Only America Will Have Fun With the New Harley-Davidson Rush/CTY Speed

If you read that right folks, then you’ve understood that you too can be part of the exclusive H-D club. But let’s say for a moment that there’s a more exclusive club than the most exclusive club you can think of. That’s the one you’ll be a part of, if you dish out the $4,999 for the CTY Speed.

But why the tight lock on distribution? Doesn’t Harley want their product to reach as many hands as possible? Apparently not. They’ve always been about giving a set-apart experience from the rest, and here they seem to be sticking to that idea.

But how exclusive can you get for 5-grand? Let’s find out. To kick it all off, the frame is composed of the same hydroformed aluminum tubing as it’s other three brethren, albeit with a slightly more menacing geometry.

As for the motor, we are given a Brose TF Mag with brushless rotor and mid-drive mount, helping keep a low center of gravity, unlike cheaper off-brand e-bikes that have wheel-hub motors. As is, the motor is rated for 250W of continuous power with a staggering 90 Nm of torque.

As for the juice box for this puppy, we find a 706Wh integrated battery that can be removed for accessible charging. As it stands, this battery has enough energy to give you a range anywhere from 25-115 miles (185 km tops) depending on which assist mode you choose. 115 miles! That alone is worth every penny you’ll be spending on this bike.

As for the drivetrain, we find an Enviolo Automatiq auto-shifting hub, all held together with a Gates Carbon Drive system. As it stands, this setup is able to crunch out whopping 28mph (45kph) top speed. This is also one of the reasons for the EU restriction on sales and distribution. It seems the Europeans might be afraid of speed on two wheels, oddly enough.

If things do happen to get too fast for you too, don’t worry, the stopping power of front and rear 4-piston hydraulic disk brakes with 203x2.3mm rotors will take care of regulating your speed. Plus, you’ve always got the pedal assists, that will control some of the speed for you.

As for a suspension, what suspension? We see none, or even have any in the specs. So where’s the bounce coming from? Tires. Tires have long been used as part of suspension systems, so here we find a pair of Schwalbe Super Moto with 27.5-inch diameter.

Aside from a controller and display for your diagnostics, there isn’t much else to spark a biker’s interest, unless you’re into fenders and cargo holds, which I doubt are the reasons you got here for.

Frankly, for the same price as some of the newly announced Ducatis, I'd much rather go for a Harley. That even sounds like the classic line you’d hear someone say in a dealership.