Electric Cool: FTN Motion Streetdog Review
Whichever way you look at it, fully electric personal transportation is becoming more and more popular. However, with a vast influx of e-scooters and electric bikes becoming more numerous on the streets of urban New Zealand, how do you stand out from the crowd? Well, the team at FTN Motion may have the answer and it’s called the Streetdog.
Based in Wellington, FTN Motion are carving out their own niche with the new locally hand assembled Streetdog, and it could very well be the coolest looking offering within this ever-growing segment of EV two wheeled mobility.
The best part of all, is that you don’t need a motorcycle licence to ride the Streetdog. As its 2.9kWH battery and 3kw hub motor produce the same amount of go as a conventional 50cc petrol powered moped, anyone with a full driver’s licence can ride one, and carry a pillion passenger.
The café racer look is a timeless design and the decision from FTN Motion to give their Streetdog the same stance was a stroke of genius. It really is a cool looking bike. Available in a variety of colours, the Streetdog certainly has that visual urban street cred worthy of the name.
Hop on and in classic café racer style, you sit forward with your arms outstretched towards the clip-on handlebars. The seat is not what I would call plush but it certainly isn’t uncomfortable. You can modify the foot pegs to suit your riding style and body frame too.
What I love most about the Streetdog is the attention to detail. You can tell that everything you touch is built to a very high standard. From the switches which operate the indicators and lights to the button to unlock the storage compartment, there is plenty of home-grown quality to behold.
Talking of storage, the Streetdog’s storage compartment, situated where the engine would ordinarily be, is good enough for 30L of whatever. It was more the able to swallow up my backpack, a camera and have room for more stuff. I imagine a quick run to your local supermarket for a few essentials won’t phase the Streetdog.
Hold down the open button for longer and you will be able to access the battery via lifting the seat. You can either charge the 2.9kWh battery on the bike itself, or by removing it and plugging it in separately. Either way, you will have a full charge from empty in 5.5 hours.
There are two ways to start the Streetdog. The first of which is rather clever. Simply hold your keyfob against the FTN logo on the right side of the tank. Those LED indicators will flash and the digital display will turn on, letting you the bike is now awake and ready for use.
The other way to start the Streetdog, in case you don’t have your key handy, is to enter a pin code on the digital touchscreen display. Press firmly down on the power button for around three seconds and the display will light up with a number display. Key in your desired four-digit code and hey presto, you are in. The digital instrument cluster displays your level of charge, odometer and trip meter. You can also set an alarm and lock the bike if you wish.
Press down on the power button and you switch from idle mode to ride mode. The LCD display changes to show a speedometer to accompany your charge gauge. There is also a little red dog seated down. This indicates your stand is still down. Kick up that stand and the dog disappears. Right, time to take this Streetdog for a walk.
A quick twist of the throttle and the instant torque delivery makes itself known and you silently dart forward. Its not neck-snapping quick but when compared to petrol equivalents of the same power level, getting off the mark in the Streetdog is, dare I say it, just that bit more exhilarating.
There are two ride modes to choose from, normal and eco. The latter can be activated by pressing a button with a snail icon. Once pressed, the throttle response is reduced and you can silently milk as much of the Streetdog’s 80km of range easily. There is also regenerative braking on hand so it is possible to zip from traffic light to traffic light and seldom use the front and rear brake.
While you won’t be venturing over 50km/h (though I did see 51km/h briefly), the Streetdog serves up some serious fun. Snaking your way through urban Christchurch, I found myself going full MotoGP and getting the odd knee down in the corners.
The ride was actually quite comfortable too. You may think it would bounce around given its sporty stance, but no. All the time this was happening, people were looking at this funky looking urban bike which made not an ounce of noise.
The FTN Motion Streetdog has a start price of $12,000. The figures are up there, but one could justify that price considering the craftsmanship, technology and the fact it was built right here in New Zealand. Fun, well made and oozing style, the Streetdog is one infectious form of silent and stylish personal transport.
FACTFILE
2023 FTN Motion Streetdog
Price: $12,000 start
Powertrain: 2.9kWh Lithium-Ion Battery
Motor: 3kWH hub
Weight: 82kgs
Frame: NZ made steel
Body: Hemp Composite
Charge Time: 5.5 hours to 100%
Top Speed: 50km/h
Storage: 30L
