Serial 1 Switch/MTN E-Bike: It's Ready To Catch Up to Established E-MTB Brands

Now what? Harley-Davidson's Serial 1 e-bike brand has dropped yet another EV with which they aim to grab a slice of the e-bike market. But this time around, Serial 1 has reached a bit higher than showcased with previous models. In the process, they unveiled a machine to chase your mountain-ready friends up and down the local trails or parks.

What we're looking at today has been dubbed the Switch/MTN, the last three letters telling you all you need to know about this bike and where it's meant to perform; the mountainside. Oh, and if you've been keeping up with autoevolution lately, you may have some idea about how this EV is built and what electronics it may use, as it's very similar to the previously unveiled Serial 1 mobility machines.

To kick things off, Serial 1 asks you to drop $4,500 (€4,280 at current exchange rates) on this e-bike. With that, you'll receive a frame built out of aluminum and featuring a relatively comfortable geometry and tube shaping. A dropped top tube is a must these days, and the Switch has it, and so are internal cable routing for brakes, drivetrain, and in this case, for a dropper post too.

Two traits I want to point out are the clearance that the down tube is given so that you don't bang your fork against the frame and those funky downturned chain stays. I'm excited to see how this design fares against some light downhill routes and trails.

Like all the other bikes that Serial one has unveiled over the past two years, this one is a hardtail too, but unlike the other trinkets, this one tells you it's ready for the mountain with an SR Suntour Zeron35 fork. Even though this fork is available with travel up to 160 mm (6.3 in), the one found on the Switch is set to 120 mm (4.7 in). Considering the previous models have a stiff front fork, already Serial 1 is showing signs of an upcoming e-bike competitor, not considering the massive two-wheeling history that precedes them.

Diving deeper into the Switch, we can look closely at the components responsible for the electric magic and what to expect. For the Switch, Serial 1 drops a Brose S Mag mid-mounted motor capable of cranking out a whopping 90 Nm (66.4 lb-ft) of torque. With an integrated and removable 529 Wh battery, this bugger can offer a peak range of up to 95 miles (153 kilometers)! Sure, that's in optimal settings, but with this trinket on Boost (the fastest mode), the 30 miles available (48 kilometers) are still something you can be proud of, especially since you'll be assisted up to 20 mph (32 kph).

It would also seem that Serial 1 has done the MTB research and has equipped the Switch with an array of top-shelf gear. For example, the drivetrain is a Sram SX Eagle tuned to a 1x12-speed drivetrain with an 11-50T cassette and also sports 27.5 in Michelin E-Wild tires and TRP hydraulic brakes with large 203 mm (8 in) rotors. Considering this bugger weighs 53 lbs (24 kg) for a large size frame, as you're hauling off-road, you'll be glad you have that stopping power.

The last feature of this e-MTB that I want to point out applies to all machines from the Serial 1 lineup, their app. Since this manufacturer chose to partner with Google Cloud, the Serial 1 app can achieve a bit more than your usual e-bike software. Owners can track ride diagnostics, plan routes with Turn-by-Turn navigation, record ride performance, and even set service appointments.

As I was writing about the Switch/MTN, it dawned on me that it comes across like many of the e-MTBs I've covered before. What does this mean? It means that established manufacturers need to watch out, and so should you.