Throwback Thursday: Series 1 Pays Homage to Brand's Origin

Surprising Effort

Harley-Davidson has been building motorcycles for well over 100 years, and has already produced its first electric motorcycle, the Livewire. But in spite of its willingness to change, H-D still has some work to do to stay afloat in an ever-changing world. One of its latest - and most surprising - efforts to do just that is by producing electric bicycles under the new Serial 1 Cycle Company brand, and its first such prototype was actually designed to look like the brand's very first motorcycle.

Photos: Serial 1

Skunkworks Creation

Serial 1 is a standalone brand from the motorcycle maker, and its first product - the Serial 1 eBicycle - draws a lot of inspiration from motorcycles of the past. H-D says this particular bike emerged from a skunkworks team that is passionate about both bicycles and motorcycles, and that's pretty clear from its simple, retro, and elegant design.

Photos: Serial 1

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Already a Winner

As of right now, Serial 1 hasn't shared much information about the bike other than these photos, however. So it's impossible to say how it will stack up against the mountain of competition that currently exists in the e-bike world. But judging by design alone, we'd say they've already got a winner on their hands.

Photos: Serial 1

>>Join the conversation about if you'd buy the Series 1 right here in HDForums.com.

Spec Questions

Regardless, e-bike customers are interested in things other than just head-turning styling. That includes range, top speed, and price, which are also obviously big concerns. It's hard to say how the first two will turn out, but we imagine that this finely-detailed machine won't be on the bottom end of the spectrum in terms of pricing.

Photos: Serial 1

>>Join the conversation about if you'd buy the Series 1 right here in HDForums.com.

Styling Exercise

Regardless, the Serial 1 is a cool nod to Harley's "Serial Number One" motorcycle from 1903, which was essentially just a bicycle with a small engine placed in front of the pedals. Now, we've come full circle. However, this prototype is also a styling exercise of sorts and isn't necessarily intended for mass production.

Photos: Serial 1

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Coming Soon

Serial 1 will be revealing its first consumer e-bike models in March of next year, which will represent a full line of offerings. For now, we have this prototype to feast our eyes on, which utilizes the same frame as one of Serial 1's prototypes shown off at the 2019 EICMA Milan Motorcycle Show. That's good news for those that would love to purchase a bike that looks like this one in the future.

Photos: Serial 1

>>Join the conversation about if you'd buy the Series 1 right here in HDForums.com.

Fine Details

The prototype e-bike features a mid-drive motor, a belt system that looks a lot like one we'd see on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, frame-integrated headlights and taillights, thru-axle wheel hubs, dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes, a Brooks leather saddle, and leather handgrips. Now, we'll just have to wait and see if Harley's new spinoff company can impact the e-bike world the way it has with the world of motorcycles.

Photos: Serial 1

>>Join the conversation about if you'd buy the Series 1 right here in HDForums.com.

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