Starting as an idea back 2015 between founders, Luke Sinclair and Kendall Bristow, when they saw a gap in the market for timelessly designed electric moped, FTN Motion’s Streetdog was born. At that time (and still to this day), there were very few electric mopeds on the market that had the elegance and simplicity of classic motorcycles from back in the day. Fast forward to 2020 during the New Zealand COVID-19 lockdown Luke and Kendall got serious about the idea and built the first prototype during the lockdown in New Zealand.
It was then that Saskia Thornton was introduced to the team and came onboard as co-founder to help them build the brand, business model, and go to market strategy. Saskia is a fanatic of bikes and mopeds, lived in Amsterdam, and has a background in business and establishing new brands, so she was a perfect fit.
“My background and experience complemented Luke and Kendall’s engineering skill set nicely. Together we formed the initial team and company to start getting initial market validation through pre-selling bikes, and raising our first rounds of capital to grow the team and build the first Beta bikes the following year,” Saskia Thornton FTN Motion Co-founder, told Driven Women Magazine.
The Streetdog is an electric moped with a classic motorcycle aesthetic. It has a top speed of 50km/hr, 80kms of real-world range and a removable battery that plugs into any home socket to charge. Charging time is about 5.5 hours. It’s also got 30 litres of built in internal lockable storage which is great for storing your groceries, a jacket, gym bag or beach towels for trips to the beach! This Vintage Mint with a cream stripe and the Havana seat example is an Early Adopter Streetdog that Saskia and her husband share.
“It’s a lighter bike which, for me, makes it very appealing. At 82kg, it’s very light and easy to manoeuvre around town. Being electric means that servicing and maintenance is almost non-existent,” said Saskia.
The bike has an overall very minimalist aesthetic which makes it highly intuitive functionality-wise. There are only a few buttons and an elegant LCD touch screen display which makes operating the bike very easy.
“You simply jump on and enjoy the ride! I also love the fact that it has lockable, integrated storage. It easily fits my bag, meaning I don’t need to carry it on my back. Also plenty of room for any extra groceries or anything you pick up on your way home! It’s also available in an array of colour options, making it easy to find a colour combination to express your unique style,” added Saskia.
The Streetdogs are custom built by the talented team in a small workshop in central Wellington. FTN Motion source as much materials locally as possible with a lot of the components being made in house or supplied from New Zealand manufacturers.
“We also choose materials that are sustainable as possible and are committed to lowering the footprint of our production. For example, the bike bodies are made from hemp fibre which has the same properties in terms of strength as fiberglass but is more sustainable and a lot nicer for our team to work with,” said Saskia.
FTN Motion are aiming to get their first bike over to Australia in 2023 that will be displayed at roadshows and test rides will be available. A small number of bikes will be sold in Australia this year and delivered in 2024. The Streetdog will retail for approximately $12,000 AUD, so if interested in being one of the first to get one, get in touch with FTN Motion, via their website: www.ftnmotion.com
Photographs Supplied.