Iconic motorcycle company Indian has teamed up with the equally iconic electric bike manufacturer Super73 to leverage the branding of the former with the high power e-bikes of the latter. The result? An Indian-themed e-bike known as the eFTR Hooligan 1.2.
No motorcycle license necessary.
Indian Motorcycle has teased us with electrification plans before in the past.
When we first stumbled upon the company’s trademarking of the name eFTR, we thought they were building a real electric version of their FTR motorcycle.
As it turns out, we were way off. The eFTR turned into a kid’s electric dirt bike that was released as a partnership with Razor.
Now a new partnership with Super73 is bringing the eFTR badge back, this time on something big enough for adults to ride too.
The eFTR Hooligan appears to be largely based on Super73’s well-known S2 electric bike. Here at Electrek, we had the chance to put some serious miles on that bike when we Eurotripped it across Germany last autumn.
This is far from a stock S2 though. As Indian explained, they modified the bike by added the “inverted front forks, mid-height, moto-style handlebars, a unique LED headlight with an FTR-inspired wind deflector, and more aggressive tires.” It appears the eFTR Hooligan 1.2 also loses the stock front and rear fenders, lowers the battery to the downtube (which likely results in improved balance), and they appear to have added a gold chain to give it that authentic Indian Motorcycle look.
The Super73 bones are still there, but they look a lot more Indian now. And that’s exactly what Indian was going for, as explained by Ross Clifford, Vice President of Parts, Garments, and Accessories at Indian Motorcycle:
“No other electric bicycle brand has defined itself as vividly as SUPER73. Its moto-culture DNA and outgoing, adventure-seeking passion for two-wheels make them the ideal partner for Indian Motorcycle. But it’s far more than just brand personality. Like us, SUPER73 shares an unwavering commitment to their loyal and passionate customers, as well as to quality and innovation, marked by its sophisticated electric powertrain and an unmistakable product design that resonates with both non-motorcyclists and avid motorcycle riders.”
Just don’t expect the eFTR Hooligan 1.2 to ride like any other Indian (or sound like one, either). It rolls on 20″ fat tire bike wheels and zips along nearly silently, despite a powerful electric motor that puts out a peak rated 2,000W of power.
It will reach a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) on throttle operation, but riders who engage the pedal assist by using the pedals can open up the 28 mph (45 km/h) top speed. That’s the fastest allowable speed by law in the US, which keeps the eFTR Hooligan 1.2 legal as an electric bicycle. That means you won’t need a motorcycle license to ride one.
The large 960 Wh battery comes with a rated range of 75 miles (120 km). But if you’re new to the electric bicycle world, you should know that you’ll never actually see 70 miles on a charge.
Sure, it’s possible. But that requires keeping the e-bike in its lowest power mode and forgoing that fun throttle. If you plan on riding around at 8 mph on pedal assist for half a day, you might squeeze out the max range. But if you’re like the rest of us and can’t resist that fun throttle and higher speeds, expects to get a lower range in the 20-40 mile ballpark.
Even so, that 960 Wh battery is much larger than the average battery pack in today’s e-bike market. So you’ll have plenty of power for hours of fun.
That’s fairly standard for Super73, which has built its reputation on fun, sexy and powerful e-bikes that offer better performance than most of their competitors.
The bulky e-bikes are built with a moped or motorcycle influence as compared to most city or mountain-style e-bikes we regularly see on the streets and trails. And that makes Super73 a natural partner for Indian.
As Super73’s Co-Founder and CMO Michael Cannavo explained:
“With a rich heritage and racing DNA dating back more than a century, Indian Motorcycle is among a rare group of brands that can truly be defined as an ‘American original,’ and the team did an incredible job redesigning the SUPER73-S2 to capture the spirit of the iconic Indian Motorcycle brand. As a company that lives and breathes life on two wheels, everybody at SUPER73 appreciates the significance of Indian Motorcycle’s history, as well as its triumphant return and success in recent years. And that’s why we’re honored to align our brands with the introduction of the eFTR Hooligan 1.2.”
The eFTR Hooligan 1.2 won’t come cheap, priced at US $3,999.99 (and available in the next few months at Indian dealers or on Indian’s website). The S2 is already a pricey bike at $2,995, and the Indian additions obviously aren’t going to make it any more affordable. But they do add some interesting styling and performance improvements, not to mention turn it into a limited edition bike with an obvious connection to Indian’s heritage.
So while this isn’t the cheapest way to get yourself on a Super73, it’s one of the cooler ways to do it.
Oh, and it’s definitely a cheap way to get on a new Indian!
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