Using a hemp and epoxy resin blend for bike fairings reduces manufacturing emissions by up to 50 percent compared to using fiberglass. It’s also a much better material to work with.
“Fiberglass gets incorporated into everything. You get splatter on your hands, and it gets on your clothes,” Sinclair said. “So having a material that is much better for workers was a huge benefit.”
With strength and durability more than adequate for the low-speed motorcycle category, the natural material also proved to be a cost saver.
“Because we used hemp for the interior of the pod storage compartment, we could leave it open,” he said. “It’s not made of fiberglass, so there was no need to cover it with upholstery to keep glass shards from getting into your fingers.”
However, creating a dual-purpose fairing and storage compartment was not without challenges.
“The storage compartment is a single piece composite unit that is also structural,” Sinclair said. “We had to design and build a highly specialized, aluminum, heat-controlled mold system that utilizes an internally pressurized bladder – all in house.”
The StreetDog’s removable battery, located under the seat, can be charged in the same way as a laptop.
“You just open the seat, take out the battery and plug it in,” he said. “The storage unit was designed to fit a second battery, so you can take two batteries with you when you ride.”
dog about town
The FTN team recently brought StreetDog to Australia, stopping in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne – with Australian Design Rules Compliance Test Currently underway in the Victorian capital.
Both the bikes will be launched in various major Australian cities in the second half of 2024 , Depending on the jurisdiction’s moped laws, Sinclair expects the Australian customer profile to be similar to New Zealand.
“Typically, it involves people living anywhere from 5-40 km Or the CBD is looking to use something instead of a car for their commute,” he said.