Harley-Davidson is going through an interesting restructuring and change of mentality, since after decades of being synonymous with the “American way of life”, noise, and power, they now seek to start 2020 with their sights set on electrification and a new generation of consumers. Which precisely moves away from everything that Harley promoted.
We already saw the first example of this with the very expensive LiveWire, its first electric motorcycle that will begin to be delivered this year, as well as the prototypes of an electric bike, a moped, and even a motocross motorcycle, all-electric. But now we have just been surprised by the launch of an electric bicycle aimed at the young segment of the population, but young… very young since they are electric bikes for children from 3 years old.
Harley-Davidson IRONe12 and IRONe16 with speeds up to 14.5 km/h
It is an extremely curious launch since it is the first electric bike that Harley launched in its history, but they are also focused so that they can be used by children. They are called IRONe12 and IRONe16, and the only difference is the size since the first is for children between 3 and 5 years old, while the second is for children between 5 and 7 years old.
The Harley-Davidson IRONe12 has 12-inch (30 cm) wheels, a 33 cm seat height, and weighs 7.7 kg. While the Harley-Davidson IRONe16 comes with 16-inch (40 cm) wheels, a seat height of 43 cm, and a weight of 8.6 kg. Both electric bikes integrate the same electric motor and power, of which the technical details have not been released.
According to Harley, their electric bikes have a removable and rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which offers between 30 and 60 minutes of autonomy for every 30-60 minutes of charging. The objective is that while using a battery, we can have one or several charged so that the action does not stop.
The height of the saddle is adjustable, and the goal is for the child’s feet to reach the ground since the idea of the bikes is that they learn to maintain balance while adjusting the speed, so we will not find pedals. All the movement will be done using the motor and the speed that is desired. A removable footrest is also integrated, which will be used when the child is confident and has fully mastered the balance of the bike.
Therefore, the Harley-Davidson IRONe12 and IRONe16 have three power modes: training, standard and advanced, or red, yellow, and green. In the first, the bike will reach a maximum speed of 8 km/h. In the second, 11.27 km/h, and finally, in the third, we will have the maximum speed of the bike, which will be 14.5 km/h. Now that if we do not want any of these speeds, a limit speed can be set for any of the three modes.
Being a Harley product, the finishes and materials have been designed for rough use and child safety, according to the company, so the TIG aluminum frame while the fork is BMX-style steel.
The Harley-Davidson IRONe12 will be priced at $649 while the IRONe16 will cost $699. Both will go on sale first in the United States in the coming days to try to become the perfect gift for the holiday season.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
