Serial 1, the electric bike company that spun out from Harley-Davidson last year, is making one-of-a-kind, custom-built e-bikes and auctioning them off online. The first one is the Schwinn Sting-Ray-inspired Mosh/Chopper, which the company describes as a “psychedelic, hand-painted banana seater,” and oh boy do I want it.
Unfortunately, my chances are slim to none. First of all, Serial 1 is only making, well, one of these. The Mosh/Chopper is the first product from the company’s new 1-OFF series, in which it’s custom designing, building, and releasing single-edition (i.e. runs of just one) e-bikes throughout the year and auctioning them off online.
The current bid is $6,700, which is a bit too expensive for my taste. The auction ends August 11th at 5PM, so there isn’t much time left to bid. Whoever ends up winning, please let me borrow it for a little while. I desperately want to put baseball cards in its spokes and attach streamers to the handlebars.
To be honest, I didn’t grow up in the 1960s, so I never owned a Sting-Ray, but damn if this isn’t a gorgeous homage to the cruisers of that era. Serial 1 unveiled the Mosh/Chopper at the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally last week, a sign that the company will be leaning into its motorcycle roots in future projects. Also, the bike was constructed by two Milwaukee-based chopper builders, Warren Heir Jr. and Kendall Lutchman of JR’s Fabrication and Welding.
“Customization is such an important part of the motorcycle ownership experience,” says Aaron Frank, brand director at Serial 1, in a statement. “For decades, people have been modifying their motorcycles to reflect their unique style and taste. The 1-OFF Series applies this same spirit of individualization and personalization to eBikes, showing people just how much fun it is to create an eBike that suits their own unique personality.”
The Mosh/Chopper isn’t just a beautiful e-bike; it’s also packing a powerful drivetrain, thanks to Harley-Davidson’s design know-how and a bunch of well-sourced components. Much like Serial 1’s regular lineup of e-bikes, the Chopper has a Gates Carbon Drive belt, a German-made Brose mid-drive motor that’s capable of 250W of continuous power and hitting top speeds of 20mph. On top of that, the bike has hydraulic disc brakes, internally routed cables and wires, and integrated lighting.
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In addition, the Chopper is sporting many customized features: a long-and-low banana seat that’s supported by a custom stainless-steel sissy bar, and a high-rise handlebar that creates a comfortable riding position for laid-back cruising. The ‘60s-era “Street Freak” paint job, consisting of a silver micro-flake base coat covered in House of Kolor “oriental blue kandy,” is sure to look stunning under sunlight. And other finishings, like intricate panels, freak drops, hand-painted pinstripes, and single-stroke hand lettering, complete the package.
So once again, if you happen to submit the winning bid for this bike, my email address is andrew.hawkins@theverge.com. Please reach out. I know I will never own it, but maybe I can ride it once. Just around the block?
