7 Ways Life Will Be Different With the Electric Harley
If you saw “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” or read any motorcycle magazines or websites, you already know that Harley-Davidson has an all-electric motorcycle called the LiveWire. This bike looks, sounds, and acts, unlike anything the Motor Company has ever built before. This paradigm shift away from air cooled, gas powered V-twin engines, to electric motors and batteries will require serious adjustment for some riders. Have no fear, though, you will still feel the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth.
1. Supernatural Smoothness
If you are used to the shudder and shake of a big twin, you may be surprised by the lack of sensation from the electric motor. If you have been using your Harley as a mobile magic fingers massage machine to relax your tired and sore muscles, you are going to have to invest in a hot tub, or start visiting your local masseuse. Unless something is seriously wrong, there should be no vibration at all from a Harley electric bike. Perhaps the time is right for a Harley-Davidson edition vibrating massage chair? In black leather of course.
2. Unlimited Low-End Torque
Harley-Davidson typically builds bikes with a lot of torque at low engine speeds, but you can’t touch the instantaneous power delivery of an electric. Electric motors make maximum torque at literally ZERO rpm, plateau, then start to slope down slowly. Sure, at higher rpm the electric motor is outclassed by a gas engine, but that’s not the way you ride a Harley.
3. Something Smells Funny
It’s hard to say what an electric Harley would smell like, but it certainly won’t smell like hot oil and gasoline. Most likely it will smell like rubber, leather, and a whiff of ozone from the motor. Lithium-ion batteries don’t have a tailpipe. You’d better wash up and get your leathers cleaned, because instead of your hog, it going to be you everyone smells as you ride by.
4. Sound of Silence
The Harley LiveWire prototype bikes had a bevel driven reduction gear between the motor and the belt drive, which gave them a distinct whine. But that electric hum is nothing to compare to the sound of a healthy V-twin breathing through straight pipes. Guys will end up installing powerful stereo speakers, just to blast the noise of what a motorcycle motor used to sound like as it rolled through town. At the very least,you may have to resort to the old trick of clothes pinning a baseball card in the spokes of the wheel in order to get some engine noise.
5. Maintenance Free
If you just want to ride your bike, and not be constantly wrenching on it, the electric Harley should be right up your alley. As long as you keep it charged up and the tires inflated it should be able to sit for months happily with no issues like gummed up fuel injectors. Oil charges will likely become optional. There are no primary chains to adjust. You may get bored and have to buy a second basket case project just to feel like a real man.
6. Electronic Upgrades
Of course, bikers are not going to stop wanting to tweak their rides for more performance, but with an all electric bike chances are it is going to look a lot different. There may be higher output batteries and more powerful motor upgrades that can be fitted, but the real tuning is all going to be software. Rarely will a company allow the motor controller to apply full power, to prevent wheelies, wheel spin, and warranty claims. Electric bikes also limit how quickly power can flow out in order to preserve the range. If you are willing to forgo warranty coverage, it should take only seconds to hack the control system for harder power hits and better acceleration. Forget spending hours installing the exhaust, intake, cams, big bore kits, etc.
7. Weird Looks
No matter what else may or may not change, one this is certain – an electric Harley will not look like anything else they have ever built. The LiveWire prototypes were very well finished and sporty looking but looked nothing at all like a V-Twin Harley cruiser. Even one that looked like the V-Rod would be more in keeping with traditional looks. Lithium-ion battery packs keep getting more energy dense and easier to package, but they are still most often formed as boxy shapes, the opposite of a Harley teardrop tank. Willie G. will most likely try his damnedest, and slather it in chrome, crinkle coat, and leather, but it will never look the same.
For more information on maintenance and repairs, check out our do-it-yourself articles at https://www.hdforums.com/how-tos/.
