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[TheRan]

The 401 is basically a redesigned KTM 390 Duke and that also comes in 125, 200, and 250 versions, same goes for the RC390. Outside of America those models make a lot of sense as would this at 13hp, which would result in similar performance to the 125.

[Richard230]

Their small gas bike in this form is 44hp.
So they feel that is as low as "real bikers" will go.
Putting out such a weak toy is an insult to those who want to ride electric.  Just 13hp and a 4kWh battery.  Better not be more than $1000.

Husqvarna: Put a couple of kids hover boards together, that's good enough for electric riders.

The KTM 390 engine in one of their Adventure models was recently tested in India on a DynoJet dyno and it produced just over 36 hp at the rear wheel. The manufacturer claims 44 hp. So I always take claimed power numbers with a large grain of salt. On the other hand, the few dyno tests of Zero motorcycles that I have seen have always been very close to what they claim and that is at the rear wheel.  Direct drive is nice. You don't have to deal with friction/heat losses as the power finds its way from the top of the piston, though the gearbox, pass the final drive and finally to the rear wheel. 

[princec]

Crazy power figures are really a bit of a side effect for ICE engines which are trying to make enough torque to be usable. IMO electric powertrains don't need anywhere near the power of ICE because they generate all their usable torque exactly when where it's needed without the need for gears. The modern biker is a very different beast to the Paleolithic biker of 30 years ago too. Not many are chasing top speeds any more, which is what you need power for. I don't know anyone who rides at over a ton any more because of the high chance of being caught and banned, not to mention it's now just simply not at all big or clever to rebel by scaring everyone else around you shitless. So essentially... EV bike makers will find that they satisfy the vast majority of the biking marking by making just enough power to get to maybe 100mph, and nobody's all that bothered about going faster any more. It's just not a selling point.

Cas

[NEW2elec]

My point is a 2016 one brick Zero FXS was twice the power of this bike.
A company with the size and money of Husqvarna shouldn't be going backwards from what was out almost 5 years ago.
It seems like a pure token/compliance offering.

If they had put out a usable US spec bike as well I'd shrug this weak little bike off as "whatever to each their own" but that isn't the case.
They can and should do better.

[princec]

It's a perfectly normal spec for a large sector of the UK (and presumable EU) market though. We don't just get on big bikes here, there's a tedious stepped licensing system, and 15hp is where it's at. So it'd serve that market really well... provided it wasn't outrageously overpriced, and they may have a problem there because the 125cc segment doesn't worry about stuff like fuel economy or servicing costs as they sip petrol and never get serviced anyway, which were two of the biggest arguments for electrics in the big power sector.

Cas

[NEW2elec]

Those restrictions only show that the better option is a higher end electric bicycle.  Avoid the licensing issues all together.
As was complained about on another post, so few in Britain have garage space or even driveways so they park on the street.
Just pick an E bike up and take it indoors.

To me a "city bike's" number one goal is to escape the city not be trapped there forever.

[princec]

In the UK we are allowed a 250 Watt pedal assist only, before you need a motorcycle license. So it fits right in, here.

Cas

[TheRan]

An electrically assisted bicycle (as legal in the UK and EU) and an electric A1 motorcycle aren't really comparable at all. As Prince said they're limited to 250w and an assistance speed of somewhere around 15mph (think it's 25km/h), range is going to be shorter, and of course you need to put in some effort to pedal the thing.

Saying that an A1 class electric bike is stupid or whatever is the same as saying the 125 Duke and RC125 are stupid, and with the amount of those that KTM sells I bet they'd disagree. Maybe in time they'll come out with a more powerful one to compliment the 200/250/390 Duke and RC and Husky's 401, but for a first attempt at a street bike it makes sense to go for something lower cost and with a larger market.

[Crissa]

It sounds like it discourages use.  I wonder if the UK will be developing fewer riders.

On the other hand, there are still products between a type 3 ebike and a freeway motorcycle.

-Crissa

[TheRan]

The UK is no worse off than the rest of Europe, in fact A1 class bikes have additional appeal to us as they can be ridden after taking a short and cheap training course (similar to the American MSF course except we go out on the road) where as the rest of Europe has to take actual tests and pay the additional costs involved. A 16/17 year old in Europe has to pay €1000 or more to ride an A1 bike, here a 17 year old only has to pay a little over £100 (around €130).

[princec]

Aye, and also lest we forget, Europe and North America are totally dwarfed by India and Asia in terms of small capacity ICE bikes. Those markets will lead the way anyway. Not everything's about us!

Cas

[Crissa]

It doesn't do me much good if a bike and rider is in India.

-Crissa

[Richard230]

In the UK we are allowed a 250 Watt pedal assist only, before you need a motorcycle license. So it fits right in, here.

Cas

I believe that is also true in California, however our top speed is limited to 20 mph, unless you can pedal faster than that, have a tailwind, or are traveling downhill. 

[NEW2elec]

That's just sad.  Maybe this weak little bike does fit in with modern EU. 

I would average 23MPH on my bicycle racing training rides (40 miles).  That's with stop signs and red lights.

No one will make bikes for China and India that can compete in price to the ones made in country and owned in country.  So write that off the wish list.

[TheRan]

That "weak little bike" will still out accelerate most cars on the road and break the speed limit, and being able to lane split/filter in many places in the EU, India, and probably China too it will get around quicker than any car in traffic. And of course much faster than even the most elite level cyclist, because whatever they could hold on flat ground for any reasonable amount of time it will be able to achieve going uphill.

KTM, who owns Husqvarna, is a European company that is partly owned by an Indian company. They know their market and they sell very well there despite their higher pricing. Not as well as companies like Bajaj (who part owns KTM) or Royal Enfield in India, and not as well in China as Chinese made bikes, but they have higher sales than those companies in the EU and US to make up for it.