Daily Slideshow: Forum Members Weigh in on the Electric Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson's electric concept, the Livewire, has been doing the rounds for a number of years now and its reception has been mixed. So, what better way to to get a feel for it it's popularity than seeing what forum members think for themselves.
Exciting Performance
There's no getting around it, one thing an electric motor does better than an internal combustion engine is offer max torque from zero rpm. If you've never experienced instant torque before it will be an exhilarating experience, and it's something quite a few Harley-Davidson forum members are excited about. Forum member 'SD1' wrote, "I have ridden an electric bike, they are hella fun... As far as the throttle input, the one I rode had 10 maps (I think it was a few years ago) and you could dial it way down for the newbies. I actually rode it on the fastest setting and it was pretty crazy but not any more than a gas sport bike. They are nimble and fun."
Standing up to the Competition
Harley won't be the first to market with the Livewire, a few other manufacturers are already involved in the electric motorcycle scene. The most well-known brand is Zero Motorcycles, a California based electric motorcycle company which started in 2006. Their flagship bike, the Zero SR, has a 223-mile range and starts at $13,995. Some forum members worry that the Livewire won't compete in terms of range or price. Tom84FXST wrote, "The ZERO electric bike can do 223 miles.. the VIGO 400... why are they even bothering."
A Good Second Bike
Some members love how the Livewire looks and the instant torque the electric motor provides but just can't see it as a viable option for their day to day needs. This led some members saying the Livewire would make a great second bike, alongside a regular internal combustion engined bike. 'Mattbastard' said, "I can see the application for an EM (electric motorcycle) playing a dual role as a second bike for around town/commuting next to a touring bike for longer trips." This is a great thought but, realistically, how many millennials (the target generation for the Livewire), will be able to run two bikes?
Just a Vacuum
Of course, not everyone is going to like the Livewire. Many of Harley's loyal customers grew up with the image of a roaring V-twin engine tearing down the open road - not exactly the image the Livewire conjures up. So, understandably, the Livewire won't be everyone's cup of tea. One Harley-Davidson forum member the Livewire isn't for is 'Labrador', who wrote, "Seriously though, what I enjoy about a motorcycle is the vibrations, the noise, the feeling that there is an angry beast between my legs (pun intended). An electric bike would feel numb, lifeless, with no soul. Reminds me of a girlfriend I used to have.". 'Bart Van der Meulen', also wrote, "Never ever in my life I will ride an electric vacuum cleaner between my legs"...
Range Anxiety
The biggest concern, by a large margin, is the Livewire's 50-mile range. For most forum members this simply isn't enough, with 'Cbyway' writing, "I think it looks pretty cool as well. But with a 50-mile range, worthless to me. If the range was 150 miles it might interest me to commute back and forth to work.". Another forum member, 'Cprhed', wrote: "The 50-mile range is the only thing that kills it for me". So, a pretty mixed bag from the forum members but one thing is for sure, if the range stays around 50 miles on the production bike, it will be a problem for a lot of people. On the upside, it's possible the production bike will have more range than the demo, although this is yet to be confirmed by Harley-Davidson.
For help with keeping your bike in a fine state of tune, see the how to section of HDForums.com
