Harley Davidson has committed itself to have a battery powered electric bike on the market in the next five years. They already have the Livewire project which has designed a bike that goes zero to 60 in four seconds and can go about 53 miles on a charge.
Their competitor, Victory, already has an electric bike that can go 130 miles and only costs $19,999.
Unless they can come up with a way to make it sound like the real thing, it’ll never sell. If it’s a decent bike they’d be better off spinning the project off into its own subsidiary and keep it away from the HD brand.
If it doesn’t sound like a Hog, it might as well be any other brand.
Hardly Ableson… as usual 40 years behind the curve.
Maybe you could use a clothespin to hold baseball cards so they contact the spokes?
Ford Mustang also has fake engine noise.
A motorcycle without a varoom varrroooommm roaaarrrrrr! Will likely suffer more accidental collisions.
Naming it the Black Widow is just the cherry on top.
They installed, what was that toy called, ‘V8’ or something?
Squishly Algoreson
Hardly Davidson. They just need a ghetto blaster on the handlebars.
Maybe Vespa or one of the other old name scooter companies could successfully market an electric motorcycle. A Harley will be a flop. Harley riders won’t touch one with a ten foot pole, and ecoweenies won’t buy one because HD represents wasteful capitalism.
Where’s Willie G.? He needs to smack these doofuses around.
Corona, you’re probably thinking about the Visible V8 (and if you wanted the parts to actually move you had to be very careful with your glue)
Maybe they are planning on selling overpriced, dealer installed sound effects.
OK, acceleration but 53 mi on a charge? Even the Vic at 130 is nothing to crow about. What’s the turnaround on the charge? Likely hours. No thanks. It’ll be a while before these leave the novelty category. Real men tank up on gasoline and go anywhere, any time. They don’t need to be obnoxious but their bikes make actual engine noise that is right symphonic to some ears.
Their new 500s and 750s are made in India, so this should fit right in.
I wonder if I could get one that sounded like a horse galloping down the street?
The Harlette…
I ride a Harley. It is a 2007 Sportster/Roadster and I got it because I liked it (seems like a normal reason to me).
I have never met a Harley rider who would want an electric bike and certainly not one that can’t go much further than a grocery store run.
Seems like a really dumb idea/concept to me.
I got 45 mpg riding last week – I don’t need a bike that can’t cover the distance to my work and back.
i can imagine the hootin’ and hollerin’ and finger (!) pointing when one of those rolls through Sturgis this year. . .
Odd though that the Zero FXS supermoto sells out?
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-fxs/
I could actually get into one myself, great for banging around town.
I ride a ’99 Fatboy stroked & punched up to 96″ with light weight pistons, roller rockers, flowed heads, S&S Super-G carb, Simpson cam, and Bubba Rhinehart exhaust, Lizzie puts out around 92HP. The sound she makes is incredible, neighbor from hell obnoxious. Ride an electric if you want, the wind doesn’t care …
o_o, I’ve heard of the Zero before and it is, in my mind, just that. Goose egg. Base model @70 mph =18 (one-eight) miles before a 4+ hr charge. City 45 mi, hwy (@55) 27mi, combo 34mi. I see it as one of those things the townies might use to run some errands like they are doing on those cheap Chinese scooters but other than that, no thanks. There is no reason for them other than faddish greenism (see https://iotwreport.com/new-study-u-s-brimming-with-oil-reserves -but/) It is also about the ugliest piece of machinery I have laid my eyes on in a long while. I’ll pass, thanks.
Next up, the Harley-Solyndra-Segway…
Gojira, Definitely not a distance runner, but for some quick hooligan stuff within my normal 5 square mile confines, I’m interested. I’d really like a WR450 but thinking a DRZ400 may be easier on the hassle front.
I quit bikes 20+ years ago. Numerous close calls and 3 dead people. So it’s odd I even want one to begin with.
Don’t expect to see too many of these in Sturgis.
Herb, just to be clear, i did say “one”!
Go, charge, go, charge, go, charge, go, charge… It’ll be over before you get there. From 250 mi, at 70mph in the base model you will spend 48 hrs staring at the LEDs on your charger along the way – if you can find an outlet. I suspect with the heat and your load, esp if you are *ahem* plus size like the other HD dudes, it’s going to be even more charge than go. Also, keep in mind that just like the MPG numbers on cars, they are usually fairly optimistic to begin with. And Señor Oaks, for the sufficiently unwary, death still lurks in any five squares on Earth and that doesn’t even address the fact that it is still utterly and comprehensively ugly. I know a good internal combustion counselor but only if you’re willing to seek help.
I have enough problems with people changing into my lane without riding a quiet bike! Loud Pipes Save Lives!