Get On Your Bike And Ride
Imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery. It is affirmation that you are doing something right, something enviable, something worth replicating. And when a big company, a global brand, decides to do the imitating, it is a compliment of the highest order, verification that whatever it is they are doing is worthy of their investment.
Like Harley-Davidson and its new e-bike. But you won’t find a Harley nameplate on it.
Harley, whose sales have been sagging in recent years, clearly sees value in the e-bike explosion, a category that is skyrocketing in sales, especially during the pandemic, as cities adapt to two-wheeled traffic and consumers opt for bikes of all kinds instead of public transport. Some city planners now argue that we may never return to the car-centric urban spaces we had before COVID. The move comes hot on the heels of advances made by Dutch e-bike manufacturer Van Moof, which we discussed back on 17th September.
The one distinction for Harley, though, is that it is not putting its name on it, instead opting to create a new venture called Serial 1, in which Harley holds a stake, but investor capital accounts for the remainder.
Former Harley employees are at the helm of Serial 1, and have the challenge of a category new to them that has completely different channels of distribution. Serial 1 fully anticipates selling many of its new steeds via e-commerce, something one could never do with a motorcycle. Whether the bikes will be sold through independent bicycle dealers is undetermined, as is whether traditional Harley dealers will sell them, especially since such a different target market is involved.
While prices have not yet been announced, one thing is certain: these pedal-assisted bikes will have governors on them limiting speeds to either 20mph and 28mph, depending on model. Anything faster and it becomes a motorbike. Of course, a rider could coast down the steep hilly streets of San Francisco and go well into the 30s, but the motor will be chilling at that point.
Harley made the right move by going with a separate, standalone name. Sure, it could have tried to rest on its laurels and use its well-known name, but e-bikes (or bikes of any kind) and motorcycles are very different categories. It would be like General Motors or Toyota doing the same to complement their car lines. In fact, GM had launched its Ariv line of e-bikes in Europe last year, but silently killed the project once COVID hit. Maybe it should have kept pedaling.
The hazard of extending one’s name is high, because if the new line fails, it can help take down the flagship. With Harley sales already tanking, it did not need to take on any more risk. Wise move, Harley. Keep your distance, yet stay close at the same time.
As I have noted before, an e-bike is not quite right for me, mostly because I enjoy pedaling on my own. Hard-core cyclists are not likely to buy these, but many others, especially weekend warriors and those most likely to rent city bikes, are squarely in Harley’s cross hairs. And who knows, maybe once I get really old, I might need a little boost from a motor. Until then, I am looking forward to seeing these on the street, and would stash my pride long enough to take one for a spin.
Because nothing rides like a Harley. I’ll just have to imagine that Harley roar in my wake, because you can’t imitate that.
Dr “Keep Your Hands On The Bar“ Gerlich
