Revving up riding: how RGNT Motorcycles blends classic style with futuristic tech to transform biking

He might be new to motorcycling, but Professor Stephan Heres has been well and truly bitten by the biking bug.

After only three months of motorcycle ownership, the Munich-based rider has already covered 1,500km. At this pace, he's likely to double the annual average mileage for a motorcycle in Germany.

For Stephan, racking up the kilometers on his bike is a joy. That's because his RGNT might look like a 1960s café racer, but it's actually a highly sustainable bike bristling with innovative tech. Equipped with a silent electric motor and a sophisticated navigation system, it makes motorcycling a delight instead of a chore, whether commuting through the city or exploring the open roads.

“It's so enjoyable because it's so silent," says Stephan. “Motorcycles and scooters I've ridden before were very noisy." But it's not just the silence that's golden for Stephan. Finding his way around on his bike is seamless thanks to an EV-focused motorcycle route planning and navigation system that's been designed by RGNT and HERE.

Pure riding pleasure

Using the RGNT smartphone app, Stephan can plan his journey in advance from the comfort of his home or office. At the push of a button, he can then send the route to his bike. Once he starts his bike, it automatically shows turn-by-turn instructions on the touchscreen instrument cluster.

“The navigation system works extremely efficiently," adds Stephan. “One of the features I really like is the ability to zoom in and out. For example, recently I used the navigation system on my way to a town 100km away from Munich. I don't like riding on a highway because of the high speeds, so I had the navigation system zoomed right in. That way I could easily see where I should take a turn. Normally, that's one of the problems with navigation systems."

“Navigation has always been a bit of a hassle on a motorcycle," says Gideon Schipaanboord, Head of Marketing at RGNT Motorcycles, which are designed and hand-built in Sweden using locally sourced materials. Many other systems rely on riders using their mobile phones for navigation, but at RGNT they have collaborated with HERE to provide riders with pinpoint directions directly on the bike.

“Riders don't want the hassle of putting their phone on the handlebars all the time, or using it when it's raining," he adds. “So we thought it was very important to have this clear overview of the road on a dedicated screen."

What range anxiety?

The RGNT app uses the current battery status, type of road, battery regeneration mode, speed limits and elevation to precisely calculate the maximum range achievable.

This is then displayed in a 360-degree graphic feature called "Isolines". Isolines show the rider how far they can go in each direction, taking into consideration different types of roads and related conditions. The orange outer line shows the maximum range for a one-way trip, while the green inner line displays the maximum range for a round trip.

“Isolines give you a clear view of how far you can ride with the motorcycle in any direction, calculated on the remaining capacity of the battery," adds Gideon. “If the bike has 80% battery left, it will show you how far you can go with that remaining range."

Riders can therefore work out if a certain destination is achievable or not without needing to worry about running out of charge. If necessary, they can easily find chargers en route before departure or along their journey with the help of the navigation system.

This gives riders peace of mind regarding their ability to reach their destination. “We wanted to create something that really shows you how far you can go with your motorcycle," says Gideon.

Road trip, anyone?

As well as being able to plan routes from the comfort of your couch, you can share routes with friends if you're organizing a road trip, check on battery status from the app, lock the bike remotely, and check on its location. Over-the-air updates mean your app and bike are always current.

“We wanted to work with a global player like HERE to make sure that we always have an up-to-date and reliable navigation system," adds Gideon. “We are a premium brand, with a premium product, so we didn't even look at other navigation systems because we wanted to do this right and knew HERE is the frontrunner."

As for Stephan, the RGNT app and navigation system have transformed his riding for the better. “From time to time, I ride with a friend who owns another brand of bike. He's always adjusting his smartphone as it's wobbling around all the time on the handlebars. It's a horrible experience in comparison and quite distracting I think."

From planning routes at the touch of a button to the clarity of isolines showcasing achievable ranges, the RGNT and HERE collaboration has truly transformed the riding experience.