-November 23, 2021 at 5:03 p.m. Pacific Time

Serial 1 provided me with a Mosh CTY review bike so I could commute from my hotel about a mile south of downtown Los Angeles to the Los Angeles Auto Show this week.

But I use it to participate in USC football games a few miles south, to dinners/events in various parts of the city, and usually just to stroll around instead of taking Uber or renting a car.

So, how does it perform?

Note: All electric bikes of Harley/Serial 1 are discounted by $1,000 on the Black Friday sale

Mosh is a level 1 electric bicycle powered by a specially adjusted Brose motor and a 529Wh battery, which is connected to the rear wheel via a Gates belt drive. There are no gears or gear levers on this bike, which makes the bike look very clean. There is also no throttle, which means that when the speed of the bike approaches 20 mph, the rhythm of your legs becomes blurred.

CTY Mosh looks like a heavy return to the original Harley Serial 1 series, with its huge wheels, battery/motor combination, and oversized everything. But at 48 pounds, the aluminum frame remains lightweight while maintaining the rider weight limit of 280 pounds (128 kg).

Serial 1 means that an electric bike can provide you with a range of 35 to 115 miles, which means almost anything. In terms of its value, I drove all week without charging and without any problems, so the low end of 35 miles seemed very reasonable. There is no speedometer or odometer, so all my measurements are estimates, but I have ridden about 45 city miles a week, leaving three-quarters of my performance.

The overwhelming goal of Serial 1 is simplicity. No display or gear considerations. All wiring is wired internally. The only controls are the LED-lit power meter up and down arrows and the light switch on the left handlebar. You may maintain the maximum assists, but there are four levels starting with no assists, which is actually good when passing through crowded areas near Los Angeles Stadium on the following game day:

I really like the internal belt-driven Brose motors because they are quiet, vibration-free, subtle power curves and high torque. My daily electric bike driver is still the 2017 Raleigh Redux IE driven by Brose. It is very smooth and I often forget that I am using an electric bike (don't mind my cruising in the mountains at 20 mph). Mosh CTY somehow got better with upgraded batteries and a smooth, maintenance-free Gates belt drive. The lightweight mid-mounted Brose S MAG motor uses a brushless inner rotor that can generate 90Nm/66 ft. lb. torque, which is very suitable for taking the car off the assembly line or climbing serious hillsides without old gears. From the beginning, at the low end, there was nothing that this bike couldn't do.

The motor and battery are located at the bottom of the bicycle, which makes its center of gravity much lower than a typical electric bicycle, which is obvious in terms of maneuverability and high-speed cornering. It is handled like a slimmer commuter.

Instead of watching me cycling through the city streets, look at this more skillful guy:

You have huge Schwalbe Super Moto-X 27.5 x 2.8 inch road wheels, 27.5 x 35 mm alloy rims and Sapim stainless steel spokes. Those big boy wheels are the only suspension you will get because this is a rigid fork/hard tail configuration. simple!

Braking force is provided by front and rear hydraulic dual-piston disc brakes and 203mm x 1.8mm rotors. Everything here is a bit out of spec. 180mm brakes are standard on bicycles of this size, and these wheels are much stronger than the typical commuter.

Perhaps the most impressive thing is the lighting. It is not just a lighthouse, but a Roxim high beam that really illuminates the road in front of you. If that's not enough, there is also a luminous Serial 1 iconic head tube light that looks very excited and lets everyone know that you are doing something special. At the rear, you have two red lights that light up (better than one), although they are not used as turn signals. They will light up when decelerating, not just when braking, and become hazard lights when the bicycle is placed on its side.

pedal? Look at these metal beasts. No shoes, no service hippies:

Charging a 529Wh battery is very simple. You can charge it through the down tube on the bike, or if you take it out and bring it into your home or office, you can charge the battery directly. The charging time is 4.75 hours 0-100%, or 2.6 hours 0-75%. There is a typical red charging indicator on the charger, which turns green when it is finished or no longer charging. The charger is very large, but if you want to carry it for a large ride, you can put it in a backpack. I do hope that there is a more standard charging plug option so that you can connect a solar charger or car charger without an inverter. USB-C PD?

I will tackle the worst part first: this electric bike is not for me.

The level 1 speed limit of 20 mph is impossible for me-it is a shame, because I love everything else about this bike. Getting on and off the car is very easy, riding is a dream, the components are top shelf, and what's not to like about accelerating like an off-line car? The braking is strong and controllable (although my new brake does make too much noise) and bright lights make it super safe. The huge wheels are bumpy like champions, and the hills are easy.

Other picks: the lighting is great, but I hope to see some more reflective and bright colors here-for example, the sidewall of the reflector will go a long way. This thing is basically a matte black invisible bicycle, which can avoid being detected. It is very suitable for sneaking, but the car can't see you. The clicks of brakes and taxiing are also very loud. The price of $3,800 is a bit high, but the $1,000 discount on Black Friday is easily justified by this quality build and components.

Of course, when riding is about to become fun, I will start to pursue higher speed and greater power. There are no gears that will allow you to travel at more than 20 mph, and even if you can press the pedal so high, the motor will stop helping you.

I am fully aware that my suburban driving and 28 mph speed requirements are not every use case. For city dwellers or content at speeds below 20 miles an hour, this will be an incredible bike option. This bike is very interesting, and I feel like a man until 20 mph.

In a perfect world, I would definitely upgrade to Class 3 Rush CTY Speed, equipped with an upgraded 706Wh battery and Enviolo AUTOMATiQ intelligent automatic shift CVT hub. I can't imagine what I must complain about that bike.

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