You can put whatever name you want on it......but it's no Harley.

In a world of "alternative fuel vehicles" its only normal that HD would try to get into the market.

But I tend to frown when companies use their name to sell something that is nothing like what they're known for......just to sell something by name recognition.

 

I was kinda with you on this, but once I thought about Harley is the perfect MC company to to move electric forward.

If they can get the battery pack to go 200 miles and charge in 30 minutes or less, Harley could encourage (force) dealers to install charging stations and for the most part you can't go 150 miles in this country without seeing a HD dealer.

That would let you travel from coast to coast and that 30 minutes at the dealer would sell loads of HD branded stuff.

There would probably be issues in the west but, Harley could either contract others to provide charging or set up shop themselves.

Also I'm not against Harley building sport bikes. If they can do it right and bring more riders into the fold, I'm all for it. Companies have to evolve.

If this ever comes to fruition, I think it'll be a big win for everyone.

Especially me, I make power for a living and if everyone is charging their vehicles at night, my equipment is running in the ranges where it's most efficient 24 hrs a day.

 

I think it had a market, but limited range and long time to recharge will limit its salability. I have no use for it. I prefer the feel of a gas powered engine.


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Not for me,

I like the way it looks, it's stance...but I wouldn't even buy a gas bike, that could only go 52 miles between fill ups...and gas stations are everywhere...

Not to mention, Lithium Ion batteries are volatile as f*ck, with very little warning before detonation, on a vehicle that can and will see the elements...and right next to my junk...

If they want to go alternative fuel, they should have made a bio-diesel bike...

 

I like the concept because I like the Tesla; however, I don't think most Harley owners will go for this one.

IT'S TOO QUIET.

It doesn't look like a Harley. It looks like a rice rocket. No Harley mystique. But when the current 10 year olds grow up, they will probably be more interested.

And I would rather see Harley add such a line than be left behind.

 

BaseBall cards in the spokes. :thumbsup

 

Live wire?

Barf......That's not a Harley Motorcycle! It's a copy of a sports bike for
Young folks!

 

Barf......That's not a Harley Motorcycle! It's a copy of a sports bike for

Young folks!

If Harley builds it, it will be a Harley motorcycle, just not one that you are used to; and not one with the traditional styling that they have built their brand mystique on.

This is a very forward looking move on their part, in order to remain a viable company, they need to expand their customer base. This is one attempt at that. I, for one, am
Interested. I'm keeping an open mind.


The object in life is not to arrive in a pristine, well preserved body; rather it is to skid in sideways, a drink in one hand screaming "Woo Hoo, that was one HELL of a ride!"

 

I have a friend that has an electric car she uses for her intown work commute. Works good for her and costs about six dollars a month to power.
Having the major manufacturers building this stuff should drive the technology and lower the prices to make them affordable for average income folks who would like something like that.
Don't think I could add one to the stable now but might be a interesting option down the road.
I can see that people will love or hate them and for me anyway Harley is going to have to be super competitive because this kind of purchase is going to be driven more by economy than buying another toy.

 

Never happen !!!! Run out of power on a lonely road in the middle of nowhere, can't syphon electric can't carry an extra battery. Tow companies will love it. Bet your HOG membership won't give you free towing anymore. A Harley is generally a big toy to many. Not a commuter or single transportation. A big investment in this would be a big loss

 

The concept seems confused to me.

Sport bike styling, but I would think that the performance limits of power to weight would keep it from competing in that category. Not for the touring market due to range limit. In town cruiser? Maybe. But it would need to be styled for that market with comfort features to match. Short range commuter might be the best target. That bike doesn't seem to fit there without some storage capability.

I would test ride it for the novelty, but that machine concept doesn't have what interests me in a motorcycle. I would not be a buyer. But I'm considered old.

In the end, I have no problem with The MoCo having a viable share of other market segments as long as that strengthens, and does not weaken, the health of the company. I would like to think that they will be around to keep building and supporting the motorcycles we love for a long time to come.

--

 

It is certainly a departure from the norm for HD, however, I think it's a move in the correct direction. All of the American car manufacturers ignored the electric and hybrid vehicles until the likes of Toyota and Honda set the standard and are now trying to play catch-up. This isn't a cross-country cruiser. It's a local, around town, short commuter bike. Much like their Street series of motorcycles, except without the gas.

Personally, if they got the range to 150-200 miles, I'd definitely consider one for my daily commute. Would be very nice to spend $6-$7 a day charging it over the $12-$14 a day I currently spend on gas.

If they did put a charging station in at every dealer, it would go a long way to allowing longer rides. Specially if they could work out a battery swap kind of like you see with the Blue Rino gas grill containers.

 

It was a matter of time, they should have waited.
50+miles doesn't cut it. Plus I hear the exhaust is real quiet.

 

I disagree. They are coming with this at the right time. Be the first major manufacturer to market with one, even with limited range right now, and the others are play catch-up.

Remember the first iPhone, didn't have a lot of things the Blackberry had, but they were first to market with the touch screen phone and the rest of everyone has been playing catch-up ever since.

 

I won't even own an electric lawn mower, weed eater nor leaf blower. I guess you could put one of these on it:

Ronnie

 

I saw it in NYC this past weekend, it looked pretty cool. A friend from NYC test rode it yesterday. He said he would buy one and that it's light and fast. That bike would be great for place like NYC, Chicago and cities alike. It's basically a high end scooter.

 

Good on Harley. I love the what I have and can't really see myself buying this but others will and if the MoCo want to grow or even survive they need to innovate. I like the idea that HD are also known as leaders and innovators rather than just reliant on old brand image.
Let's face it, what is the average age of harley rider?


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Battery technology is not up too the real world yet. Tesla cars are cool but when you need a charge after 200 miles its a 90 min. stop. I would imagine out on flat lands you get that long range. What happens to range in mountainous or hilly terrain?? Need to develop a fuel cell can be refueled quickly...:dunno
The local cops here are due start riding electric bike, not sure of brand yet.

 

I

disagree. They are coming with this at the right time. Be the first major manufacturer to market with one, even with limited range right now, and the others are play catch-up.

Remember the first iPhone, didn't have a lot of things the Blackberry had, but they were first to market with the touch screen phone and the rest of everyone has been playing catch-up ever since.

__________________
we all have our opinions.

 

piece O crap .. garbage. jap crap. trash. dump junk.
well thats all i can think of right now...... hey u asked....

 

Just plain stupid.

 

ugg, that thing is ugly,

 

Right now the concept is limited to 50 miles or so before a recharge is required; I will bet money that it won't be too long before that range is increased significantly.

Harley is illustrating two critical business concepts:

(1) The ability to identify and embrace risk in return for reward (i.e., growing their customer base and staying at the forefront of technology)

(2) Forward thinking (i.e., where will their market be in 10 or 20 years?)

Germany has passed laws requiring that a full 50% of all of their energy consumption must come from renewable resources by 2019 I believe, which means that solar technologies will likely be the basis for stored energy in transportation solutions for much of their society. I frankly like the idea that much of the weight taken up by fuel and a heavy ICE power plant will be replaced by a lightweight direct drive propulsion system and significant battery capacity, and if a nation like Germany passes regulations to bring this technology to the marketplace, then I think we can only benefit.

Just my $.02 - that turbine whine sounds freaking cool!

 

I love that the MoCo has the cajones to do this. I also showed it to my 20 yr son who is inheriting this world and hopes to continue on 2 wheels and he too loved it. 2025 won't be like 1925, and our wheels need to evolve with it. Like or loath, the MoCo has a regulator climate they must deal with, and LiveWire shows they are dealing with it. Props to all involved.

 

I think that the more HD can diversify its offerings the longer the company will last. Regardless of current owners. We, the old guys, cannot be counted on to support the company 20 years from now. And, if they don't have products that people want then, then our beloved MoCo is out.

I remember reading comments by people saying they'd never buy a bike without a kick-start, or carb, or any other outdated technology, and yet the MoCo seems to manage just fine. I would hate to try to keep a '79 anything on the road these days. Unless it wasn't my primary. Sure, old bikes are fun, but the new ones are faster, more reliable, and more efficient. Wins all the way around.

That said this is the first E-bike that actually looks cool. Most of them look like they were made by a tech company. Would I consider it? Absolutely! It would be cool to give the finger to the gas station as I rode by!

 

Personally, I'm still not a huge fan of the VRod. Yes I've rode one I'm just one of those in the "its just not a Harley-Davidson camp"

So nope, its not for me.

 

I had my test ride on the live wire on Wednesday at the NYC dealership. I'm not a crotch rocket fan, but I like what this bike is about. The company is reaching out to a broader client base and that's a good thing. The bike obviously isn't a long-haul touring model, nor a bad-ass cruiser. What it is, is a super fast, light weight rocket that has high appeal factor to younger, urban, Eco-conscious, noise-averse crowd. This bike, exactly as it is now, is perfect for zipping around the city. It's light and nimble. I was a bit nervous riding in mid afternoon traffic on Broadway with a bike that doesn't make any significant sound (that fighter jet sound is cool but quickly drowned out in city traffic) but the throttle and brakes are immediately responsive and acceleration is VERY fast. About the thing I thought was "wonky" on the bike was the touch screen dashboard. I hope they shrink that thing down a bit if/when they decide to sell to the public.




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I am standing looking at one at Doc's Harley-Davidson in Kirkwood, MO. They just completed a demo. They guy got 53 miles before he returned to "refuel". I got to throw a leg over it. The bike is much bigger than I though it was going to be. The sound of it is something I would have to get used to. They all say it has a turbine sound. To me it sounds like a Prius whining. It feels well built from my first initial reaction. It doesn't feel as plasticky as I thought it would. I don't think it is ever anything I would be interested in buying but I want to take a test ride for sure. There is a crew from the motor company here. They think it is 50/50 if this bike goes into production.


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I'm near Springfield. I would love to see one of these things. Do you know if they still have it up there?



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Not as a replacement for my current bike, but more as a supplement for different things. There are practical uses for this type of thing.

Definitely something I could use. I ride about 2 miles to work and back. I do that in the morning for PT and then at 0900 for normal work call then back to the house at noon for lunch and then back to work in the afternoon and home again in the evening. Theoretically, if I could ride one of these like that every single day that I work and charge it at night, I would save myself about 100 bucks a month in diesel. That's not a lot but it does help.

I would love to have one. I don't care if it says Harley or not and I agree, they are the perfect company to do it (There is a dealer 15 minutes from my house). It would be a fun thing to have to scoot around post on and make quick trips into town.


-Rohan