When we all said that Harley Davidson needed to appeal to younger riders, the electric-powered two-wheelers “
Harley Davidson announced this week (on 3/6) that it has acquired StaCyc, Inc., a company that produces “stability cycles” more commonly known as “push bikes” for kids. They are electric-powered two-wheelers made just for kids called “
Harley’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand, Heather Malenshek, says “We’re thrilled to have StaCyc become part of the Harley-Davidson family. The StaCyc team shares the same vision we have for building the next generation of riders globally and we believe that together, we will have a significant impact in bringing the fun and enjoyment of riding to kids everywhere.”
The legendary company said the acquisition complements the upcoming LiveWire full-size electric motorcycle it is launching later this year. Which you may remember we gave you a bit of information on if not you can read about that here.
Founded in 2016, StaCyc describes itself as “a fun, upbeat kids’ brand,” which is a far cry from the loud, macho, outlaw image of its new parent company. If this move seems a bit off-brand, that’s because Harley is trying to expand its brand. The company has struggled to attract customers for its gas-guzzling “hogs” beyond Baby Boomer diehards, while also suffering from tariffs imposed by the EU in retaliation for duties introduced by the Trump administration. Harley expects to ship as few as 217,000 motorcycles in 2019, which would be the lowest total in eight years. It shipped 229,000 worldwide last year.
StayCyc has sold over 6,000 bikes since it was founded four years ago, and founder Ryan Ragland said in a press release that Harley-Davidson is offering all the support it needs to “carry out our mission to create the next generation of riders…”
StaCyc launched in 2016 with two different models, the 12e and 16e. The 12e is a 12” frame and the 16e a 16” frame; slightly larger and more powerful, but each can be operated as a traditional push bike in no-power mode until the child gets a feel for how the bike acts. The smaller bike is for kids with at least a fourteen (14) inch inseam and the larger for an 18” inseam.
Parents will no doubt wonder where this will fit in their children’s pile of toys and how. It will appeal to many children’s need for speed and may allow parents to run or bike with their kids before they are able to keep up on their own. Thankfully to some that prefer our kid’s toys a bit quieter, the electric bikes are quieter than the piercing growl of the typical Harley. The sound that kids make when they open it up—the top speed on some StaCyc models is 11mph—is another matter. (as you can hear in the video below)
Along with the LiveWire, which has a starting price of $29,799, Harley-Davidson is planning a full lineup of electric two-wheelers that could eventually include scooters and mountain bike-type models.
Anything that gets kids more interested in motorcycling is a good thing in my book.
~And as always…
~Live Free Ride Hard~
~AMERiders
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Source: Fox, StayCyc, Harley Davidson