He said shortly after the launch of the new XR model, with a maximum speed of 85km/h, FTN Motion had its best sales month on record.
“We’ve got a s***load of sales coming at the moment.”
Bristow also put this down to rising fuel prices.
“We have been working on the XR and the launch and the plan for quite a while and just as we launched it, the fuel prices started happening.
“I think we’ve received a lot of additional interest from people now, really considering what other alternative options are there to saving money on getting around.
“The Streetdog also doesn’t pay road user charges so that … makes them really cheap to run.”
He said while most clients were outside Waikato, FTN Motion had received more interest from locals recently.
Bristow said launching in Australia had been a milestone the team was very proud of.
“Being at the Melbourne MotorShow, exhibiting an automotive product, when you step back and think about that for a second, it’s kinda crazy,” he said.
“It feels like you shouldn’t be there, but you are.”
Humble beginnings
The foundation of their electric motorbikes was laid in 2015 when Bristow and his friend, FTN Motion co-founder Luke Sinclair, were studying at the University of Waikato.
Instead of assignments, Bristow was looking into moped conversions.
FTN Motion co-founders Kendall Bristow and Luke Sinclair with FTN Motion general manager Michel Roncara at the company’s headquarters in Hamilton in 2024. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
With Sinclair, he completed the first Streetdog prototype during lockdown in 2020, before being introduced to Amsterdam-based consultant Saskia Thornton.
The trio launched FTN Motion the same year, with the mission to reduce congestion and decarbonise daily commutes.
The name FTN Motion is partially derived from lyrics in the song Township Rebellion by Rage Against the Machine – FTN stands for “f*** the norm”.
FTN Motion launched the first New Zealand-made electric motorbike in 2021, from Wellington.
The bike, the Streetdog, was named after Bristow’s dog Mac, adopted from an SPCA shelter.
New chapter
In 2023, FTN Motion announced it had outgrown its Wellington premises and moved to Hamilton’s Brent Grieg Lane in 2024.
Mac, the reason why FTN Motion’s have a bike called Streetdog. Photo / Mike Eastwood
Bristow said he and the team had learned a lot and improved production and efficiency.
“At the moment, we can easily get to five bikes out the door a week with [just] one person assembling.”
The company has 10 permanent staff and four four-legged staff members.
He said while not every bike component was produced in Waikato, they used local services where possible.
“We fabricate the frames down the road … [and] tube benders, laser cutters, machinists, fabricators, powder coaters [are] all local.”
The bikes
FTN Motion’s first bike, the Streetdog, has a top speed of 50km/h and a range of 80 to 100km.
It can be ridden on a car licence.
The Streetdog80 (in yellow) in comparison to the XR. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
The team recently improved the bike based on customer feedback, including making it more ergonomic, giving it more road presence and a more durable frame.
“The design matured a bit … It feels like you are riding a motorbike now.”
In 2024, FTN Motion released the Streetdog80 with a top speed of 80km/h, meaning riders need a motorcycle licence.
However, the Streetdog80 is no longer available. Bristow said the team had given the model an overhaul, but the changes were so significant it received a new name: XR.
The upgraded Streetdog50 (left) next to the XR. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
The XR has a top speed of 85km/h and a range of 60-80km, which can be doubled with a second battery.
The XR is also higher off the ground, has more suspension and wider handlebars, making it more comfortable at higher speeds, Bristow said.
“It has a bit of an adventure feel to it.”
Looking ahead
Bristow said the team was excited about recent growth and there were expansion plans, though nothing immediate.
“We got a lot of ideas for future products, but … we don’t have a massive team like other companies do.
FTN Motion co-founder Kendall Bristow. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
“[But] there could be a big bike thing maybe one day, there could be … different [motorbike] aesthetics.
“Luke always wanted to launch FTN tomato sauce.”
Bristow said they were also looking at launching beyond Australia.
“Since we’ve started FTN, we’ve always dreamed of another market … we [just] need to figure out which one.
“Europe or America are the obvious ones … but that’s even further [away] than another product.”
Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.