Ducati’s range of electric bicycles has been big news in Europe over the last couple of years since the company’s big e-bike debut. But today Ducati is announcing that the motorcycle brand will finally bring its e-bikes to the US.
The first models to become available in the US at Ducati’s motorcycle dealerships will be the Ducati E-Scrambler and MIG-S models.
Both models will be available later this month.
The Ducati E-Scrambler is an urban trekking electric bike that was announced in July of this year and is powered by a Shimano STEPS E7000 motor.
That motor puts out a nominal 250 watts (though real world power output is higher) and an actual 60 Nm of torque, all from the lightweight 2.8 kg (6 lb) mid-drive unit.
The motor is powered by a 504 Wh Shimano battery that gets mounted below the downtube to lower the bike’s center of gravity.
The E-Scrambler hasn’t been cheap, priced at around US$4,200 in Europe, though the US price will be lower at US$3,999.
The MIG-S, on the other hand, is built purely for off-road riding. This electric mountain bike uses the Shimano STEPS E8000 motor. The geometry of the frame has also been updated, with the frame slightly stretched compared to the previous model and a new seat tube angle.
The MIG-S will carry an MSRP of $5,295, thanks in large part to a more robust suite of components.
Ducati’s most recently unveiled TK-01RR electric mountain bike model won’t be arriving in the US until February.
The TK-01RR features the recently released Shimano EP-08 mid-drive motor, weighing just 2.6 kg (5.7 lb) while producing an impressive 85 Nm of torque. The e-bike provides up to 400% assist in its highest pedal assist mode.
The TK-01RR frame uses a more vertically oriented downtube that also supports an underslung 630 Wh Shimano battery.
Ducati had previously announced plans to enter the US before the COVID-19 pandemic, but like many e-bike companies making plans in an uncertain market, they didn’t quite pan out on the company’s original timeframe.
Electric bicycles will be the first electric two-wheelers to enter Ducati’s dealerships, but they may not be the last. Ducati’s CEO has previously confirmed that Ducati will produce an electric motorcycle, though we’ve seen no evidence of progress on an electric motorcycle from the brand.
Ducati isn’t the only motorcycle company hoping to leverage its motorcycle dealerships to sell electric bicycles.
Serial 1 Cycle Company was recently founded as an offshoot of Harley-Davidson’s electric bicycle program. The bar-and-shield motorcycle company developed the e-bikes in-house and then decided to create a separate company focusing purely on the e-bikes.
While Serial 1 also sells direct-to-consumers via their website, they are leveraging the Harley-Davidson dealer network to sell bikes directly in participating dealerships.
Check out our test ride video on the Serial 1 e-bikes below.
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Author: Micah Toll
Source: Electrek
