In the world of electric motorcycles, the upstart is king. A small company with big ideas can grab an off-the-shelf electric drivetrain, rapidly prototype its concept, and massage it into a working motorcycle. And they can do it quicker than what it takes a major marque to get buy-in from the myriad internal departments that hold the reins.
NUEN Moto only burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, but their first made-to-order electric motorcycle, the NUEN N1-S, is ready. And, like everything else we’ve seen from the dynamic Vietnamese brand, it looks sharp as heck.
NEUN Moto might be based in Vietnam, but frontman Gia Nguyen founded the company while working as a multi-disciplinary designer in Sweden. That accounts for NUEN’s signature aesthetic—a unique neo-futuristic vibe with Scandinavian underpinnings. That thread runs through everything from NUEN’s debut Ducati Scrambler build, to the precursor of the N1-S.
Dubbed the NU-E, that bike was designed as a proof of concept. The design was radical, but it was also wildly impractical and far from being street-legal. With the N1-S, Gia’s mission was to use the NU-E’s DNA, but wrap it in a road-ready package with mass appeal.
Even though the two bikes share a design language, the N1-S had to be redeveloped from the ground up. Designed as an urban scrambler, the geometry of its aluminum chassis is more relaxed than that of the focused NU-E. Its upright riding position is geared towards commuting, and there’s space for a passenger.
The NU-E used a hub motor, but Gia wanted to revert to a traditional mid-mounted setup on the N1-S—so the chassis had to accommodate that too. NUEN also moved the battery housing further down, to help lower the center of gravity.
Because of the way the N1-S is packaged, there’s very little actual bodywork, with the frame acting as an exoskeleton of sorts. NUEN has done well to give the bike the frou-frou it needs to pass roadworthy, like fenders, lights, and mirrors, without adding too much clutter. The setup is as minimal as production bikes get, and the wide riser bars and tall seat look perfect for energetic rides through the city.
Gia’s penchant for brutalism is evident not only in the bike’s heavily machined look, but also in its minimalistic finishes. This all-black version is a special ‘Founder’s Edition,’ limited to just 50 units. The cheaper ‘Signature Edition’ features a silver frame and a different parts spec.
The Founder’s Edition trades the base bike’s J.Juan brakes for a Brembo setup and upgrades the suspension to Öhlins. It also gets a black headlight surround with an integrated fly screen, and a handful of subtle special edition-esque adornments. Each is available in three different colors, but it’s only the hue of the bodywork that changes from one colorway to the next.
Both versions sport a full complement of LED lights and a slim digital dashboard, and share the same 17” wheels—although they’re not the mismatched set pictured here. NUEN is working on its own set of hoops, based on a style that Gia has managed to use on all of his builds so far.
The two N1-S models also share the same drivetrain and battery pack. Claimed numbers are 24 kW and 190 Nm (at the motor), for a top speed of 130 km/h [81 mph]. Tech features include dual-channel ABS, regenerative braking, cruise control, a reverse gear, and three riding modes.
A connectivity suite is bundled into the system too, with Bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi functionality. The bike’s 8 kWh battery can be charged at home or a DC fast-charging station, for a maximum range of 200 km [124 miles]. (It’s worth noting that NUEN quotes that figure at speeds lower than 50 km/h [31 mph].)
NUEN is currently establishing their factory in Vietnam, so that they can start building the N1-S from next year, but pre-orders are open. The Signature Edition will set you back 180,000,000đ [about $7,316], with the Founder’s Edition costing 220,000,000đ [about $8,941].
There’s no word on whether NUEN will (or can) ship the N1-S internationally, or what else they have planned. But we do know one thing—this is one heck of a debut. We’ll be watching Gia and his crew with keen anticipation.
