Design
The Tarform Luna is a retro, modular, and exquisitely expensive electric motorcycle
The Brooklyn-based brand is pioneering bikes with sustainability in mind.
There are electric bikes, electric dirt bikes like the Sur Ron, and then there are full-on electric motorcycles. Some, like the Zero SR/S tick all the boxes for a high-performance motorcycle, from the blistering top speed right down to the design. But because electric vehicles are far simpler than their internal combustion counterparts, there's a lot more flexibility in how they can be made, how they can look, and what they can do.
A new Brooklyn-based company called Tarform took advantage of these new opportunities in making made-to-order Luna motorcycle. The top-level specs are what you might expect for a bike in this class; a top speed of 101 mph, 120-mile range, a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds, and the ability to charge from 0-80 percent in 50 minutes.
Tarform went a different direction with the Luna, eschewing the high-performance racing bike aesthetic for a far more chill vintage British vibe, with some updates of course. The company is using a lot of recycled aluminum and vegan leather, and in fact, the company has gone well out of its way to use sustainable parts in its custom bike. According to the company's website, it uses "... bio-based and recyclable high-performance materials that do the least amount of harm to our environment" like bioresin and a flaxseed weave, which reinforces some of the components.
The company is also touting a modular design that will allow you to swap out the battery and some of the body panels should you want to change up the look. Modularity is always a good thing, especially in a sustainability context where it means you can make extended use of some components, but most electric motorcycle batteries are at least swappable, if not "hot-swappable." If I were in the market for a bike like this I would want more information about how big the battery actually is, how you take it out, and what options there are to replace the battery in case the company never does a second run or goes under. That, in my eyes, is what it means to build something with sustainability in mind, but Tarform's website is heavy on mood and light on details.
But at $24,000 for either "Racer" or "Scrambler" editions of the Luna (which feature street or knobby tires, respectively), one would imagine that Tarform's jet-setting luxury clientele either won't ask too many questions or won't use the Luna enough to deplete the lifespan of the battery. If that sounds like you, you can set up a reservation on the website and expect to receive your custom bike sometime in 2021. And if you're looking for some cyber-steampunk accessories to go with your high-speed vintage ride, look no further than Oakley's absolutely insane cyber goggles.