GR1T Has the Bikes. Now It Needs €8 Million to Build Them
GR1T has four electric motorcycle prototypes, some seriously good-looking bikes and a rather large obstacle between them and your local dealer. It needs to find up to €8 million to get them into production.
We caught up with GR1T co-founder and CEO Omar Abukhlal at EICMA to see how things are progressing. We've liked what we've seen from GR1T so far. The bikes have the looks, the specifications and, from what we've seen, the engineering to make a proper impression. But getting motorcycles from the exhibition stand to the showroom is a very different challenge.
From First Look to Four Prototypes
We've been following GR1T for a while now. We first introduced the Berlin-based manufacturer to BCB readers when its G1S Street and G1X Scrambler caught our attention. Since then, we've covered the Founders Circle's €1,500 discount for early supporters and the arrival of the G1XR Raider.
The range has grown. These aren't just display models built to look good under the EICMA lights. All four are fully built, working motorcycles, with three developed to their final specifications. But there's still one question we'd really like answered: when can we actually get our hands on one?
Four Prototypes, Four Reasons to Pay Attention
The latest addition is the G1M Mission, with a revised rear end that makes room for a larger pillion seat or a rear rack. That gives riders more ways to make use of the bike's 190 kg payload. GR1T has designed it with police, first responders and medical transport services in mind, but we reckon it could make a cracking adventure bike, particularly with a couple of extra batteries strapped to the sides.
Looking across the range, we like what we're seeing. The styling is sharp, the specifications look good and there's been some serious thought put into the engineering. There's a proper range taking shape here, with machines aimed at different types of riders and uses.
Of course, having four working prototypes is one thing. Moving into full production, getting bikes into customers' hands and supporting them once they're out on the road is a whole different ball game. And that's where GR1T needs some significant backing.
The €8 Million Challenge
According to Omar, GR1T is looking for up to €8 million, split between building the motorcycles and getting the business ready to sell them.
Around €5 million is needed to get the bikes ready for production. That means finishing the engineering, buying the tooling, sourcing materials and getting everything in place to start building motorcycles rather than prototypes.
GR1T isn't planning to build everything itself. The idea is to work with established suppliers, make use of existing factory space and increase production as demand grows. It also wants to build largely to order, not fill warehouses with motorcycles that might take time to sell. That's a sensible approach for a young manufacturer, where every euro needs to count.
The other €3 million is for everything that happens around the bikes: setting up the business, administration, sales and getting the motorcycles in front of riders across Europe.
But €8 million isn't necessarily a fixed figure. Omar told us GR1T is looking at other ways of getting the bikes built, which could bring the funding requirement down to around €7 million, possibly less.
One option on the table is moving production to China. We don't think that's a bad thing. China has become a major player in electric motorcycle manufacturing, with established suppliers and production facilities that could make a lot of sense for a young brand trying to get off the ground.
The important thing is getting the bikes built properly, at the right price and with the quality riders expect. Where they're assembled matters less than what eventually rolls out of the factory.
The Investment Hurdle
GR1T is still accepting deposits through its Founders Circle, which offers early supporters a €1,500 discount on the first production bikes. So, if you've already got your eye on one, that opportunity hasn't disappeared.
But customer interest and investment are two very different things. A queue of interested riders is encouraging, but it won't pay for tooling, materials and the factory. GR1T needs an investor prepared to put real money behind the project.
Omar reckons the first customer deliveries could follow around 18 months after funding is secured. That's not a date to mark on the calendar just yet, but it gives us an idea of how long riders could be waiting once GR1T gets the green light.
The BCB Take
We came away from EICMA impressed with more than just the motorcycles. GR1T has clearly put a huge amount of work into getting this far, and there's a determination behind the project that deserves recognition. The bikes have genuine potential, and we'd like to see them make it onto the road.
We also know that finding that level of investment isn't easy, particularly in an electric motorcycle market that's getting more crowded by the month. New brands are popping up all the time, all competing for attention, customers and money. Getting promising motorcycles from prototype to production takes more than good ideas and some nice engineering. It takes financial backing.
GR1T has got this far through hard work and plenty of graft. Now it needs the financial support to take the next step. We hope it finds it.
Ride safe, folks.
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