I have to start by addressing the elephant in the room – an equivalent of $40,000 (£29,000 precisely) for an electric motorcycle might be stretching it too far for most. But then, we all know there are a select few in the world who would treat it as pocket change.
And quite probably, the Blacksheep One – which was recently on show at the Bike Shed Moto Show in London – is meant precisely for those kind of people. Only 50 units will ever be produced. Incredibly exclusive – yes, incredibly expensive – yes, but incredibly cool as well.
Blacksheep Power is an all-British brand. It builds, engineers, and designs in Britain. The One is its very first motorcycle, and is a “deliberate stand against mass production,” as the company said when the bike was first revealed late last year.
Blacksheep Power
It’s pretty obvious that the One is a motorcycle that focuses on craft and performance over everything else. Perhaps more craft than performance. It comes powered by an aluminum axial flux electric motor that produces a peak power of 47 hp and a torque of 516 lb.ft (700 Nm).
A top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) is nothing extraordinary – especially on a motorcycle this expensive. Same for the 0 to 60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. Things start getting interesting beyond that. A 6.2-kWh lithium-ion battery encased in stainless steel and aluminum offers up to 100 miles (160 km) of city range. A 2-kW on-board charger juices it from 10-80% in 2 hours.
What really gets my attention is the craftsmanship in there. For starters, the powertrain sports components made from CNC-machined stainless steel and aluminum billet. The battery itself is housed in a box that’s fastened to a spine frame connecting the swingarm and motor to the headstock. The cooling channels are routed through the bike’s billet components – how cool is that?
Blacksheep Power
The company has designed the coolant flow through the bike’s motor, frame, and battery rather than using conventional pipes and hoses to transport oil or coolant fluid. It’s all a part of what Blacksheep Power calls the “wire-free power delivery system.” As part of this system, all signals on the One are transmitted through the tiny components that comprise the frame.
Moving on to the underpinnings. It sits on Öhlins upside-down forks with 4.7 in (120 mm) of travel and Öhlins rear shock with compression and rebound damping, which offers 3.9 in (100 mm) of travel. The front brake is made up of a 320-mm disc with a Brembo radial caliper, while the rear sports a 240-mm disc with a Brembo caliper as well.
Speaking of braking, you do get pressure-sensitive regenerative braking – although it depends on the rider mode (Normal and Sport). There’s also a reverse function for low-speed manoeuvring.
Blacksheep Power
The One comes with a wheelbase of 55 in (1,400 mm), a seat height of 31.9 in (810 mm), and a ground clearance of 5.9 in (150 mm), all while weighing 397 lb (180 kg).
Each motorcycle ordered will come with a chance to customize the bike with bespoke artwork per the buyer’s taste. You can tinker around with the frame color, the artwork on the battery cover, and the seat upholstery to suit your style.
That’s not all. Spending that sum of money also gives you the ability to practically co-build the motorcycle with Blacksheep. You can create bespoke specs for the bike, including the materials and finishes, the colors, and most importantly, the ergonomics and geometry.
As mentioned above, only 50 units will be available for purchase, all priced at £29,000 (US$39,019) plus VAT. To secure a build slot, you’d also need to pay £1,000 ($1,345) plus VAT upfront.
Blacksheep Power
In times when everyone else is busy building increasingly sanitized electric motorcycles loaded with touchscreens and algorithm-approved styling, Blacksheep has gone completely the other way – raw billet aluminum, exposed engineering, and a patented axial-flux motor proudly left out in the open like mechanical artwork.
This thing exists for the same reason people buy handmade mechanical watches in the age of smartphones. Because sometimes complexity, rarity, and craftsmanship are the point. Whether that actually translates into a sustainable motorcycle business is another matter entirely. One that only time will tell.
Source: Blacksheep Power
