2021 Tarform Luna First Look

[Hugh Janus]

Tarform’s new Luna model will go into production shortly; preorders are being accepted now. (Tarform/)

An e-mobility startup company run by tech entrepreneurs, industrial designers, and race engineers and co-funded by a European Union initiative, but based in Brooklyn, New York? We’re talking about Tarform, a brand that further spins that unlikely union with a stated focus on three core principles: technology, modularity, and respect for the environment. That’s a loaded concept, but the embodiment of that mantra is the just-released Tarform Luna, a bike that attempts to marry traditional design cues with a futuristic take on propulsion. Since 2019, Tarfrom has gone from concept to street-legal handbuilt bikes, but with the Luna, it had to essentially redesign the whole shebang for production and go through rounds of validation.

Leading the charge is Tarform founder and CEO Taras Kravtchouk, a former digital developer who’s logged quite a few years commuting on a Triumph Scrambler and building customs when he’s not behind the screen developing digital products. In the process, he found himself in that odd space between embracing tradition and emotion while wanting to move away from the toxic ingredient list found in most modern bikes.

Scrambler meets café racer and adds a battery pack—and a few vegan bits. (Tarform /)

A massive challenge for Kravtchouk was to keep the emotional joy of motorcycling while building something that people want, but even more daunting was figuring out how to use natural materials; building something durable and reliable and is hard enough without worrying about the positive ecological footprint.

But the so-called “motorcycle of tomorrow” could not merely toss around sustainability as a marketing buzzword, so the prototyping stage was rife with new—you might say exotic—materials like bioplastics (hemp, algae, and cornstarch). The end result carries through on the promise, with in-house designed bodywork made from a flax seed weave that acts as a reinforcing mechanism to the composite panel construction and a reliance on CNC-machined aluminum for most components, as it is 100-percent recyclable. Seat upholstery? Biodegradable vegan leather. The motor cover? Biodegradable cornstarch plastic. The company says it’s even looking at new ways of eliminating the need for paints and primers by swapping in a mono material infused with algae- and iron-based metallic pigments.

The new Luna is a sleeker, more evolved iteration of the company’s concept models from last year, with machined aluminum parts and an eye toward sustainability. (Tarform/)

The other heavy lift was to refine the overall design away from tradition while making the two-wheel form still recognizable. The Luna is unquestionably, almost aggressively sparse, perhaps the result of Kravtchouk’s childhood spent in Sweden where everyday design is simple and clean. The Luna takes its concept bike’s scrambler foundation (here it is at last year’s Petersen Museum’s Electric Revolution show) and refines it greatly, giving it a more finished look and unusual accents that still hew to an industrial vibe. The design language is a hybrid of retro and futuristic, part scrambler and part postmodern sled with an art deco flourish or two and all kinds of sleek industrial details. The stance is tall, like you’d expect from a scrambler, but, says Tarform, it retains the “comfortable all-round balance of a British classic.” That explains its steel trellis frame, fairly aggressive 25-degree rake and longish 60-inch wheelbase, and the claimed 440-pound weight is on the lighter side for electric standard motorcycles, so that’s a plus as well.

A high-def display uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and is compatible with Tarform’s mobile app. (Tarform/)

Other than mentioning Öhlins suspension and ISR brakes though, Tarform skims over the rest of the dimension list, so we’re not completely clear on the Luna’s overall handling potential, but its evolutionary changes and hardware upgrades are noticeable compared to the earlier bikes, with a bigger electric motor, blind spot detection, regenerative braking, and a 3.4-inch high-definition display with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Ribbed saddle goes for retro aesthetics, but that material? Biodegradable vegan leather. (Tarform/)

Tarform comes across deadly serious in the press release, stating that “vehicles of tomorrow should be built to last, with the spirit of craftsmanship preserved. Vehicles should be built for upgradability and not obsolescence.” That’s a pretty tall order, and it meant questioning the choice of powerplant and, indeed, the entire build process; Kravtchouk cites the fact that an internal combustion engine has more than 1,000 parts while an electrical motor is one moving part. So for the Luna, using an electric motor was a no-brainer, as was the choice of a modular battery pack that could be upgraded as technology improves (some of the main components such as the motor, controller, battery, and suspension, were outsourced to established companies).

There’s a rear-facing 180-degree camera at the back for added safety. (Tarform/)

According to Tarform, the bike’s bodywork can even be changed if the owner wants to adopt a new look and its software can be updated for a smarter ride. As it is, the Luna comes with three ride modes and already incorporates radar for blind spot detection (mounted underneath the rider), with a vibration coming through the seat to alert pilots of any vehicles out of view. A 180-degree rear-facing camera also lets riders see what’s behind them, and of course there is a Tarform mobile app for all this; at the end of the ride, riders can check out their ride info and bike statistics and get insights that can help them become a better and safer rider. We’re told other proprietary features, including other AI functions, are also in the works, so stay tuned.

The Luna will use a modular battery pack that can be swapped out as the technology develops and improves. (Tarform/)

There’s another brooding announcement floating over a collage of ominous shapes on the company’s website, gravely telling us: “Summer 2020, the first founder edition of the Tarform electric motorcycle will be unveiled. Only 54 custom machines will be handbuilt in Brooklyn.”

This refers to the Tarform Luna Founder Edition, which will be a bespoke custom motorcycle, made to order, but still based on the same chassis and powertrain as the Luna base model. Apparently the FE model will come first, but in limited quantities; just 54 units will be hand-made at the HQ in Brooklyn using traditional coach-building techniques, with brakes and wheels made to order by ISR. These models, says Tarform, will use “top-of-the-line suspension” from Öhlins as well, and covered by individual sheets of formed recycled aluminum. Other than that, though, details are scant.

Motor cover is made of biodegradable cornstarch plastic. (Tarform/)

Once the Founders Edition bikes get their due, the production version of the Tarform Luna will ramp up in late 2020, with final assembly of all the bikes at the Tarform space in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Delivery is expected in 2021. Starting MSRP is $24,000, and the company is accepting preorders at tarform.com (the reservation fee is $500 and is fully refundable). The Luna straddles the line between elegant and unusual, and even without the “sustainability” angle, it’s definitely different. But that big question remains—will people want it?

For more info, see tarform.com.

Sustainability (and exclusivity) do not come cheap: The Tarform will start at an MSRP of $24,000, with the Founders Edition coming in at $42,000. (Tarform/)

2021 Tarform Luna/Luna Founders Edition Specifications

Price	$24,000/$42,000 and up (depending on customization)
Motor	41kW air-cooled PMAC (permanent magnet) electric motor
Battery	10kWh lithium-ion battery pack w/ Sony cells
Transmission/Final Drive	1-speed/belt
Charging	3.3kW onboard charger; 0-80% charge in 50 min. (Level 2 option available)
Claimed Horsepower	55 hp
Claimed Torque	N/A
Claimed Range	120 miles (city)
Claimed Acceleration	0-60, 3.8 sec.
Claimed Top Speed	95 mph
Frame	Steel trellis
Front Suspension	Inverted fork; 120mm (4.7-in.) travel (Öhlins upgrade available)
Rear Suspension	Single coilover shock; 130mm (5.1-in.) travel (Öhlins upgrade available)
Front Brakes	6-piston calipers, ISR single floating disc
Rear Brake	6-piston calipers, ISR single floating disc
Wheels, Front/Rear	Choice of cast aluminum or spokes; 18 in.
Rake/Trail	25.0°
Wheelbase	60.0 in.
Seat Height	33.0 in.
Claimed Weight	440 lb.

Source

[XTreme]

[Catteeclan]

To bloody ugly to own.

[Pedro]

I see a bike with an aggressive road geometry like that and tires pretending to be offroad, and I instantly default to hate mode.

Also, what's up with bigger diameter rear wheel, is this reality or is this just fantasy?

Bloody hipsters!

[Tym]

I agree with @Pedro Hipsters are Dipsters, and none of them can afford to buy chit, they all live in their mothers basements FFS!