Almost a year later, I went back to the Harley dealer. This time they let me take off the stem cover and take a look.

As you can see from the attached photos, the front portion of the big square stem is the actual stem, and the rear portion is the top cap. You can easily remove the hex bolt and top cap. Underneath, you can see a standard 1 1/8" threadless stem, which also has a standard 31.8mm grip for handlebars.

So this is all standard stuff, and you can replace the stem and handlebar at will, right? Well, you could...except for the cables. It appears that the power/control cable(s) and the rear brake cable run just in front of the stem, protected by that big square cover. They go all the way to the front of the stem, and straight in to a hole in the handlebars. Worse, one cable (which I assume is for the front brake) goes straight up through the stem itself.

So to change anything, you'd at least have to bleed, disconnect, and unthread the hydraulic brake lines. And the power/control lines for the headlight and control pad. Then if you raise the handlebars, I suspect (?) the lines will no longer reach...so you'd have to replace them. You can buy a length of brake line, cut it to size, and run them outside the frame like most bikes, but I am less sure about replacing the lines to the headlight and control pad.

Mind you, at least it is possible! I am not at all sure that I want to take on this kind of headache, though.

I love the Serial 1 - design, components, build, quality...

...but boy, does that floppy little rubber charge port cover seem out of place. It's easy to enough to remove; just tug on it. But putting it back seems to be a real pain. Is it just me? Is there a trick to it? I can get it, but I have to futz with it a bit.

I took the seat post out of a Serial 1 today. To my dismay, it was not the 30.9 that my current e-bikes use, so I couldn't plug in my suspension post and seat.

But I did have a tape measure. It looked to be about 1 and 1/16th inch, which is about 27mm. According to Wikipedia, "The most common size is 27.2 mm (1.07 in) for most bikes, especially for the higher-quality models".

You can also email Serial 1 support (support@serial1.com). I have found them to be extremely helpful.

The local dealer said "Serial 1 said they sent us a manual, but we can't find one, in print or electronic."

But I contacted Serial 1 service. They confirmed that the handlebars and stem are both custom, due to the cable routing, and are not meant to be replaced. So you have to find one that already fits you.

At least he sent me the geometry figures, so if you sit on one size, you can see how different the next size would be. I also noted that despite the different-looking frame and tires, the Mosh and Rush (and the step-through, for that matter) both have the same sizes aside from standover height. So you can try a different model, if it's in a size you are interested in. My dealer has a small Step-through, a medium and an XL Mosh, and a large Rush - that might be a standard "dealer kit".

I dunno if the formatting of this table will come through, here goes:

Size/Model   Size   Stand Over Height (50mm in front of saddle)   Stack   Reach   Wheelbase   Handle bar Width (mm)
RUSH/CTY   Small   686.5   575   384   1101.8   630
RUSH/CTY   Medium   713.5   630   405   1145.1   630
RUSH/CTY   Large   758.3   660   414   1166.2   670
RUSH/CTY   XL   795.6   690   438   1202.3   670
RUSH/CTY STEP-THRU   Small   448.6   575   384   1101.8   630
RUSH/CTY STEP-THRU   Medium   448.6   630   405   1145.1   630
RUSH/CTY STEP-THRU   Large   448.6   660   414   1166.2   670
MOSH/CTY   Small   693.5   575   384   1101.8   630
MOSH/CTY   Medium   707.7   630   405   1145.1   630
MOSH/CTY   Large   720.5   660   414   1166.2   670
MOSH/CTY   XL   725.6   690   438   1202.3   670

My joints can't take daily riding in the "typical" efficient biking position. I have to sit fairly upright.

On my last two e-bikes, I have replaced the stem AND the handlebars, for a total of 4" of extra height. However, the Serial 1 handlebars have the brake lines routed inside them, and the stem looks non-standard - very large and square. Perhaps I was just looking at a stem cover? I can't find a manual online, and the assembly videos show that the handlebars and stem come pre-attached to the bike.

I went to the local Harley dealer, and they say they don't have a manual yet, printed or online. They also didn't want to take apart the stem for me to look at. I did note that the handlebars are higher than the seat; probably because this is more cruiser/commuter oriented. My last two bikes were mountain bikes where the handlebars seemed to be at the same level at the seat. So maybe I won't need to raise the handlebars...but it's hard to tell, especially since the shop didn't have the bike in my size.

Does anyone have access to a manual, or a bike you can examine the stem with? Thanks!