Swedish electric motorcycle maker RGNT Motorcycles has joined forces with German custom bike builder Crooked Motorcycles. The result of this cross-pollination is the Crooked E-Type: a stylish, minimalist and 100% electric custom motorcycle.
It is the question that every motorcycle manufacturer deals with: how do I get my motorcycles in the spotlight. For decades, the mantra has been “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” and motorsport has been the marketing tool of choice, with manufacturers of non-sports motorcycles often seeking refuge in the custom-build scene.
So when the guys from Crooked Motorcycles approached RGNT Motorcycles in Sweden for a custom project, they must have been welcomed with open arms. The Germans had been discussing a custom project in the EV world for some time, but only wanted to do so with a high-quality partner who would share their vision of custom style and design.
When the Germans came across RGNT at the Intermot in Cologne last year, they immediately fell for the look and simple design of those bikes. After some discussions with the RGNT team, a collaboration was decided, which resulted in this RGNT x Crooked E-Type.
The donor bike was an RGNT No. 1 Scrambler SE. Following the design principle of their Crooked XS400 series – ‘Simplicity is the key to brilliance’ – the biggest challenge for the builders was to reduce the size of the large electrical modules in the frame, to give the frame an open structure and to control the engine. optical weight has been lost. Another challenge was reducing the size of the very large original dashboard.
“To achieve these goals, we redesigned the subframe in CAD to make duplication easier. We placed the inverter in the saddle and then installed a cable tray in the frame structure to protect all cables in the best possible way.
We raised the rear end by 3 cm and stiffened the chassis with new, more progressive YSS springs, fitted with 3D printed fork guards. Black rims with Continental TKC 80 tires, a minimalistic Bates style LED headlight with Motogadget blaze turn signals and a new Supernova LED tail light completed the build.”
“We think Dominikus and the team at Crooked have done an excellent job. Building your first electric custom in a tight six week timeframe is quite a challenge, but they worked day and night to make it happen. We are delighted to be showcasing the build at the Bike Shed London Show this weekend especially as our standard bikes are now also available in the UK Apart from our UK launch we are confident the Crooked E-Type will find its way to customers in the UK and Europe via the Crooked website.”
The E-Type will be presented at the Bike Shed London Show this weekend and is now ready for series production at the Crooked workshop near Munich.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.