Seriously COOL... introducing Project Livewire.

nooshinjohn

Harley Davidson meets Captain Kirk... I can't wait to see this in person.

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ViperZ

Electric bikes have been around for a while... this is just another brand name getting on the bandwagon IMHO.

One of many examples:
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/ca/

nooshinjohn

ViperZ wrote: »

Electric bikes have been around for a while... this is just another brand name getting on the bandwagon IMHO.

One of many examples:
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/ca/

True... but this one is a Harley And it is the first electric bike that looks cool to my eye. The sound is amazing as well, almost like a fighter jet.

WilliamM2

nooshinjohn wrote: »

True... but this one is a Harley

Even more reason to avoid it.

zane77

Looks pretty cool to me!

exalted512

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Even more reason to avoid it.

Still wondering how they're going to engineer it to leak oil.
-Cody

mhardy6647

exalted512 wrote: »

Still wondering how they're going to engineer it to leak oil.
-Cody

Or with what audio companies they'll contract the for the high-fidelity, high-res digital reproduction of their signature "potato-potato-potato" idling sound...

I've gotta say, in terms of electric vehicles, an electric motorcycle makes a lot more sense to me than a pure-play electric car. There are more than a few Nissan Leafs running around up here, but the weather can be so extreme (cold) and some roads and terrain so remote... I'd be terrified to drive a pure electric vehicle around here. They wouldn't find my mummified corpse 'til mud season if I ran outta juice on a back road in midwinter :-O

tonyb

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Even more reason to avoid it.

Agreed, though they have become better, they used to be the Ford of the motorcycle world....always breaking down or always needing something. My brother has a nice Harley, newer bike too, relates it to owning a boat or a money pit.

I noticed they don't say how long it takes to charge up this bike. They claim 5 seconds, but that's referring to just plugging it in, not how long it takes to charge up completely. Plus whats the range with someone on the back ?

In general bikes get great MPG anyway, so I assume this creation is to simply stay within trends and appeal to a wider base. IMHO, if you can afford a Harley, you can afford the 5 gallons of gas and the maintenance.

ZLTFUL

exalted512 wrote: »

Still wondering how they're going to engineer it to leak oil.
-Cody

I heard that it is going to leak voltage instead.

WilliamM2

tonyb wrote: »

In general bikes get great MPG anyway, so I assume this creation is to simply stay within trends and appeal to a wider base. IMHO, if you can afford a Harley, you can afford the 5 gallons of gas and the maintenance.

Not the faster ones. My ZX-11 gets 38-42 mpg, which sounds decent, until you consider my Camry gets 35. And Harleys aren't really more than Japanese bikes these days. I was looking at a Concourse (37mpg) the other day, $16.5K, even a ZX10 is 15K. I think the Sportsters are still well under 10K.

ViperZ

Regarding sound, they'll probably sign with the likes of Meridian or similar to reproduce the famous sound. Personally, I want to know how they will implement their 'famous' hard tail, or if they will just copy it from existing Harley.

WilliamM2, you nailed it, bikes have slightly better MPG, especially bigger sports bikes, but bikes also produce more pollution (don't take me wrong, I love my CBR).

ZLTFUL, just FYI, you leak current, not voltage.

exalted512

ViperZ wrote: »

WilliamM2, you nailed it, bikes have slightly better MPG, especially bigger sports bikes, but bikes also produce more pollution (don't take me wrong, I love my CBR).

Yeah, but his Camry won't shoot out flames from the exhaust like my zx6, therefore your argument is invalid.
-Cody

EndersShadow

ZLTFUL wrote: »

I heard that it is going to leak voltage instead.

Nope just have the battery life of a iPhone 5

halo71

tonyb wrote: »

IMHO, if you can afford a Harley, you can afford the 5 gallons of gas and the maintenance.

Well, that's not really the point of having an electric bike then is it? Gas ain't green bro! lol

ZLTFUL

ViperZ wrote: »

ZLTFUL, just FYI, you leak current, not voltage.

ViperZ, just FYI, #sarcasm. :-p (Seriously though, stray voltage has also been defined as voltage leakage so we can both be right)

Electric motorcycles have reached the point where they can run lap averages close to those of the mid pack supersport bikes at IoM. Granted, they only do it over one lap but considering that lap is 37.773 miles at balls out full throttle speeds, still pretty impressive.
While I dislike Harley from the branding standpoint, I admire them for eschewing their historical nature to build really mediocre 1903 technology bikes and jumping on the E-train. It really is the future of compact, efficient vehicles.

oldmodman

Be sure to ask anyone with any electric vehicle why they have one.
And if they say for the environment ask them the next question.
Do they charge it from their own solar cells or home hydro generating system.
If they don't be sure to laugh at them since most electricity today come from that little slot on your wall.
And it comes from burning coal. Someday maybe it won't, but today it does.

EndersShadow

^Or what they plan to do with those batteries when they are depleted and need to be replaced.......

villian

WilliamM2 wrote: »

Not the faster ones. My ZX-11 gets 38-42 mpg, which sounds decent, until you consider my Camry gets 35. And Harleys aren't really more than Japanese bikes these days. I was looking at a Concourse (37mpg) the other day, $16.5K, even a ZX10 is 15K. I think the Sportsters are still well under 10K.

Exactly. Both my bikes average out 35mpg on a good day. More like 30 when I'm flogging it. Electric bikes have been running strong since 2009, and beating up on their gas powered counterparts the last year or two. Just hadn't heard much from the mainstream media about electric bikes until now.

dkg999

With HD's core market segments being saturated and aging, they have to start expanding their products to new demographic segments. Hence the introduction of the Street 500 and 750. It's good to see them start getting out ahead of the market, because look how long it has taken the V-ROD, which is their most advanced and best engine platform, to gain acceptance from the faithful.

halo71

My problem, besides lack of cabbage to buy an electric bike, is that I see more deer than I do cars going to work and back. That would scare me from buying this bike or a gas powered one. Hell I hit a deer in the @ss a few years ago riding my ATV on the trails round here.