MILWAUKEE — Harley-Davidson has introduced its first electric motorcycle, a sleek, futuristic bike that sounds like a jet airplane taking off and can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
The bike isn’t in production yet. Instead, the public will get its first look at handmade demonstration models at an invitation-only event Monday in New York. The company will then take the models on the road for riders to try and provide feedback. Harley will use the information to refine the bike, which might not hit the market for several more years.
The venture is 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. But those focused on electric-vehicle development say Harley has the marketing power to create demand, and its efforts to lower costs, build charging stations and improve technology will help everyone involved.
“It does validate what we’ve been doing; it adds additional credibility to it,” said Scot Harden, vice president of global marketing at Zero Motorcycles, the top seller of full-size, high-powered electric bikes. “It is certainly going to draw more people’s attention to electric motorcycles. The marketing horsepower of Harley-Davidson is going to be able to do things for us that we can’t do on our own.”
Zero expects to sell 2,400 electric motorcycles this year, a drop in the bucket compared with the more than 260,000 conventional motorcycles sold last year by Harley.
The new LiveWire won’t make Harley’s distinctive “potato-potato-potato” chug. Its engine is silent, and the turbinelike hum comes from the meshing of gears. Electric motors also eliminate the need to shift gears and provide rapid acceleration and better handling. LiveWire’s design places the engine at the bottom of the bike.
“When you ride a motorcycle, it’s the movement of the top of the bike side to side that gives you agility in regard to making turns. So, if I put weight low in a motorcycle, I can turn faster. I can drop the bike down and make quicker moves,” said Gary Gauthier of NextEnergy, a Detroit-based nonprofit with expertise in electric vehicles.
One hurdle Harley and others have yet to address is the limited range offered by electric motorcycles. Batteries typically must be recharged after about 130 miles, and that can take 30 minutes to an hour.
San Jose State University police Capt. Alan Cavallo helped his department buy two Zero motorcycles and said officers have been “super happy” with the quiet, environmentally friendly bikes made nearby in Scotts Valley, Calif. 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 L.A.; it won’t make it,” Cavallo said, adding later, “People want the convenience of ‘I pull into a gas station, I pour some gas in my tank and I go.’ ”
Harley President Matt Levatich said he expects technology to improve and the company is less interested in immediate demand than long-term potential. True growth in electric vehicles also will require common standards for rapid charging and other features, as well as more places for people to plug in. Harley expects to play a role in that, he said, noting that its dealership network could provide charging stations.
“We think that the trends in both EV 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.”
The LiveWire offers 74 horsepower, 52 foot-pounds of torque and a (governed) top speed of 92 mph. It’s more powerful and quicker off the line than the $13,000 Zero DS, but it’s got less torque and range. That said, it’s got more torque and power than Harley’s Iron 883.
Still, Harley execs and engineers don’t like talking about specs. They don’t want potential customers making judgments based on what the LiveWire offers right now. The LiveWire is a work in progress, based on “what we think our customers are looking for,” Richer says. The company hopes to glean more info during the LiveWire tour, and iterate accordingly to suit consumer tastes. Think of this as LiveWire v1.0.
Harley isn’t saying much about the drivetrain beyond saying the bike uses a lithium-ion battery with a range of 53 miles. It charges in 3.5 hours at 220 volts. Assuming the bike has a 3.3 kw charging system like other electric motorcycles, some back-of-the-envelope math suggests the LiveWire uses a 10 kilowatt-hour pack. Twist the throttle and the bike leaps forward with authority. Roll off the throttle and the regenerative braking kicks in, bringing the bike down from speed with due efficiency.
Can't wait to see some of these or their sucessors roll up for Sturgis someday, though I was hoping for a more traditional "hog"-like design compared to this. Tesla and Harley-Davidson should totally team up on the supercharging station thing; Tesla wants to use them for cross-country trips, and cross-country road trips are traditional for Harleys.
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2023884537_harleyelectricxml.html
http://project.harley-davidson.com/
http://www.wired.com/2014/06/harley-davidson-livewire/
Test Ride/Experience Details:
SEE IT. HEAR IT. FEEL IT.
The Project LiveWire Experience begins a 30-city tour across America starting June 24th in New York City, where riders will be invited to take a historic ride.
June 24-25th: Harley-Davidson of New York Dealership (NYC, NY)
June 26-29th: Harley-Davidson Museum (Milwaukee, WI)
June 27-29th: Boston Harley-Davidson (Boston, MA)
July 1st: 1871 - The Merchandise Mart (Chicago, IL)
July 2nd: 1871 - Doc's Harley-Davidson (Kirkwood, MO)
July 3th: Harley-Davidson World (Oklahoma City, OK) NON-TEST RIDE STOP
July 6th: Thunderbird Harley-Davidson (Albuquerque, NM) NON-TEST RIDE STOP
July 9th: Mother Road Harley-Davidson (Kingman, AZ) NON-TEST RIDE STOP
July 14th: Santa Monica Pier (Santa Monica, CA)
July 17-19th: Brian's Harley-Davidson (Philadelphia, PA)
July 24-26th: San Diego Harley-Davidson (San Diego, CA)
August 7-9th: Eastside Harley-Davidson (Bellevue, WA)
August 14-16th: Paradise Harley-Davidson (Portland, OR)
August 21-23th: Boswell's Harley-Davidson (Nashville, TN)
September 4-6th: Worth Harley-Davidson (Kansas City, MO)
September 11-13th: Bumpus Harley-Davidson (Memphis, TN)
September 16-18th: Mile High Harley-Davidson (Denver, CO)
October 2-4th: Harley-Davidson of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)
October 2-4th: Sonoma Harley-Davidson (Santa Rosa, CA)
October 9-11th: San Jose Harley-Davidson (San Jose, CA)
October 16-18th: Orange County Harley-Davidson (Orange County, CA)
October 23-25th: Los Angeles Harley-Davidson (Los Angeles, CA)
October 31- November 2nd: New Orleans Harley-Davidson (New Orleans, LA)
November 6-8th: Arrowhead Harley-Davidson (Phoenix, LA)
November 13-15th: San Jacinto Harley-Davidson (Houston, TX)
November 20-22th: Cowboy Harley-Davidson (Austin, TX)
December 4th-6th: Peterson's Harley-Davidson (Miami, FL)
December 4th-6th: Adam Smith's Texas Harley-Davidson (Dallas, FL)
December 11th-13th: Brandon Harley-Davidson (Tampa, FL)
December 18th-20th: Adamec Harley-Davidson (Jacksonville, FL)
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