LiveWire LiveWire Price
Supporter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,434
Likes: 292
From: Earth
H-D has updated some specs and tech info. See here: https://www.rideapart.com/articles/3...e-information/
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 157
Likes: 57
From: MD. USA
"What about "that Harley sound"? Don't worry, the company thought of that too and it promises that the LiveWire will produce a "signature sound"
Yeah, right. I speak only for myself, but I find that buzzing whirr pretty darned stimulating. It's the sound of speed in the future.
When I was required to read Orwell's "1984" in high school, even though that date was less than ten years away, it was all sci-fi fantasy. Since then I've seen many of those scenarios become common and some obsolete. I'm looking forward to the future and not counting on anything from the present or past except from a historical standpoint. I have a soft spot for antique motorcycles. Nobody is making a living building new KR's though!
Yeah, right. I speak only for myself, but I find that buzzing whirr pretty darned stimulating. It's the sound of speed in the future. When I was required to read Orwell's "1984" in high school, even though that date was less than ten years away, it was all sci-fi fantasy. Since then I've seen many of those scenarios become common and some obsolete. I'm looking forward to the future and not counting on anything from the present or past except from a historical standpoint. I have a soft spot for antique motorcycles. Nobody is making a living building new KR's though!
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,310
Likes: 1,079
#1 - The pollution from power generation is not even a factor in this market. Yes. I fully comprehend the insanity of that. Consider though that the majority of the TARGET MARKET, again the overseas market, are not necessarily motivated by the green movement! They are motivated by the economy of the product. Everything today is dependent on electric, from phones & computers to... well, everything that's taken over modern society. All they care about is that the power is on. Once again, look beyond what we're accustomed to!
#2 - Harley-Davidson is not changing ANYTHING regarding the present products!!! Why does everyone seem to fear all the fat slim bob boy glides are going to be scrapped in favor of e-bike production?
#2 - Harley-Davidson is not changing ANYTHING regarding the present products!!! Why does everyone seem to fear all the fat slim bob boy glides are going to be scrapped in favor of e-bike production?
I'm a consumer that like everyone else, "that wants more for less $" or at least "more for more $". And unfortunately Ebikes only offer LESS FOR MORE $. and in the case of LW they expect consumers to accept FAR LESS FOR FAR MORE $. That's just not gonna happen.
And regarding #2.... thank you for so convincingly making my point. They have not CHANGED ANYTHING with Touring bikes. They have rested on their laurels with minor upgrades and reduced reliability with significant price increases...... while the rest of the market in Touring bikes has leaped ahead in a segment HD once owned all to themselves. Simple corporate laziness and now consumers of Touring bikes are seeing that they can HAVE ALOT MORE FOR LESS $ in a Touring bike if they venture away from HD. Either HD WOWS the Touring bike market later this year with the 2020 models or all the new LW and Adventure bikes in the world will not change the end of this story.
Last edited by Heatwave; Mar 6, 2019 at 12:20 PM.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 4,242
Likes: 3,126
From: Texas
Imagine any major European or Asian city without 2-cycle scooters. Without the noise and smoke. People who never go more than five miles and have all night to recharge before heading off to work the next day. THAT is where 2-wheeled EV's are going to shine. ...But just keep concentrating on the present (some would say past) U.S. market to predict the future. Keep ignoring the lightweight segments of other brands that are still expanding and instead focus on the big, heavy, low milage, EXPENSIVE bikes YOU prefer that are declining in popularity. Keep obsessing over highway range and recharge times. Those people on Juneau street must be nuts for not sharing that focus. 
Focusing on the dying heavyweight touring market would be like if IBM had decided that instead of delving into that scary new world of personal computers, they had decided "let's just make the most outstanding typewriter anyone's ever seen." It's a road to nowhere. IBM (Harley) was years and years behind Apple and Compaq (Zero and Lightning) and their first personal computer (electric bike) was a big ugly underpowered overpriced dud (IBM PC, LiveWire). But IBM stuck at it, they had the resources and the engineers and the relationships, and eventually did very well for themselves. Nearly killed Apple off, Microsoft had to buy into Apple just to keep them afloat before Apple rose to the top.
In the end, it was Compaq, and Commodore, and Atari, and Sinclair, and most of the other "first" companies that ended up dying out. I have no doubt it'll play out similarly here; Lightning and Zero and Buell and Alta and whoever all else may have been "first", but Alta's already gone, and maybe one of the others will survive but sooner or later Harley will be the big player in the electric bike market. And the LiveWire will be just one of many models in the lineup.
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,310
Likes: 1,079
LOL. Rest assured, someone will jailbreak this puppy and figure out how to dump the battery juice to the electric motor to get some insane power results. Of course, the battery will only last 5 minutes but it'll be a crazy 5 minutes!
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4,607
Likes: 3,311
From: Virginia
It won't take long, All the "Tuner" will be is a new software download, and yeah it will void your warranty, just like jail breaking your cell phone will void it's warranty.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
Agreed 1,000%.
Focusing on the dying heavyweight touring market would be like if IBM had decided that instead of delving into that scary new world of personal computers, they had decided "let's just make the most outstanding typewriter anyone's ever seen." It's a road to nowhere. IBM (Harley) was years and years behind Apple and Compaq (Zero and Lightning) and their first personal computer (electric bike) was a big ugly underpowered overpriced dud (IBM PC, LiveWire). But IBM stuck at it, they had the resources and the engineers and the relationships, and eventually did very well for themselves. Nearly killed Apple off, Microsoft had to buy into Apple just to keep them afloat before Apple rose to the top.
In the end, it was Compaq, and Commodore, and Atari, and Sinclair, and most of the other "first" companies that ended up dying out. I have no doubt it'll play out similarly here; Lightning and Zero and Buell and Alta and whoever all else may have been "first", but Alta's already gone, and maybe one of the others will survive but sooner or later Harley will be the big player in the electric bike market. And the LiveWire will be just one of many models in the lineup.
Focusing on the dying heavyweight touring market would be like if IBM had decided that instead of delving into that scary new world of personal computers, they had decided "let's just make the most outstanding typewriter anyone's ever seen." It's a road to nowhere. IBM (Harley) was years and years behind Apple and Compaq (Zero and Lightning) and their first personal computer (electric bike) was a big ugly underpowered overpriced dud (IBM PC, LiveWire). But IBM stuck at it, they had the resources and the engineers and the relationships, and eventually did very well for themselves. Nearly killed Apple off, Microsoft had to buy into Apple just to keep them afloat before Apple rose to the top.
In the end, it was Compaq, and Commodore, and Atari, and Sinclair, and most of the other "first" companies that ended up dying out. I have no doubt it'll play out similarly here; Lightning and Zero and Buell and Alta and whoever all else may have been "first", but Alta's already gone, and maybe one of the others will survive but sooner or later Harley will be the big player in the electric bike market. And the LiveWire will be just one of many models in the lineup.
Agreed,
Harley will suck all the cash it can from all its gas bike sales to float this Electro-Lemon, and after its all said and done, it'll be just like victory.
If I want ***** to the wall economy, Id rather drop 4 1/2 k and buy a Honda grom.
Wiz 🍻
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