This is fun to watch but EV electronics and battery development are still in their infancy. The largest motorcycle producer in the world (Honda) has resources which dwarf everyone else including little startups. They are in no hurry and will likely release a mature product when the time comes. Once a design is selected they can scale production much quicker than the competition. Note Honda isn't testing the waters with immature tech because they do not need to hurry. Startups, and HD, need to hurry because they don't have diverse product lines.
Harley sells ICE bikes based on image and "old man" pop culture. E-bikes don't offer serious product differentiation because they are more like personal computers or phones than traditional motorcycles. Why pay more for the equivalent of a smart phone notch? Harley ICE bikes leverage a century of "installed base" built on the old culture of mutual mechanical support. None of that will be needed for e-bikes. There is no Dell or HP computer culture either for similar reasons.
HD management choices are responsible for their ICE sales tanking. No one else is to blame. Their incompetence and thrashing won't be different with a product change. They coasted on history but e-bikes instantly negate ICE vehicle history because they have no technical connection. ICE and e-bikes have two wheels in common and little else.
E-bikes don't offer the upgrade revenue path tiered displacements do for ICE bikes. HD could increase ICE displacement and call it an accomplishment. Batteries aren't very good at the moment so adding power means adding capacity or shortening an already short range. OTOH old consumer electronic appliances aren't worth squat. If you buy a new ICE HD you have mature, refined product. You could run them on CNG or hydrogen with modification where pollution is an issue. No current EV is a mature product except electric fork lifts....
On the good side for current owners is HDs are lifetime vehicles which only "need" replacement out of boredom or when stolen or destroyed. Everyone here already has one (or many...) so if the MoCo vanished today we lose nothing. The aftermarket is more than capable of supporting HDs indefinitely. Manufacturing gets easier and more capable every year.
I could spend that kind of money. The Livewire fail for me was the price it is easily 10k more then I would spend on it. Having said that, I talked to one of my friends at the dealer and he has taken two deposits on the Livewire already. I was shocked to hear that, but then again I am not amazed after seeing the Tesla sell as they have.
I really like the idea of an electric Harley, as something to shake up the image of the brand. And while I generally like this writers take on things, I don't see it making much of an impact on H-D's sales... I just think 30k is too much, and the performance isn't that great. I hope I'm wrong!
01-18-2019, 11:40 AM
