Well it's certainly getting people talking about e-bikes, I mean HD being mentioned in the same sentence as Zero or Energica is probably generating digital traffic on all of the EV websites. Yes it's absurdly expensive but when John Q Hipster raises an eyebrow because he just learned Harley makes an e-bike has got to generate interest in the brand or at least make it worthy of a 2nd look among a buying group that would normally scoff at the idea.

 

True that. Of course, they're hopeful all those raised eyebrows translate to dollar signs.

 

I have a friend who sells HDs and he said what HD wants for an "authorized" charging station is ridiculous (that you have to have to floor the Livewire). Now when a guy who sells Harley Davidson motorcycles characterizes the cost of something as "ridiculous" it's probably "staggering". They should have painted that thing brown for the turd it's going to be.

 

That is typical of HD, viz. having a business plan that mandates making exorbitant profits off their dealers. Meanwhile, most motorcycle dealers (not just HD) are already on razor thin budgets. Triumph apparently took a page out of the HD business model and is demanding so much from their mom and pop dealers that said dealers are simply shutting down.

HD needs to help dealers. Not hurt them.

 

Agreed. LiveWire is a promotional piece, something to make customers, shareholders and analysts think of Harley as a tech company. LiveWire will have a prominent place on showroom floors until the novelty wears off, then it'll be pushed into a corner. Hopefully I'm wrong but I've seen this before with Buell motorcycles.

 

My local already has a charging station that they got some kickback from the city to install for electric cars. Harley is demanding that they be the ones who install their own version which will cost upwards of 100 grand.

 

If a dealer is required by H-D to have a charging station and since we all believe it won't be very busy 'cause they won't sell many electric bikes, do ya think the dealer would mind if other EV's plugged in from time to time for a quick shot of juice? From a cross country EV travel perspective, all the H-D dealers would almost be like a set of mini Tesla supercharger stations strategically situated along major thoroughfares.

As for me, if I had an EV it would be just one more reason to head to my local, friendly Taj Mahal dealership when a free foodage/drinkage event occurs. I get topped off and so does my EV. :-)

 

Sure! That's the ticket. You better be prepared to wait because you know there's going to be a line around the block! Bwahahaha...

 

That's not such a stretch. EVs are here to stay, and not just motorcycles. Having public charging stations, free or even pay, at the MoCo's dealerships could add serious value to one of it's already most valuable assets.

 

Having to navigate six stupid Teslas lined up for a charging station so I can park my bike and shop for a t-shirt isn't going to help Harley.