Updated Harley-Davidson Serial 1 e-bikes will feature Google Cloud connectivity

Serial 1, the electric bike company that grew out of Harley-Davidson, has launched its second generation lineup of premium e-bikes — but bigger changes will come to the company’s implementation.

The updated bikes will come with a host of new software features brought by Serial 1’s new partnership with Google Cloud. The company says Google Cloud has chosen Serial 1 as its “eMobility strategic partner,” meaning the e-bike maker will be among the first to integrate Google’s software products into its vehicles.

Software-equipped e-bikes will allow owners to track their rides, collect data, and “dramatically improve safety and security,” says Serial 1. It reflects the trend in the e-bike industry to install bikes with cloud-connected software as an additional selling point.

The focus of the new partnership will be the Serial 1 app, where owners can see step-by-step navigation, collect ride data, and control safety features on their bike. Serial 1 promises more high-tech features that will come thanks to “company access to Google Cloud analytics, business intelligence, and integration with Google Cloud AI functionality.”

Google Cloud will also ensure a stronger connection between the bike and the user’s smartphone. Most e-bikes use Bluetooth to connect to a smartphone app, but Serial 1 bikes will use cell phone technology and GPS, as well as Bluetooth, to ensure owners can connect to their bikes even when they are not in their field of view.

Just a quick refresher: Serial 1 is a standalone electric bike company that grew out of Harley-Davidson In October 2020. The current lineup includes four bikes, ranging in price from $3,399 to $4,999. The brand names are Mosh/Cty, city bike, and Rush/Cty rider, which comes in three different variants (Normal, Step-Thru, and Speed). Each comes with a mid-drive motor capable of generating 250 watts of continuous power and reaching top speeds of 20 mph — except for the Rush/Cty Speed, which can reach 28 mph.

The engines will be the same on the second generation bikes. Most of the major changes are below the surface. This includes enhanced safety features, such as blinking lights, disabled pedal assist functionality, and real-time locations.

Serial 1 will be integrated with Google Maps to provide better navigation, for example, by prioritizing roads with bike lanes. The Serial 1 digital simplified displays are provided by Brose, a German company that also makes bike powertrains, so users will likely have to mount their smartphones on the handlebars to take advantage of these types of features.

The app will also feature a ‘virtual garage’ where owners can digitally name, track and manage their e-bikes. This will include a new dashboard for owners to monitor their bike’s riding data, including speed, distance, range, power output (both rider and battery), efficiency and charge status, among other metrics. Series 1 owners can record their rides to learn more about their performance and progress. The app will provide automatic service updates when their bikes need tuning.

The physical appearance and controls of the second generation bikes will remain largely the same. I loved the bikes when I tested them last year. The same team that developed Harley-Davidson batteries LiveWire Electric Motorcycles It also developed batteries for the Serial 1. The built-in batteries are mounted very low in the frame, which helps centralize mass and improve handling.

With this new update, the Serial 1 is clearly targeting major manufacturers like Giant, Trek and Specialized, which sell premium e-bikes to high-end customers. Niche, in particular, was promoting Connected software in its Turbo lineup. And like Harley-Davidson, the company just announced that it is She rotates her own brand called Globe which will focus exclusively on utility e-bikes.