Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 E-bikes Feature Google Cloud Connectivity And Lets You Digitally Name Your Bike
Serial 1, the spin-out electric bike company of Harley-Davidson, launched its second-generation lineup of premium e-bikes with convenient built-in features. The company was named after the iconic motorcycle brand's oldest known model-the Serial Number One- and its first-generation bikes supplied a fresh and sleek design of models into the e-bike space when it debuted in 2020.
The second-generation e-bikes will roll out with a cart of new software features powered by Serial 1's new partnership with Google Cloud. Serial 1 was chosen by Google Cloud as its new "strategic eMobility partner," according to the company, which means the e-bike maker will be among the first to blend Google's software products into its vehicles.
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The e-bike's software-enabled features include allowing the owners to track their trips, collect data, and "significantly improve safety and security," Serial 1 says. All those new features will be powered by the Serial 1 app, where owners can observe data and control the security features of their bikes.
For example, the Serial 1 app will pair up with Google Maps to provide better navigation, such as prioritizing routes with bike lanes. Serial 1's simplified digital displays are supplied by Brose, a German company that also makes the bike's powertrain.
In addition, the app will also feature a "virtual garage" in which owners can digitally name, track, and manage their e-bikes. This will display a new dashboard for owners to monitor their bike's ride data, including speed, distance, range, power output (both for the rider and the battery), efficiency, and state-of-charge, among other metrics.
Serial 1 owners can choose to record the rides' data to learn more about their performance and progress which can be helpful if they have a specific routine or want to beat a personal record. The app will also provide automatic service updates when their bikes are in need of a tune-up.
Users will likely be mounting their smartphones on the handlebars to benefit from these visual features. Serial 1 pledged that additional high-tech features will be made available, augmented by the company's "access to Google Cloud analytics and business intelligence and integration with Google Cloud AI functionality."
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Compared to most e-bikes that employ Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone app, Serial 1's bikes will use cellular and GPS technology, in addition to Bluetooth, to ensure owners can connect to their bikes even when they are not immediately visible.
Serial 1's current e-bike lineup includes four models, with a price range of $3,399 to $4,999. The brand names are Mosh/Cty, a city bike, and the commuter Rush/Cty, and each comes in three variants (regular, Step-Thru, and Speed). Each comes with a mid-drive motor capable of generating 250W of continuous power and hitting top speeds of 20mph (except for the Rush/Cty Speed, which runs at 28mph).
