Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 Bash/Mtn is an electric mountain bike that you likely won’t see on the trail any time soon. Photo: Harley-Davidson/Serial 1
Harley-Davidson is generally known for making motorcycles that’ll rattle the teeth out of your head, but the iconic brand recently unveiled something a little outside its regular wheelhouse: the Serial 1 E-Bike
Serial 1 Cycle Company is a Harley-Davidson brand, borne out of an internal R&D program. News first broke that HD was working on e-bikes in 2019, after the higher-ups showed off a handful of prototypes at the company’s Annual Dealer’s Meeting in August 2019.
The newest offering, called the Bash/Mtn, certainly does look good, but it’s coming under a bit of fire for its intended use. Engadget called it “basically a ’90s mountain bike.” It’s noticeably free of suspension, front or rear. It has a rigid aluminum frame and fork and it’s missing a dropper post. The only real suspension on it is the seat post, which has a bit of travel in it.
Harley-Davidson, though, is touting the lack of features as a good thing — which, if you look at it the right way, it is.
“No fussy suspension to tune, no finicky drivetrain to adjust,” the company wrote. “Just two wheels, one gear, and one purpose: to provide the most direct connection between you and the trail… Less really is more. Less complexity and less mechanical complication mean more fun and more freedom on the trail.”
But it’s an e-bike, after all. And e-bikes aren’t exactly what most mountain bikers are interested in. Most likely, it’ll be used for regular old commutes, perhaps with a bit of gravel under the tires here and there. In terms of e-bikes, it’s a good one. According to Harley-Davidson, it’ll go between 30 and 95 miles on a charge, depending on the terrain and drive mode you’re in.
From a flat dead battery to a fully charged one, it takes just under five hours. There is, however, an option that’ll give you 75 percent charge in half that time. Once you hit 20 miles per hour, a brake assist kicks in. Price-wise? Well, it’s inline with about what you’d expect: $3,999. Even if you have that kind of extra money, you might have a hard time getting your hands on one. Quantities are limited to just 1,050 bikes for the entire world.
