Faster is almost always better, and FTN Motion is about to launch its faster Streetdog80 to its range of EV urban motorcycles into New Zealand and Australia. And that’s a very good thing, because the Kiwi-designed and manufactured Streetdog has been making a name for itself with its retro-modern EV bikes in the big cities.
Namely, because that’s exactly where they’re designed to live and go: born in 2021 and based in Hamilton since 2024, FTN Motion has officially unveiled its Streetdog80, the larger-motored, faster addition to its stablemate Streetdog50.
Those numbers are important because they literally describe its top speed, and while the Streetdog50 is a scooter with oodles of style and a max speed of just over 50km/h, it does limit its use to very urban streets.
We visited the Streetdog factory to climb aboard the Beta prototype test version of the Streetdog80, and discovered that FTN has found its Streetdog sweet-spot.
Recapping the Streetdog50, that model requires only a car licence, as an all-electric, get-on-and-go café-racer style bike that brings 1950s style to the 2020s. But it has the latest technology such as an EV drivetrain with single motor in the rear wheel hub, and a 2.9kWh battery that can either be charged in the bike, or removed in seconds, and charged from a wall socket; or simply swapped over with another charged battery (a $2500 option) to double the range to up to circa 200km. There’s also battery regeneration when decelerating or downhill, to make the most of every kWh.
The Streetdog80 pushes the design concept into the true motorcycle sector, so this does require a motorcycle licence, still making it ideal for the first time rider, learner or someone with the need for awesomely cool and super eco-conscious urban transport.
Larger 100mm mirrors help the 80’s rear vision, but it’s still the same frame, battery, seat and bars as the 50. It uses the same touchscreen display, with the main difference being the loss of modes: gone is the 50’s snail (eco) and turbo (sport) modes, as the 80 has all its power on tap, all the time. There is still the dog symbol to signify the side-stand being down, an ode to the bike’s inspiration, Mac the dog.
The white-on-black display is super legible, even in direct sunlight, while there remains the big storage area under the “tank”, home for things such as a spare battery, shopping and even a small upper pocket for a phone/wallet, including a USB charge port. It’s also home to the central ECU, which is designed and made in-house, and offers over-the-air updates via its inbuilt WiFi, as FTN is continually evolving the Streetdog.
While we rode the final prototype version of the 80, FTN Motion was working on the final tweaks to help differentiate it from the 50, such as branding and colours, but it’s such a simple, easy and fun bike to jump on and go.
With either a tap-and-start key or a PIN to enter, a button press brings the bike to life, and a longer press puts it into ride mode. Then it’s just twist and ride, the Streetdog offering the immediate response of an electric vehicle. Starts and stops - devoid of juggling a clutch and gears - are so much simpler, even at super slow speeds in traffic while crawling in traffic to a roundabout.
Twist the throttle and the Streetdog80 jumps ahead with just the right amount of performance. In the same way an MX-5 doesn’t need to be faster, the Streetdog 80 is fun at any speed, and is just pure motorcycling pleasure, allowing the rider to focus on enjoying the purity of riding.
Even with my 189cm/120kg bulk, the Streetdog fits perfectly, super comfortable using the standard pegs and bars, while the big comfy seat even offers pillion space.
I managed just over 90km/h, which is definitely fast enough for the ‘burbs, with range up to 80km - more than enough for a few days’ typical suburban commuting, with the bike being light, but also with enough heft to avoid being blown around like some smaller motorbikes and scooters. Great brakes, speed on par with typical traffic, even just half an hour with the 80 drew more than its share of looks, smiles and thumbs up as it silently slinked by.
At $14,500, the Streetdog80 isn’t cheap, but nor is it meant to be: at a modest $2.5k bump over the 50, it’s either a perfect transition from the 50, or logical first choice for bike licence holders: it’s a very cool, unique, NZ-built, modern, electric boutique motorbike with retro styling, that brings as much fun and pleasure as a dog chasing a car.
