Brooklyn-based Tarform originally announced its attractive Luna electric motorcycle back in 2018, with expected delivery dates starting in 2019. But engineering challenges with some of the bike's more ambitious technology has pushed that timeframe back, and the company has decided to re-launch the Luna, this time with full specs and revised pricing and delivery dates.
At the heart of things is a 41-kW (55-hp) PMAC electric motor, fed by a 10-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with an integrated 3.3-kW charger. Weight will be around 440 lb (200 kg), not far off what a typical fully fueled nakedbike weighs, and since it's geared reasonably low for a top speed of just 95 mph (153 km/h), the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprint will take a fairly respectable 3.8 seconds, more than enough to get you out in front of most traffic from the lights.
With regenerative braking taken into account, range will be around 120 miles (200-odd km) if you ride it at low speeds around the city, and significantly lower if you take it on the highway. The range and aeros will not add up to a great tourer, but around town it'll blitz the commute and be plenty of fun.
The design looks really nice – it's a scrambler at heart, with a hand-formed aluminum body, a single "vegan leather" seat pad, chunky road/trail tires and a dirty big black battery box in the middle that's designed nicely enough to draw the eye away and not look too ugly.
The detailing around the bike, as we noted on the 2018 prototypes, is superb. The spoked rims look great, the swingarm pivots around the motor with a nicely stamped disc, the CNC-machined handlebar/dash unit is beautifully integrated and the louvered headlight looks beaut. Mirrors are bar-ends, and the indicators are neo-retro-styled pods on stalks that fit the thing well. It's a looker!
Tarform aims to set the Luna apart from the pack with some interesting technological enhancements. First up, it's modular, so you can upgrade the battery down the track, or add or change bodywork as and when options become available.
Then there's the radar blind spot detection, which alerts you to vehicles behind and to the side through seat vibrations in a manner similar to what the Damon electric hypersport bike promises. And there's a rear facing camera to let you quickly check what's happening behind you with a broader field of view than those mirrors. A Tarform app lets you "view the statistics" of your rides and "get insights that can help to become a better and safer rider," so that'll be nice for people who like their two-wheeled badass freedom machine to nag them after a ride.
There's a "Sonic Aura Acoustic Sound System," which sounds more geared towards making pedestrians aware of your presence than pumpin' out hits from the 90s, noughties and today. And the Luna features keyless ignition, a lovely touch that's always welcome on any bike.
The photos here are of the up-spec Founders Edition bikes, which will be first to roll out at the end of this year. These feature Ohlins front and rear suspension, ISR performance brakes, a hand formed aluminum body and hand fabricated trellis frame, at an undisclosed price. Only 54 will be made.
There's no mention of what replaces those items on the regular Luna, which is due to roll out in 2021, but the price has taken a hike from US$18,000 in the 2018 projections to US$24,000. Not a lot for a car, obviously, but to put that in context, that's what you'd pay for a 208-horsepower Ducati Streetfighter V4 S, the one with the electronic active Ohlins and the Marsechini forged wheels.
To be fair, it looks better than the (faster, more capable) US$19,000 Zero SR/F, and Harley wants US$30K for its Livewire, but it can't be avoided: this is a very premium price tag, with the made-to-order Founders Editions sure to be a fair bit premium-er.
Still, these Founders Editions really do look beaut, with handmade styling that's unlikely to go out of fashion any time soon, and with reservations going for a fully refundable $500, there's every chance Tarform could sell out its initial run of 54. We look forward to seeing how the regular production bike differs.
Source: Tarform