, the riders weight and the burden of the bike will lean ahead, and this reduces the traction on the rear tire. Because of this the rear tire is the one that’s most certainly to skid and start sliding sideways.
The chance exists that the caliper on the again is down-sized to even-out that response, however the PR spec-data doesn’t element that. The brake “really feel” on the deal with is a tough factor to quantify, and I haven’t ridden these but.
Serial-1 has included an in-frame storage compartment on all of those fashions. It’s particularly formed and sized to suit a typical mannequin of ABUS lock. Even for those who use a special lock, it’s all the time good to see a lockable storage compartment.
Within the pic under, all of those fashions include an “Elevated Keep” the place the chain-stay passes above the drive-belt. I like this, and I’m glad to see extra frames utilizing it. Doing this avoids needing to incorporate a “body break” to permit the one-piece belt to be put in and brought off. Nevertheless, even when I used to be managing a fleet of chain-driven rental ebikes, I might nonetheless need an elevated keep to make life simpler on the mechanics.
The wheels are all of the 27.5 dimension, with a wide range of tires listed under.
All of them use the revered German “Brose” (BRO-suh) mid-drive, however I’ll get into that close to the tip.
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Bash MTN
You may ignore the “Mountain” implication within the MTN identify. It is a succesful mannequin, but it surely doesn’t have a entrance suspension fork for downhill, and it doesn’t have a rear suspension for jumps. Doing this retains the bike lighter and less complicated. The bars are slim and flat, so I suppose this may very well be used as a gravel-bike, with the “semi offroad” tires which are 2.6 inches huge (mid fats?).
Gravel bikes are a phenomenon that began within the mid-west, the place the terrain is comparatively flat, however with a purpose to restrict to unfold of a wild-fire, the counties have created a sample of gravel roads that cross the countryside. The tread on this ebike is simply {smooth} sufficient to be usable on streets, but it surely additionally simply knobby sufficient to permit gentle off-road use.
Since none of those have a suspension, it’s fascinating that that is the one mannequin that they added a Suntour NCX seatpost to it. I’ve had a Thudbuster and likewise a Suntour NCX, and I can enthusiastically endorse both one. To see our article on suspension seat-posts, click here.
Utilizing fattish tires and including a suspension seatpost, doesn’t create a correct “suspension”. Nevertheless…that’s what I’ve on my most-often used ebike, and I prefer it. One factor I like in regards to the tires on this thickness vary is that when a automotive tries to kill me, I can bail out over the road curb to get to the sidewalk, and it doesn’t harm the rim. My NCX seatpost additionally helps to take the jolts out of an sudden pothole or an emergency curb-jump.
This mannequin is a single-speed, and the drive unit supplies plenty of wheel-torque as much as 20-MPH, which is surprisingly modest, because the avenue restrict is 28-MPH within the US, and there’s no energy restrict when off-road on personal property. Nevertheless, there’s an ongoing wrestle between pedal-bicyclists and electrical mountain-bikers regarding public trails, and the 20-MPH restrict does handle that for “future proofing” this mannequin.
This mannequin is out there in 4 body sizes, referred to as S, M, L, and XL (no dimension numbers in inches or millimeters are printed but, so that you’d have to test-ride one at a seller to see what suits…which is what they need)
The drive unit is the “Brose S Magazine”, and the printed torque is a good 90-Nm/66 ft. lb. It’s marketed as 250W steady (which usually can be pathetic) but it surely really not too dangerous, with the explanations for that being listed close to the underside of this text.
The retail worth is listed as $3,999. Whether or not or not it’s price that to have the Harley Davidson identify, is a query that solely you may reply.
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Rush Metropolis / Velocity
Proper up entrance I need to say that that is the mannequin I might choose for those who have been paying for it, and I acquired it without spending a dime. The Brose “TF” mannequin supplies respectable wheel-torque all the best way as much as 28-MPH, which is the authorized avenue restrict within the US, the place I reside.
Upscale ebikes have plenty of particulars that aren’t apparent to the informal eye. Have a look at the head-badge within the image above. The pinnacle-badge lights up, which is cool. The pinnacle-badge doesn’t present a lot gentle to the path, so there’s an enough headlight included on the handlebars. Lights are crucial on a avenue ebike with a purpose to be seen by automotive drivers, and any upscale ebike ought to have good lights which are cool wanting, and built-in into the principle battery.
Within the pic above, you may clearly see the tail-lights. I’d prefer it if additionally they added a single vivid tail-light close to the seat for higher visibility. It will not be tough so as to add one, and I’m shocked they didn’t.
There are two “Rush Metropolis” fashions (The step-thru is under), and they’re the Serial-1 ebikes which have gears. The rear hub is the smooth-shifting Enviolo Automatiq “clever” auto-shifting CVT hub. The Clever half is that it has an app that permits you to use your smart-phone to inform you the gear-range you might be in, your velocity, and so on…additionally, it senses velocity and cargo after which selects the gear for you.
The Rush Metropolis / Velocity has the bigger 703 Watt-Hour battery (in comparison with 529-WH), so the vary can be longer, however bear in mind that each battery sizes are interchangeable. The best way to inform them aside is that the smaller one is “banana-shaped” to comply with the curve of the body, and the bigger one has a bump on it to accommodate the additional cells.
The Schwalbe avenue tires are a snug 2.4-inches huge for a {smooth} roll, and I approve of those. The worth is an eye-opening $5,599 retail, you would wish to essentially need the Harley identify in your ebike fairly dangerous, since that is the Stromer ST2 ebike worth vary. Dearer than the ST1, however cheaper than the ST3.
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Rush Metropolis Step-Via
A step-thru body is often marketed to ladies, and since this mannequin is barely accessible within the three smaller sizes listed (S, M, L), then this one seems to be to be no exception. The colours that this mannequin is out there in are Serene Blue with a black under-trim, or Black on Black.
Apart from the dearth of a top-tube on the body and the colour choices, the variations between the Rush Metropolis Step-Via and the earlier Rush Metropolis / Velocity are that…this one comes inventory with the smaller battery at 529-WH, it has the motor drive that caps added energy at 20-MPH, and consequently, the value is $500 lower than the Rush Metropolis / Velocity at $4999.
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Mosh Metropolis
The options of this mannequin are a mixture of the previously-seen options.
The colour choices are “Rowdy Blue” with black under-trim, or the black-on-black proven above. It makes use of the single-speed rear wheel just like the Bash MTN, with the smaller 529-WH battery (lighter and cheaper).
It makes use of the fattest tires on any Serial-1 ebike at 2.8-inches, utilizing a smooth-rolling avenue tread, and the drive unit caps the added energy at 20-MPH.
To make clear, you may pedal as quick as you need, even previous 30-MPH, however…in order for you electric-assist energy, this drive unit stops serving to at 20. On the one hand, this does imply that utilizing the pedal-assist-only system together with the velocity cap will drive you to have excellent vary, however…however…
This drive unit will make accelerating from a inexperienced gentle very simple, and it’ll provide help to deal with pretty steep hills so long as you pedal alongside. That is essentially the most inexpensive of those 4 fashions at $3,799
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Brose Drive Unit
Each of the Brose fashions used right here have a magnesium housing for gentle weight. The distinction between the TF and the S items is the top-speed, both 28-MPH for the TF, or 20-MPH for the S. Brose items with an aluminum housing have been accessible, however Sequence-1 selected the costlier magnesium shell to save lots of weight.
They each present a good 90-Nm/66 ft-lb of torque, which may be very shocking since its marketed at a really modest 250W steady. The best way these intelligent Germans completed this was to make the rotor on this motor to spin at extremely excessive RPM’s, after which discover some technique to package deal a gear discount with an enormous ratio.
There are two issues in regards to the pic above that I would like you to be aware of first. The motor configuration is an inrunner (the magnetic spinning rotor is within the heart), with the new outer stator being bodily linked to the housing. This permits the housing to be a heat-sink, pulling the warmth away from the motor and shedding it to the body and the skin air.
The second factor to note is that the aspect of the inexperienced circuit board of the controller that’s dealing with us, has six shiny metallic pads that may contact the within of the housing as soon as it it sealed up. You may’t see from this angle, however these are the mounts for the FETs on the opposite aspect, which management the motor. They’re the new a part of a controller, and heat-sinking them to the housing is the way it must be accomplished. To see our article on understanding these 3-phase motors, click here.
Now, within the pic above, you may see that the motor drives a white plastic planetary gearset as the first discount. The gear-teeth are helical (angled) to assist it run with much less noise, after which the output of the planetaries drives a secondary discount with a belt, seen under.
I don’t know the ratio of the planetary discount, however the pulley enamel are 65T : 22T for a ratio of two.95 : 1
Contained in the bigger pulley of the secondary discount, the engineers situated the freewheel for the unit. It’s a extra advanced and costly sprag-clutch, as an alternative of the extra widespread pawls. This makes it costlier, but it surely additionally runs smoother and quieter.
The pedal mounts on the spindle makes use of ISIS splines, as an alternative of the cheaper tapered sq. shanks. That is additionally an upscale function, that permits stronger mountain-bike cranks for use.
I’m glad to see from the tear-down video linked under that the rotor makes use of the Inside Everlasting Magnet / IPM configuration. This permits the rotor to spin to VERY excessive RPM’s, whereas avoiding any danger of the magnets coming unfastened, or the magnets overheating resulting from eddy-currents (see our motor article by clicking here)
Here’s a mechanic’s tear-down tutorial for overhauling a Brose motor
Here’s a one-minute animation of the drive unit’s internals
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Battery
Not one of the Serial-1 literature specifies the voltage of the battery, however the well-known Specialised Turbo Levo additionally makes use of this drive unit, and it runs at 48V (usually 13 cells in sequence or “13S”). If that’s true I approve. Within the early days of ebikes, some producers tried to avoid wasting cash through the use of 36V, however…the extra volts you utilize, the less amps you’ll want to use with a purpose to attain your specified energy degree. The amps are the place the warmth is generated, and warmth is the enemy.
The Serial-1 battery pack is available in two sizes, and the one proven above is the bigger 706 Watt-Hour. You may inform that by the bump within the heart, as an alternative of the housing being formed like a banana to comply with the curve of the body.
If we divide 703 and 529 Watt-Hours by 48V, then the amp-hours find yourself at 14.6-Ah, and 11.0-Ah, which is respectable. The inside particulars will not be supplied, however…since this drive can present high-torque from low enter watts, the cells are possible high-capacity cells so the packs may be as small as potential.
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Conclusion
These ebikes will not be dangerous, so lets evaluate it to essentially the most highly effective accessible. We wrote in regards to the Bafang Extremely Max drive unit in 2019 (to see that article, click here), which places out 160 Newton-meters of torque, and…it might draw 1500W watts to perform that, and it additionally makes use of a heavier motor. The Brose supplies 90 Nm (70-Nm much less), BUT…it accomplishes that at solely a tiny 250W steady. This effectivity helps these ebikes get a reasonably good vary on batteries which are pretty small and light-weight.
The most well-liked mid drive in Europe is the Bosch unit, and it additionally supplies 90-Nm at roughly 250W, so the Brose unit is designed to equal the present state-of-the-art expectations of European ebike riders.
These ebikes are handsome and the identify of Harley Davidson does maintain some status for sure customers. I’ve been ready for critiques of test-rides from somebody I belief, and I haven’t discovered any but, however…I lately got here throughout sufficient info that I felt it was time to put in writing one thing down. If I discover out something extra, I’ll submit it right here.
For anybody who’s curious if I do know something about bikes, I acquired my M1 license in 1976.
If you wish to take a scan of the Series-1 online website, you can find it by clicking here.
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Written by Ron/spinningmagnets, June 2022