View Poll Results: Do you like it & would you buy one ?
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>Oh`No>Harley-Davidson introduces electric motorcycle<
#1
06-19-2014, 03:08 PM
>Oh`No>Harley-Davidson introduces electric motorcycle<
Harley-Davidson introduces electric motorcycle
Harley-Davidson goes electric: The iconic motorbike firm reveals its first battery-powered ride | Mail Online <Click 4 vid
Born to be mild: Harley-Davidson goes electric as it launches its first battery-powered Hog (but what will the Hell's Angels say?)
Harley-Davidson goes electric: The iconic motorbike firm reveals its first battery-powered ride | Mail Online <Click 4 vid
Born to be mild: Harley-Davidson goes electric as it launches its first battery-powered Hog (but what will the Hell's Angels say?)
- The Wisconsin-based company has unveiled its first electric motorcycle
- Called Project LiveWire the bike will be touring the U.S. to the end of 2014
- It is seen as a bold move, as the company is known for its big touring bikes
- But they are now hoping to become a leader in developing electric vehicles
- LiveWire can go 0-60mph in 4 seconds and has a range of 130 miles
PUBLISHED: 07:55 EST, 19 June 2014 | UPDATED: 13:33 EST, 19 June 2014
Harley-Davidson is known for its big touring bikes and iconic brand.
But now the Wisconsin-based company is aiming to break new ground in a bold new move when it takes its first electric motorcycle, Project LiveWire, on a tour of the country beginning at an event in New York next week.
And President Matt Levatich said he expects the company to become a leader in developing technology and standards for electric vehicles.
Scroll down for videos
But now the Wisconsin-based company is aiming to break new ground in a bold new move when it takes its first electric motorcycle, Project LiveWire, on a tour of the country beginning at an event in New York next week.
And President Matt Levatich said he expects the company to become a leader in developing technology and standards for electric vehicles.
Scroll down for videos
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Harley-Davidson has unveiled its new electric motorcycle at the company's research facility in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The company plans to unveil the LiveWire model Monday 23 June, at an invitation-only event in New York before travelling down Route 66 to let riders have a test drive
The announcement is seen as taking the company in an entirely new direction - they have not previously showed interest in electric bikes, instead preferring to develop the iconic vehicle that has been a mainstay of American culture for nearly a century.
Harley will show handmade demonstration models of the new e-bike at the invitation-only event on Monday, having given a sneak preview today.
The company will then take the bike down the U.S. Route 66 to 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships to give riders the chance to test drive the bike and provide feedback.
A NEW ERA FOR HARLEY
A NEW ERA FOR HARLEY
Not content on just building an electric motorcycle, earlier this month Harley-Davidson unveiled two bikes aimed at women.
The Street 500 and Street 750 were the firm’s first new bikes in 13 years and bosses hope they will become the must-have 'little black number' in every woman’s garage.
Designers have got rid of the large, bulbous petrol tanks and shiny chrome which are synonymous with Harley’s masculine style.
Instead the bikes have been given a sleek, black makeover and include smaller handle grips, lower seats and different foot peg positions to appeal to female riders.
The move to create a motorcycle for the female market has been fuelled by a 30 per cent rise in sales to women over the past decade in the U.S. alone.
One in 10 of Harley’s sales in America is now made to a woman.
Harley will use the information it gathers to refine the bike, which might not hit the market for several more years.
More...
Some see the venture as a risk for Harley because there's currently almost no market for full-size electric motorcycles.
The millions of two-wheeled electric vehicles sold each year are almost exclusively scooters and low-powered bikes that appeal to Chinese commuters.
The millions of two-wheeled electric vehicles sold each year are almost exclusively scooters and low-powered bikes that appeal to Chinese commuters.
In addition the company has little experience in such an emerging technology.
But one analyst said investment by a major manufacturer could help create demand, and Levatich emphasized in an interview with The Associated Press that Harley is interested in the long-term potential, regardless of immediate demand.
But one analyst said investment by a major manufacturer could help create demand, and Levatich emphasized in an interview with The Associated Press that Harley is interested in the long-term potential, regardless of immediate demand.
'We think that the trends in both EV [Electric Vehicle] technology and customer openness to EV products, both automotive and motorcycles, is only going to increase, and when you think about sustainability and environmental trends, we just see that being an increasing part of the lifestyle and the requirements of riders,' Levatich said.
'So, nobody can predict right now how big that industry will be or how significant it will be.'
At the same time, Levatich and others involved in creating the bike predicted it would sell based on performance, not environmental awareness.
At the same time, Levatich and others involved in creating the bike predicted it would sell based on performance, not environmental awareness.
Watch the new electric Harley Davidson in action
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Employee Ben Lund demonstrates Harley's new electric motorcycle at Harley's research facility in Wisconsin. The bike has a range of 130 miles (210 kilometres), after which it must be charged for 30 minutes to an hour to fully recharge the battery
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e-asy riders: Bikers ride their Harleys as they attend the Hamburg Harley Days parade (file pic)
With no need to shift gears, the bike can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometres) per hour in about four seconds.
The engine is silent, but the meshing of gears apparently emits a hum like a jet airplane taking off.
'Some people may get on it thinking, "golf cart,"' lead engineer Jeff Richlen said.
'Some people may get on it thinking, "golf cart,"' lead engineer Jeff Richlen said.
'And they get off thinking, "rocket ship."'
One hurdle the company has yet to address is the limited range offered by electric motorcycles.
One hurdle the company has yet to address is the limited range offered by electric motorcycles.
The batteries must be recharged after about 130 miles (210 kilometres), and that can take 30 minutes to an hour.
San Jose State University police Captain Alan Cavallo helped his department buy two bikes from Zero Motorcycles, the current top-selling brand, and said officers have been 'super happy' with the quiet, environmentally friendly bikes made nearby in Scotts Valley, California.
San Jose State University police Captain Alan Cavallo helped his department buy two bikes from Zero Motorcycles, the current top-selling brand, and said officers have been 'super happy' with the quiet, environmentally friendly bikes made nearby in Scotts Valley, California.
But he said American riders who like to hit the highway would likely lose patience with the technology.
'That's the deal with the cars; you can't jump in a Tesla and drive to LA, it won't make it,' Cavallo said.
He added: 'People want the convenience of "I pull into a gas station, I pour some gas in my tank and I go."'
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON
'That's the deal with the cars; you can't jump in a Tesla and drive to LA, it won't make it,' Cavallo said.
He added: 'People want the convenience of "I pull into a gas station, I pour some gas in my tank and I go."'
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is the largest manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles in the world.
William S. Harley and William A. Davidson founded Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903.
The first documented appearance of a Harley was in a Milwaukee motorcycle race at State Fair Park in 1904 (pictured right).
A year later, Carl H. Land of Chicago, the first Harley dealer, sold three bikes out of the initial line and by 1907 production had increased to 150 motorcycles.
During this time, the firm also sold motorcycles to police departments and ramped production to 450 motorcycles by 1908.
During World War I, Harley provided 15,000 motorcycles to the U.S. marking the first time that the motorcycle had been adopted for combat service.
By 1920, Harley was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world with more than 28,000 motorcycles sold in 67 countries that year.
From 1929 to 1933, sales of Harleys fell from 21,000 to 3,700, but this was reversed when more than 90,000 motorcycles were produced for the U.S and Allied Nations during World War II.
From 1929 to 1933, sales of Harleys fell from 21,000 to 3,700, but this was reversed when more than 90,000 motorcycles were produced for the U.S and Allied Nations during World War II.
The brand’s reputation was damaged in 1952 when Harley was charged with restrictive practices after requesting the U.S Tariff Commission place a 40 per cent tax on imported motorcycles.
From the 1950’s to the 1970’s Harleys were featured in Hollywood films as motorcycles ridden by biker gangs and featured in 1969 bike classic Easy Rider (pictured below)
Harley later became synonymous with the Hells Angels biker gang, too.
American Machinery and Foundry bought Harley-Davidson in 1969, but Harleys became more expensive but of poorer quality.
Sales dropped so significantly that the company almost went bankrupt, but in 1981, American Machinery and Foundry sold Harley-Davidson to a group of thirteen investors for £47 million ($80 million).
In 1983, Harley established the Harley Owners Group (HOG), a nickname that has been given to Harleys from the 1920s, when a team of farm boys used an actual pig as their mascot during motorcycle races.
In 2000, Ford began making a Harley-Davidson edition of its popular F-150 pickup truck.
In 2008, the Harley-Davidson Museum opened in the Menomonee River Valley.
According to Interbrand, the value of the Harley-Davidson brand decreased by 43 per cent in 2009, linked to a significant drop in the company’s profits over the previous two quarters.
Except for the modern VRSC and Street model families, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles have stayed true to the classic Harley designs.
This is why the move to an electric model signifies a shift away from its heritage.
Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market haven’t been as successful and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary, the company re-entered the middleweight market in 2014 with its Street series of motorcycles.
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This photo shows the control screen on Harley-Davidson's new electric motorcycle. With no need to shift gears, the bike can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometres) per hour in about 4 seconds. The engine is silent, but the meshing of gears emits a hum like a jet airplane taking off
+6
The bike was first spotted earlier this week on the set of the new Avengers movie and has now been confirmed by Harley. Here a stunt double for Scarlett Johansson is seen riding the e-bike during filming for Avengers: Age of Ultron at the World Cup Sangam Digital Media City Expressway in Seoul, South Korea
Take a first glimpse at Harley Davidson's new ELECTRIC bike
California firm Zero Motorcycles introduced its first full-size motorcycle in 2010 and expects to sell about 2,400 bikes this year, said Scott Harden, the company's vice president of global marketing.
That would give it about half of the global market for full-size, high-powered electric motorcycles.
In comparison, Harley-Davidson alone sold more than 260,000 conventional motorcycles last year.
But John Gartner, a research director for the consulting firm Navigant Research, said having large, well-funded companies get into the electric motorcycle market could give it a significant boost.
In comparison, Harley-Davidson alone sold more than 260,000 conventional motorcycles last year.
But John Gartner, a research director for the consulting firm Navigant Research, said having large, well-funded companies get into the electric motorcycle market could give it a significant boost.
The major automakers helped drive sales for hybrid and electric cars, he noted.
'Their marketing budgets are much larger and they have dealerships set up everywhere, and so it's much easier for companies like Ford, BMW and Honda to advertise about their electric vehicles,' he said.
'Their marketing budgets are much larger and they have dealerships set up everywhere, and so it's much easier for companies like Ford, BMW and Honda to advertise about their electric vehicles,' he said.
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The bike boasts an all-electric engine (shown) that can accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-95 kph) in four seconds. A lightweight aluminium frame surrounds the battery to keep the weight of the bike down and enable it to reach high speeds and have a decent range before needing to be charged
Levatich said true growth will require common standards for rapid charging and other features, as well as places for people to plug in.
Harley expects to play a key role in developing electric vehicle standards, and its dealership network could provide charging stations to serve all drivers, he said.
'We've been very silent up to this point about our investment in EV technology,' Levatich said.
'We've been very silent up to this point about our investment in EV technology,' Levatich said.
But, he added, 'now that we're public, and we're in this space, we expect to be involved and a part of leading the development of the standards, and the technology and the infrastructure necessary to further the acceptance and the utility of electric vehicles.'
Last edited by BeachBumMike; 06-20-2014 at 07:22 AM.
>a Bump 4 Votes<>LOL<
#4
06-28-2014, 12:16 AM
Not a chance in hell. I've owned one, and ridden several other Harley's. I just couldn't ride one that didn't have that shaky rumble and iconic exhaust note. Electric engines don't make hardly any noise at all.
Something about a bike that I have to be able to feel, and hear it running. I have a hard enough time with that in quiet cars.
Something about a bike that I have to be able to feel, and hear it running. I have a hard enough time with that in quiet cars.
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