You’ll see it before you hear it.
New Zealand electric motorbike manufacturer FTN Motion has unveiled its new amped-up model the Streetdog80, and it hopes it can be the ticket that leads to international expansion.
Designed and manufactured at its Hamilton workshop, the Streetdog80 can reach speeds of up to 80km/h and, when equipped with a second battery, has an estimated range of 140km.
Showing off their creation at a pop-up showroom in Auckland’s Britomart, FTN Motion co-founders Kendall Bristow and Luke Sinclair said the launch was a significant step forward for the company.
“The extra speed allows users more freedom, and lets them access more roads around the country,” Bristow said.
“We’re proud to be building Streetdogs right here in New Zealand and growing the country’s strong legacy as a manufacturer of world-leading motorbikes.”
The Streetdog80 is powered by a single motor in the rear wheel hub and features a removable battery that can be charged at any standard power outlet.
It features a Pin or tap-start system and has an automatic, gear-free design providing immediate acceleration.
Sinclair said the biggest changes to the Streetdog80 were in the motor controller, battery and heat control.
“The big thing is managing the heat and getting more torque and power out of the same frame as the Streetdog50. You know, how do we push more performance out of the same gear?” Sinclair said.
“It’s actually been really cool. We’ve started to bring a lot of unique developments and improvements into the drive train that’s going to start to push us ahead of the competitors.”
The new motorbike joins the company’s earlier model, the Streetdog50, which is capable of speeds of up to 50km/h.
The Streetdog50 is driveable on a car licence, but the Streetdog80 will require a motorbike licence to ride.
According to Bristow, demand for the new model is already strong, with the first production run of 50 bikes fully reserved ahead of the official launch.
The Streetdog80 is made to order with prices starting at $13,600 depending on desired colours, upgrades and accessories included with the bike.
The 15-strong team at FTN Motion are still working towards a Ford-esque production line at its Hamilton base to scale effectively.
In its production run for December, the team built 22 bikes with a consistent four-week turnaround for New Zealand orders.
“That’s the goal for the Streedog80 as well is to get it to that stage where, basically, you can go on the website, you can come have a test ride and you can put your order in and have it in four to six weeks,” Sinclair added.
An important part of the Streetdog’s appeal is its customisability, with plenty of variation in colours and upgrades.
While it adds pressure on the production line, Sinclair said customisability is FTN Motion’s biggest point of difference, with customers spending an average of $2500 extra to alter their bikes.
“Yeah, Kendall is losing hair over it, but it’s also how we win as a company in New Zealand building a premium product.”
With 300 different components on the bike, streamlining the business’ complex supply chain and inventory has been a key learning curve for Bristow and Sinclair.
The company says it has sold more than 200 Streetdogs in the New Zealand market, and hopes to reach 300 bikes sold by the end of this year.
The business is currently involved in another capital raise, with the intent to raise roughly $900,000 through local and existing investors by the end of March. According to Sinclair, they have already hit half of their goal.
Perhaps the biggest challenge facing FTN Motion is international expansion, so as not to follow in the footsteps of Tauranga-based electric motorcycle maker Ubco, which was placed into receivership just months after it announced a breakthrough deal with Australia Post.
Bristow, however, is confident they can avoid making similar mistakes.
He revealed the pair had made an effort to talk to others involved in the industry, including members of Ubco, to learn from their experiences and adapt their business plan.
He also acknowledged that FTN Motion had perhaps been lucky with timing.
“Being a little bit behind some of these pioneers that came in first and being able to see the market was starting to come down, but we weren’t this runaway train that was big and had so many employees we could adapt.”
“You know, New Zealand is our market, we’re still small, we can change and learn.”
For now, the team at FTN Motion is getting set to launch in Australia, starting in Sydney with the Everything Electric trade show in March before a full launch in April.
“We’re really proud to be taking the Streetdog to Australia.”
“We’ve already pre-sold 40 Streetdogs in Australia, which shows how much of an opportunity that market is for us. We’re excited about the expansion and looking forward to seeing how well the bikes resonate with consumers across the ditch.”
The pair have already shipped four Streetdogs to Australia with ADR-type approval, with the next step getting them registered.
They are also focused on establishing a service and dealership network, and fostering relationships with stakeholders in the main cities who know Australians and what makes them tick.
The founders see plenty of room for growth, particularly with the demand in Australia, despite not having a single bike on the road.
“There’s a huge amount of options in the market. It’s going to be a huge growth profile over the next 10 years. You see the uptake in the Asian markets, China’s already reaching almost mass levels of adoption, that hasn’t happened yet in the Western market.
“We’re in a position to make the most of it.”
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business and retail.
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