Bicycles

Harley-Davidson's Serial 1 heads to the backcountry with the SWITCH/MTN

Harley-Davidson's Serial 1 heads to the backcountry with the SWITCH/MTN
The SWITCH/MTN pedal-assist mountainbike is designed around Serial 1's CTY ebikes, but comes with some off-road specifics
The SWITCH/MTN pedal-assist mountainbike is designed around Serial 1's CTY ebikes, but comes with some off-road specifics
View 8 Images
The SWITCH/MTN pedal-assist mountainbike is designed around Serial 1's CTY ebikes, but comes with some off-road specifics
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The SWITCH/MTN pedal-assist mountainbike is designed around Serial 1's CTY ebikes, but comes with some off-road specifics
The Brose S Mag mid-mount motor produce 66 lb.ft of torque to help climb steep trails
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The Brose S Mag mid-mount motor produce 66 lb.ft of torque to help climb steep trails
The SWITCH/MTN rides on knobby Michelin E-Wild tires
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The SWITCH/MTN rides on knobby Michelin E-Wild tires
Integrated LED lighting front and back, plus an illuminated Serial 1 shield, help with visibility in the wilds
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Integrated LED lighting front and back, plus an illuminated Serial 1 shield, help with visibility in the wilds
Adjustable fork suspension should help absorb bumps big and small
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Adjustable fork suspension should help absorb bumps big and small
An included dropper seat post allows for on-the-fly saddle adjustment
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An included dropper seat post allows for on-the-fly saddle adjustment
The 529-Wh lithium-ion battery is reckoned good for between 30 and 95 miles of off-road adventuring
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The 529-Wh lithium-ion battery is reckoned good for between 30 and 95 miles of off-road adventuring
Pedal assist up to 20 mph is available, with a mechanical drivetrain offering ride flexibility
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Pedal assist up to 20 mph is available, with a mechanical drivetrain offering ride flexibility
View gallery - 8 images

Following hot on the heels of the limited-run BASH/MTN ebike, Harley-Davidson spin-out Serial 1 has now added a brand new electric mountain bike to its main line up. The SWITCH/MTN eMTB has familiar core features but comes with a bunch of off-road-specific enhancements.

"The vast majority of our world is unpaved," said Serial 1's Aaron Frank. "Fire roads, Jeep trails, singletrack paths, terrain parks, ski hills, state forests – there are so many great destinations to explore on two wheels and SWITCH/MTN, with its powerful motor, large-capacity battery, fully adjustable front suspension, and wide-ratio 1x12 drivetrain, has the all the performance and capability to take you anywhere you want to go."

As before, the new addition has been designed around the company's CTY ebikes, but is intended to venture beyond the confines of the city streets and head into the backcountry.

The SWITCH/MTN benefits from a fully adjustable Suntour ZERON35 BOOST AIR suspension fork for absorbing impacts big and small, which offers 120 mm of travel and features a forged crown, 35-mm alloy stanchions, magnesium lowers and a high-performance sealed cartridge.

Adjustable fork suspension should help absorb bumps big and small
Adjustable fork suspension should help absorb bumps big and small

There's a TranzX dropper seat post for on-the-fly saddle adjustment during climbs and descents, 27.5-inch alloy rims wrapped in Michelin E-Wild knobby tires for gripping the dirt, and stopping power comes from TRP Slate T4 hydraulic disc brakes with four-piston calipers and 203-mm rotors.

The hydroformed aluminum frame with off-road geometry is available in four sizes and comes with cables routed internally for a snag-free ride and clean lines. The Brose S Mag mid-mount motor produces 66 lb.ft (90 Nm) of torque and provides pedal assist up to 20 mph (or 25km/h in Europe) while a SRAM SX Eagle 1x12 mechanical drivetrain with ebike-specific single-click trigger shifter offers ride flexibility.

The Brose S Mag mid-mount motor produce 66 lb.ft of torque to help climb steep trails
The Brose S Mag mid-mount motor produce 66 lb.ft of torque to help climb steep trails

The handlebar has a control to the left for powering the eMTB on and off, choosing between the four available ride modes – plus a walk-assist feature – and activating the integrated BAF headlight. And Serial 1 reckons that folks can expect between 30 and 95 miles (48-153 km) of per-charge riding from the 529-Wh Li-ion frame-integrated battery.

The latest addition to the company's growing ebike family is also compatible with the Serial 1 mobile app developed in partnership with Google Cloud, for helpful features like real-time data collection, turn-by-turn navigation and enhanced security.

To start your Serial SWITCH/MTN eMTB adventure, you'll need to stump up US$4,499.

Product page: SWITCH/MTN

View gallery - 8 images
2 comments
2 comments
Uncle Anonymous
Very nice, but, I'll stick with my Biketrix Juggernaut Duo.
Claudio
hard tail only? why not doing the full suspension version as well, since most MTB ebikes are like that?