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Episode Transcript:
Chuck Nice:
That might be kind of cool to hear all this stuff in the background. Are we rolling? OK. So, here we are in Brooklyn. Now that can’t work. [laughs] What is this dude doing?
Chuck Nice VO:
OK. Before we get started, I’m Chuck Nice and this is me at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City. The Navy Yard is a busy maze of brick warehouses with trucks and engines everywhere. And I’m here to do something that I’ve dreamed about for a long time. And the guy who’s going to make that happen is named Taras Kravtchouk.
Chuck Nice:
Oh, look, there he is, my new hero.
Taras Kravtchouk:
What’s up, Chuck?
Chuck Nice:
Hey, Taras, man. Oh, man. Oh, man. OK. Let me just say this for a second. I’m gonna try my best not to be a giddy little school boy.
Chuck Nice VO:
Right in front of me is this motorcycle. It’s called a Tarform. It’s futuristic and retro at the same time. It’s made of brushed steel and leather and it almost looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.
Chuck Nice:
Wow. This is, I mean, it’s beautiful.
Taras Kravtchouk:
Thank you.
Chuck Nice:
First impression is, what is that? What is that? I mean, you know, it’s a motorcycle, it’s got two wheels. Of course, it’s a motorcycle, but you know it’s something that you’ve never seen before. And, uh, it honestly looks like the future is coming right at you. I mean, that’s the only way I can explain it.
Chuck Nice VO:
Now, this is a beautiful bike, but the thing that makes it special is the Tarform is electric.
Chuck Nice:
So, can I sit on it?
Taras Kravtchouk:
Yes, you can.
Chuck Nice:
Oh, man. Oh, oh. Oh, this is amazing. I feel like Black Tron right now. You know what I mean? I’m just like —
Taras Kravtchouk:
Wait until you actually ride it, then you feel that…
Chuck Nice:
Oh, wait a minute…
Taras Kravtchouk:
…Energy available.
Chuck Nice:
Because I just heard you say, “Wait until you actually ride it.”
Taras Kravtchouk:
That’s up to you. If you want to experience the future, let’s go.
Chuck Nice:
Oh, my god. Yes, let’s do that. Thank god.
Taras Kravtchouk:
Open it up. This is your playground. There’s no traffic or anything.
Chuck Nice:
Let’s go.
Taras Kravtchouk:
I love it.
Chuck Nice VO:
Welcome. This is “Electric Generation,” presented by Ford. Now, this is our first episode, and man, I am so excited to share this with you. We’re exploring how electrification is changing the fabric of America. In this episode, we’re talking motorcycles: “Vroom.” Well, actually, that sound doesn’t apply, because we’re also talking about the future, which means electric motorcycles and how they’ll fit into a nation that loves the growl of a chrome pony. Now, I’ve been riding bikes for years, so I can’t wait to sit down with Taras Kravtchouk, that guy who let me take his motorcycle for a ride. Thank you, by the way. I probably went too fast, but I couldn’t help it. It really begs to be driven. Taras is the founder and CEO of Tarform, one of the few companies making electric motorcycles, and don’t get it twisted, Taras isn’t some guy in a suit. He’s building these bikes. So, after our ride, we sat down to get his take on the future of electric motorcycles.
Chuck Nice:
Man, you know, I just took a ride and I gotta tell ya, I’m exhilarated. The experience is a true motorcycle experience. Now, we can just talk about it. We can just talk about, like, the story of why you did this. Like, what’s in this for you?
Taras Kravtchouk:
I grew up in Sweden: Cold, dark, Nordic. So, I got into motorcycling fairly late when I was 20, 23. But then my friend got, um, I got a bike and I tried it. And that first experience of just twisting a throttle and feeling this thing pulling you and you’re being completely open, you know, there’s no cage around you, and the day after, I took the bike apart, so I just wanted to understand the engineering of it. You know, what is this thing made of?
Chuck Nice:
And I thought I was a bike enthusiast. OK. [Laughs]
Taras Kravtchouk:
Now it was, you know, scattered, a bunch of, uh, parts across my shop. And then I started to learn what, what does, what is a motorcycle? What is a combustion engine? What is a carburetor, and, you know, putting it back together. And I got on it, and I’m like, wow, you know? I rebuilt this thing and it still works. So that was an interesting sort of experiment of shaping something.
Chuck Nice:
Yeah. So, now, one of the things, when you think about motorcycles, one of the most defining characteristics of a motorcycle and motorcycle riders is the rebel. You know, everybody’s on four wheels, I’m on two. You know, everybody’s going the speed limit. I don’t have one. And, you know, you are now kind of on the cutting edge of a different type of rebel, which is the electrification of motorcycles.
Taras Kravtchouk:
I think culture in the United States is, the bike culture is a little bit different than in Europe, for example. In Europe, a motorcycle yes, it has this element of a rebel and, you know, going against the grain. But a lot of people use it as a more convenient form of transportation, because it’s lightweight, you know, it consumes less energy and so on. In the United States, it’s so ingrained into our culture that the motorcycle is equivalent with this, you know, rebel persona. And it’s just a story that, you know, we’ve been told. And I think that story keeps a lot of people out from the biking community, because they don’t associate themselves with this leather jacket-wearing, you know, fully tattooed person. So, that fear is preventing them from just experiencing two wheels without the baggage of whatever this cultural creation is. And when I moved to the United States, I started building vintage bikes, you know, trying this from a 1970s BSA. So, I was part of this community of old, dusty shops in Brooklyn and just building bikes, bringing them back together, and felt that there’s a lot of people out there who are missing this experience. And is there a way to reinterpret the motorcycle and position it back as a cultural icon like it was in the sixties, but kind of redefine the image a little bit? So, making it electrical was an obvious decision. And so, that became kind of, you know, the initial building blocks, is a zero emission bike that honors the past and then uses all the cutting edge technology, because you know, we’re living in a technological age, and that kind of, you know, became the recipe.
Chuck Nice:
Well, you certainly have done that. I mean, as somebody who just got off of the bike, you know, what was most enjoyable was throttling through without worrying about anything else. Like, the more I pulled back, the faster I went. The more I pulled back, I kept going faster and faster. Like, it was really, it’s a weird experience for a motorcycle rider. And it was, like, too much fun.
Taras Kravtchouk:
That experience is addictive. Once you twist that throttle and you fly, I think the first time I tried it, I felt that experience when you’re sitting on the runway and the airplane’s about to take off and the only thing you feel, it just pulls.
Chuck Nice:
Yes. Yeah. I mean, that’s a great, wow, you’re good at explaining how this feels, because that is a perfect description of what it feels like to be on an electric bike, is that when you pull back on the throttle, it’s that same feeling like when you’re taking off on an airplane.
Taras Kravtchouk:
And eventually, maybe soon, it will take off. We’ll give it a few years. It’s going to be a motorcycle drone.
Chuck Nice:
Listen, I’m all about the motorcycle drone. I mean, I’m gonna let you test it first.
Taras Kravtchouk:
Motor drone.
Chuck Nice:
The motor drone. [Laughs]
Chuck Nice:
Let’s talk about the sound of your bike, which by the way, you put sound in an electric bike, which I’ve never seen. And it’s pretty, pretty amazing.
Taras Kravtchouk:
We didn’t put sound in it. We amplified it, what’s already there.
Chuck Nice:
Cool.
Taras Kravtchouk:
And, you know, most electrical vehicles, they’re very quiet because…
Chuck Nice:
…more than quiet. They’re a little too quiet.
Taras Kravtchouk:
Quiet. You don’t hear them because the electrical, just the functionality of electrical motors is very different than internal combustion, but there’s a big disconnect between riding a machine, any machine, and not hearing the sound, because we’re so trained to have this correlation between speed and the noise something makes. And especially on two wheels, you know, people say the biggest thing that the electric motorcycle’s lacking is the sound. The way we solved it was simply by amplifying the hum of the motor. So, there is an acoustic resonator built into the bike, very similar to how an electric guitar works. And that’s also the beauty of it, is that you can tweak the sound through a mobile app to make the bike sound…
Chuck Nice:
Oh, I did not know this!
Taras Kravtchouk:
Kind of how you want it.
Chuck Nice:
OK, so, now you’re opening up the possibilities of all kinds of things. Do you foresee one day maybe being able to pick different sounds for…
Taras Kravtchouk:
Yeah. Within range. You know, so it’s still the sound of the bike that it makes. It’s still there, but you can sort of tweak it left and right. So, whether you want a little bit more, you know, smoother, or you want a little bit more rumble within range.
Chuck Nice:
See, as a comedian, I see, like, an app that allows me to just totally mess with people as I drive by. And you just hear, like, pop-pop-pop-pop-pop. Yeah.
Taras Kravtchouk:
Yeah. We’ll push Chuck Nice updates.
Chuck Nice:
Like, did that dude just ride by on a motorcycle going pop-pop-pop-pop-pop?
Taras Kravtchouk:
Let’s record that sound, put it as an idle.
Chuck Nice:
So, I’d like to give people listening an idea of the state of electric motorcycles today. Where do you think the industry is today? I mean, I know that they’re behind the automobile industry without a doubt, but what do you think is out there, and is it a good thing where it’s going?
Taras Kravtchouk:
There’s still just a handful of companies that are currently producing electric motorcycles. And when we started five years ago, people said, “Oh, electric motorcycles, that’s never going to work. You need the loud pipes. It doesn’t also make sense because motorcycles are already pretty fuel efficient.” But today, the conversation is very different. Most people have never seen an electric motorcycle on the road. So, every time I ride this thing around Brooklyn or Manhattan, at red lights, people say, “Hey man, what the hell is that thing? Is that electric?” And, you know, then the question is, “How fast is it?” “Well, zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds.” “Wow. What the hell?” “Top speed 120 miles an hour,” and so on. So, it is such an interesting shift that’s happening, because people are expecting this to be further ahead than it is because electric cars have been around, but it’s not there. And I think it’s going to go quickly, but it’s a really interesting time to be in right now, being one of the few having an electric motorcycle on the road.
Chuck Nice:
What do you think is your hope for not just the electrification of the country and the world, because we know we have to do that, but your hope for the state of riding, you know? Would it be like the cheap means of transportation? Would it just be more people, like, learning how great it is to ride and having recreational bikes? What would it be?
Taras Kravtchouk:
I think there are multiple things that might have to happen at the same time, or maybe not, but most people, or I don’t remember exactly the statistics, by 2050, more than a half of the world’s population are going to live in urban environments. So, most people are going to live in the city. What’s the most convenient form of transportation in the city? It’s…
Chuck Nice:
Two wheels. It’s definitely two wheels.
Taras Kravtchouk:
So, you’re sitting in this box, which is, you know, 5,000 pounds, average car speed in New York is three miles per hour, which is most of the cars looking for parking. So, the first thing we have to start is to rethink what’s the most practical way of moving around? Now, obviously something that’s lightweight, you know, and two wheels, whether it’s a bicycle, a scooter or a motorcycle fits into that category.
Chuck Nice:
What would you say to get somebody who’s not considering a motorcycle to say, you know what, let me give this a try?
Taras Kravtchouk:
I don’t know if I would say anything. I would just give them the keys and the helmet and then go try it out. You can’t convert that experience in words. But if you were to, I think it’s as close as you get to surfing, because you know, it’s this seamless transfer of motion. There’s almost nothing you have to do except, you know, twist the throttle and then lean, because your body is moving the machine and the machine is moving your body. So, it’s this interconnection.
Chuck Nice:
Preaching to the choir right now, man. It is really the truest sense of being one with a machine that you can be. I don’t think there’s another integration where a human being can become a part of a machine than there is with a motorcycle, you know, especially when you look at the gyroscopic forces involved with riding a bike, you can’t just turn a motorbike into a turn. You have to guide it with your body. You know what I mean? Look at me. People can’t see me right now, but I’m leaning as I’m talking to you, I’m literally swaying my body back and forth, because that is the experience you are, you know, if you’ve ever driven a sports car, they call that being one with the road.
Taras Kravtchouk:
But there, you’re fighting it, because in the corner, you’re going in the opposite direction. Right. So you always feel like you’re rattling inside of a cage, but on a motorbike it’s, you’re going with the flow.
Chuck Nice:
Yeah. And surfing is a perfect metaphor. I didn’t even really think of that, because it is kind of like road surfing, just surfing asphalt when you’re on a motorcycle. Yeah. Dude, let’s just go ride. Why are we sitting here talking?
Taras Kravtchouk:
I don’t know. The bike is right behind you.
Chuck Nice:
Well, Taras, man, thank you for all of your hospitality, for being so gracious as to let me ride the bike. I will wish you success. I will not wish you luck because you don’t need it. You guys are really on your way and you’re a great innovator and you’ve really done something very special for the industry. And for that, I really celebrate you and appreciate you, man.
Taras Kravtchouk:
Chuck, thank you so much. And the experience you had is, in its purest form, what we’re trying to achieve, and the more people feel that and feel a sense of responsibility, that, you know, how do we move towards a more sustainable lifestyle, but do it with the sense of exhilaration and joy. And that is the interesting space to be in, so, thank you for noticing that.
Chuck Nice:
It’s my pleasure. And we’ll leave it at that. Sustainability can be fun. OK. Sustainability can be fun.
Taras Kravtchouk:
It must!
Chuck Nice:
[Laughing while riding bike]
Chuck Nice VO:
Now, if you’re wondering if this conversation has solidified my desire for an e-bike, yup! There’s some easy takeaways here. e-bikes not only make sense, they excite the senses. They’re fun as hell to ride. I was expecting to maybe get on something that was a little timid and a little tentative, but what I found was an electric monster that made my hair stand up and made me scream while I was riding it. I think once America experiences electric bikes, they’re going to fall in love just like I did.
Chuck Nice VO:
“Electric Generation” is presented by Ford and produced by Yahoo Creative Studios, At Will Media and me, Chuck Nice. The At Will Producers are Mitch Bluestein, Josh Farnam, Drew Beebe and Tina Turner. Special thanks to Wyatt Beebe and a huge thank you to Taras Kravtchouk for giving me a ride on that sweet, sweet bike. To see a Tarform bike yourself, go to tarform.com. Check out our full conversation and the “Electric Generation” podcast on TechCrunch and wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks to you, in advance, for giving us a great rating and subscribing to our podcast. The opinions given on this podcast are personal and do not represent those of Ford Motor Company or anybody else with an ounce of sense. I’m Chuck Nice and make sure you plug in next time to “Electric Generation.” Thanks for listening.
From Ford:
To find out more about how Ford is leading the way toward a more sustainable, electric future, visit ford.com/built-for-america.