Check it out. If it has good range, good recharge time and is priced right- DO WANT!
http://project.harley-davidson.com/en_US
http://project.harley-davidson.com/en_US
You Have My Attention, Harley Davidson
- Thread starter Zuljin
- Start date
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I really hope they can pull this off and not F it up, very cool!
I am not sure how well an Electric HD will work. Without the characteristic HD sound (that thing sounds like a jet from the website, are they going to have a speaker play the sound of a HD engine or something?) and bulk and look of a HD I do not know if your standard HD enthusiast would go for it. Not to mention that there are several manufacturers that already are making all electric bikes and I have yet to see one on the road personally. Could make for a nice commuter bike though.
On Facebook when it was mentioned by Iron & Air magazine, most people thought it was not a good offering from HD. I'm not a Harley rider nor do I ride sport bikes, but I kind of liked the looks of it. As far as continuing with the signature HD sound, this bike won't have it in any way as far as I'm concerned.
I'll stick with my cruiser and my piggy bank that will be full enough one day to nab be a new Triumph.
I'll stick with my cruiser and my piggy bank that will be full enough one day to nab be a new Triumph.
OP
OP
Yeah. Zero has only sold a few thousand electric bikes since coming out. They don't have the name recognition of HD, though. I don't think the Live Wire is going to pull many HD cruiser riders off their hogs, but I do think, maybe, the name plate can pull in people who want an electric bike. Add to those number the amount who like sport bikes and want an electric. That said, the XR1200 didn't do so well. People don't think HD when they think sport bike. But then, the XR was never a gixr or a busa. The metrics have dominated sport bikes since forever.
The big road block to electric bikes, and all electric vehicles, is range and charge time. Zeros just don't go very far at highway speeds. Electrics aren't gas and go convenient, either. And they're pricey. But even priced lower, I wouldn't buy a vehicle that I could only take a short trip in once per day or had to sweat running out of power in if traffic was heavy during that trip. Or I had to detour. Or anything at all came up that took away from going A to B under optimum conditions.
Still, an electric bike that did want I needed and even most of what I wanted? Hell yeah. The quite is okay with me.
The big road block to electric bikes, and all electric vehicles, is range and charge time. Zeros just don't go very far at highway speeds. Electrics aren't gas and go convenient, either. And they're pricey. But even priced lower, I wouldn't buy a vehicle that I could only take a short trip in once per day or had to sweat running out of power in if traffic was heavy during that trip. Or I had to detour. Or anything at all came up that took away from going A to B under optimum conditions.
Still, an electric bike that did want I needed and even most of what I wanted? Hell yeah. The quite is okay with me.
Knew it was the electric bike before i came into this thread.
A silent bike would make me a little worried since no one can hear you coming... Although when i used to ride i had a loud ass exhaust on mine and seemed like nobody could hear or see me.
A silent bike would make me a little worried since no one can hear you coming... Although when i used to ride i had a loud ass exhaust on mine and seemed like nobody could hear or see me.
Weezy
Well-Known Member
At least you won't have to worry about the tranny cover vibrating off while you're doing 65 on the highway.
mb82
Well-Known Member
As a driver I can say I almost never hear any bikes unless they are in front of me or we are in a tunnel. Cars are so silenced these days it is hard to hear all but the loudest most annoying bikes on the road. You know the guys/girls who ride bikes so loud bike people are annoyed by it.
Its a terrible, dangerous catch-22.
I seem to remember when the first all electric cars were coming out that they were concerned that pedestrians couldnt hear them coming and would get splatted. Some cars put speakers on the undercarriage and piped out the sound of muscle cars. I have reasonable volume pipes on my bike (non HD, maybe I shouldn't be commenting here) where I can leave my house at 6am and not necessarily wake the neighbors, but still be noticeable. I still almost got merged into twice this week. I can only imagine how bad it could be on a silent bike.
It also looks like most of the electric bikes available are in the 10-20K range, and have a range of 100-170 miles city, 60 or so highway.
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
I like the idea, but I don't see it being successful. The limits of battery technology are still too steep. Limited range, slow recharge, limited lifetime of battery due to all the fast-charging, too expensive.
Maybe in 20 years when the tech gets better and cheaper.
Even still, you'll have a hard time getting me off a traditional cruiser.
I ride a Harley. The pipes are definitely louder than my last bike (Honda), but not obnoxiously loud (I get drowned out by other Harley Riders with aftermarket pipes all the time). It seems like unless I'm accelerating fairly hard, car drivers have no idea I'm even there. It seems like "almost getting merged into" is damn near a daily occurrence for me. I don't really like super-loud pipes, but I almost want to get some so I don't die....
Maybe in 20 years when the tech gets better and cheaper.
Even still, you'll have a hard time getting me off a traditional cruiser.
I ride a Harley. The pipes are definitely louder than my last bike (Honda), but not obnoxiously loud (I get drowned out by other Harley Riders with aftermarket pipes all the time). It seems like unless I'm accelerating fairly hard, car drivers have no idea I'm even there. It seems like "almost getting merged into" is damn near a daily occurrence for me. I don't really like super-loud pipes, but I almost want to get some so I don't die....
I like it. I love sports cars, but unlike most of the exhaust tuners, I prefer mine to be as quiet as possible. I really want a Tesla!
I wasnt bashing HD's about their volume. Looking back it looks like I was, sorry. The reasonable volume bit was saying that they are not the super loud after market style and that is probably part of the reason that people try to hit me. I cant imagine having a silent bike. Of course around here, many drivers (I am guilty as well on occasion) tend to be self entitled jerks.
LOL not the first time i heard someone say that about the drivers around here.
I had a neighbor that would ride is HD everyday to work. But he would walk the bike down the street then fire it up before taking off. i guess his wife made him do that since it would probably wake her and the rest of us up if he didn't walk it down.
I had a neighbor that would ride is HD everyday to work. But he would walk the bike down the street then fire it up before taking off. i guess his wife made him do that since it would probably wake her and the rest of us up if he didn't walk it down.
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
I didn't think you were, I was mostly just comparing experiences. Some HD riders DO have obnoxiously loud pipes, and while I mostly find them annoying, every time someone tries to run me off the road, I envy their stupid pipes.
Someone on a "silent" bike would certainly have to be a very defensive driver to survive...
MindenMan
Well-Known Member
The big problem is people aren't paying attention. To anything. Even if I have the windows up and the air conditioner on, I can still hear a motorcycle with loud pipes. Do loud pipes save lives?, it sure helps to. My only complaint about loud pipes is in a residential setting. I have three Harley owners on my street, all with loud pipes who blip the throttle between their house and the next street. If I was sleeping, I am no more.
I kind of wish there was a switch to turn that on. Residential zone, flip to stealth mode. On the open road? Open her up. Best of both worlds. Now if someone could invent that they would make $$$hundreds!
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
Jeez, they can make exhaust valves for cars, I imagine they can quiet a bike.
FWIW I am very careful to look out for bikers. When I was young I saw a couple get run off the road by our high school. Some guy making a turn in front of them and they had to ditch into the ditch. They weren't going real fast, and the ground was soft. I don't think they were severely injured, but I bet the bike was a bit damaged. I've always made it a point to double check in the summer months for bikes.
But I also like to listen to music loud in the car, and I honestly don't think I'd hear most bikes unless they were right next to me. I generally tend to look all around me when driving too, which helps.
FWIW I am very careful to look out for bikers. When I was young I saw a couple get run off the road by our high school. Some guy making a turn in front of them and they had to ditch into the ditch. They weren't going real fast, and the ground was soft. I don't think they were severely injured, but I bet the bike was a bit damaged. I've always made it a point to double check in the summer months for bikes.
But I also like to listen to music loud in the car, and I honestly don't think I'd hear most bikes unless they were right next to me. I generally tend to look all around me when driving too, which helps.
According to the website they claim it will have distinctive HD sound.
I would consider an electric bike for my commute. I have to get from one end of our small town to the other. For that I wouldn't' spend HD sized money though.
I would consider an electric bike for my commute. I have to get from one end of our small town to the other. For that I wouldn't' spend HD sized money though.
I too wouldn't mind it as a commuter if I didn't fear what kind of target the lack of aural warning (and not to mention highway bars, my bike went over once, my legs were left unscathed due to them) would make me around here.
And seeing as the other current electric-bikes are in normal HD money range, I can only imagine the markup the name would allow for.
cruizer8
Well-Known Member
I have never seen a HD without the radio blaring so maybe that's what they mean by a distinctive HD sound.
Beernik
Well-Known Member
Dominos electric scooter with a safe sound, I think from the Netherlands.
The word it says that isn't "pizza" or "dominos" means "yummy".
The word it says that isn't "pizza" or "dominos" means "yummy".
WPStrassburg
Well-Known Member
So is it going to leak battery acid instead of oil??
Not for me but cool none the less.
Not for me but cool none the less.
If purchased for the power and response it should be fairly well received. Electric have a few potential benefits you just can't get in a gas engine. Battery quirks and lack of noise on a vehicle with less visibility would be my concern as well tho.
As far as "loud pipes save lives" false, load pipes annoy people!
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4[/ame]
I've been street riding for 35 years, I can pretty much tell what a driver is going to do before they do, trust no one and pretend you're invisible and you'll be fine.
But I thought this was about an E bike, I would need minimum of 100 mile range, 50% of that at high speed, the price is a serious concern along with the life cycle of the battery pack.
The other concern is marketing, is this bike going to be treated like a redheaded stepchild like Buell was at a majority of dealerships.
Time to wait and see, I may make a trip over to Philly when they come to town but it sounds like you may need an invitation, who are the going to invite?
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4[/ame]
I've been street riding for 35 years, I can pretty much tell what a driver is going to do before they do, trust no one and pretend you're invisible and you'll be fine.
But I thought this was about an E bike, I would need minimum of 100 mile range, 50% of that at high speed, the price is a serious concern along with the life cycle of the battery pack.
The other concern is marketing, is this bike going to be treated like a redheaded stepchild like Buell was at a majority of dealerships.
Time to wait and see, I may make a trip over to Philly when they come to town but it sounds like you may need an invitation, who are the going to invite?
OP
OP
Loud pipes sound great, on other people's bikes. Mine's not too loud even with Cobra Classics on it. There comes a point where pipes are so loud that I don't want to sit on top of them for my daily commute.
Motorcycling has given me a sort of traffic ESP as well. Yes. It's very nice.
The Buell/HD relationship was dumb. HD would have been better served to either help build them up more, build a bike like them or just stay out of it. Instead, they shut it down and sent most of those customers and potential customers to the metrics.
And really, I don't know why HD is so image (over) conscious. The metrics all build both cruisers and crotch rockets. They offer both air and liquid cooled, and all three final drive types. It doesn't hurt them. Hell, it helps them. Honda and Suzuki even builds scooters. Scooters! I ride metric for the radiator and shaft. Name plate be damned.
Maybe a hybrid bike? Honda would have to build it because it would instantly be called a Prius bike anyway.
Motorcycling has given me a sort of traffic ESP as well. Yes. It's very nice.
The Buell/HD relationship was dumb. HD would have been better served to either help build them up more, build a bike like them or just stay out of it. Instead, they shut it down and sent most of those customers and potential customers to the metrics.
And really, I don't know why HD is so image (over) conscious. The metrics all build both cruisers and crotch rockets. They offer both air and liquid cooled, and all three final drive types. It doesn't hurt them. Hell, it helps them. Honda and Suzuki even builds scooters. Scooters! I ride metric for the radiator and shaft. Name plate be damned.
Maybe a hybrid bike? Honda would have to build it because it would instantly be called a Prius bike anyway.
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