It was inevitable that 3D printing and electrification would lower the barriers of entry to vehicle manufacturing and usher in some unique characters—and products—into the marketplace. Perhaps none more distinctive has emerged lately than that of Druid Motorcycles and its Sorcerer line of hybrid and electric motorcycles.
Before we get to the bikes, let’s talk about Druid’s branding. In addition to its two wild bikes, Druid also wants to create a “cult,” saying on its company website, “From the moment you acquire your Druid to the moment you die, you will be a part of Druid Cult.”
The unique branding doesn’t end there. The company site also brags that it melds “4th wave manufacturing technologies with an eastern European philosophy of brutal honesty.” With that stage set, let’s look at the bikes themselves.
The Secrets To Sorcery
At launch, Druid is offering two models: the Sorcerer Hybrid and Sorcerer XEV. Both bikes are built on a variable-geometry frame made from 3D printed graphene called Druid Prophet.
The Sorcerer Hybrid is powered by a 14 kilowatt-hour battery, electric motor, and 2-cylinder gasoline engine for a combine output of 230 horsepower.
Electrons And Electronics
Druid claims the Sorcerer also has an artificial intelligence (A.I.) system that “continuously reads ride data in real time, and uses powerful machine learning algorithms to adjust the the [sic] bike for weather, hills and riding style, and to maximize performance.”
What’s more, Druid claims the Sorcerer models are continuously connected to the cloud. It does not specify, though, how or what benefit that adds to riders.
“Druid is our dream of powerful and intelligent motorcycling come true,” founder and lead designer Milan Svoboda said in a press release. “I came to America years ago with only a vision. Today those ideas take shape and form the beginning of a new reality.”
Watching, Waiting And Hopefully Wheelies
As for the Sorcerer XVE, the only information Druid gives about it is that it will produce 150 horsepower and will be available for pre-order, along with the Sorcerer Hybrid, at the company’s launch event in Austin, Texas in May of 2019.
Given the quirkiness of the company and technological distinctiveness of its products, Druid will be a company to watch. However, it definitely exhibits a lot of qualities like so many other disruptive tech startups that quickly to be flashes in the pan. Faraday Future comes to mind.
Skepticism aside, we are excited to see any firm willing to step into an established market like that of motorcycles and try to shake it up. So, we’ll be watching Druid closely and hopefully detail some of its impressive tech claims.
