Harley Davidson actually has a new motorcycle that is different!

The new Harley Davidson Live Wire!

[video=youtube;t6F8O5A__Ds]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6F8O5A__Ds[/video]

Project Live Wire - The Experience Tour:

Project LiveWire™ Experience Tour | Harley-Davidson® USA

Still waiting on the release of their street series.


Jeremy "Doc" G
Using Tapatalk on one of my Apple devices...it's cool, I know I have a problem.

It has the same turn signals and mirrors as my V-Rod.

Hopefully the tech will progress to where this will be something more than a short distance play thing. It is like the electric car. As testified before congress several years ago. Unless we start building power plants the grid can not support electric vehicles.

honestly, it doesn't matter what HD, Honda, or any of them come out with. My NC is ALL I GET until it falls apart or crashes beyond repair.

They act like they are the first motorcycle company to make an electric bike...Zero has been around for a few years.

He is more on it.it came up on Google plus yesterday,will be a few years yet,zero had one years ago. http://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...fe0242-f7a9-11e3-8118-eae4d5b48c7d_story.html

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Cigar Mike said:

Hopefully the tech will progress to where this will be something more than a short distance play thing. It is like the electric car. As testified before congress several years ago. Unless we start building power plants the grid can not support electric vehicles.

Click to expand...

A fully loaded zero S will supposedly go about 170 some miles right now with out a re-charge. Or about as far as the NC goes before the fuel gauge starts blinking.

no clutch on the electric HD... but there is an awful lot of metal at the bottom of the bike, looks like they are trying to make it appear as though it has a transmission, or an engine?

Wonder if other harley riders would wave to some one riding this new bike.

anglachel said:

A fully loaded zero S will supposedly go about 170 some miles right now with out a re-charge.

Click to expand...

Can it be recharged in 2 minutes?

In reality, when AMC owned HD, they had a project started with a 4 cylinder in line engine to compete with Honda's successful bikes. But, when HD was bought out by their present owners, they scrapped the project.

Some of the above is a recollection from what I've read in my Motorcycle Encyclopedia, and because I'm at work at the moment, I can't reference it to verify.

Edit: just did a google search, and it was a V4

CaptDL said:

Can it be recharged in 2 minutes?

Click to expand...

Safely?

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I was looking into a ZERO before the traditional motorcycles.
What turned me away was the mileage.

Now, I see HD is getting involved. Thats good, but all these electric motorcycle/auto companies got to think about the mileage.
People do go on road trips and they need to just swap out a battery to continue on.
Plugging in is great, however there is not enough plug in stations around. And who has time to wait?

ken

I test rode a Zero at the bike show in Phoenix last January. It takes a minute to get used to no engine sound or vibration, but they are a fun bike to ride. An electric bike makes since if all you do is city commutes, less than 50 miles one way. Easy enough to plug it in each night when you get home after work. However, for the base Zero S model they run $13K...I can buy a lot of gas with the extra $6K after I bought my NC.

I can't see HD aficionados embracing this new bike...if they ever build it for the public. It looks cool, but not very practical for the average HD lifestyle.

So, will this new bike require oil changes or will you just have to add a quart every now and then to make sure that it keeps leaking oil at the appropriate rate for a Harley?

Do they plan to add a counter weight onto the drive shaft to make the whole thing shake and rattle like a proper Harley?

Also can we really be sure this is a Harley, the guy in the video appears to be wearing a helmet.

anglachel said:

So, will this new bike require oil changes or will you just have to add a quart every now and then to make sure that it keeps leaking oil at the appropriate rate for a Harley?

Click to expand...

Yes. And, to be genuine you have to buy used HD oil from the dealer so it has that special "burned" smell.

Thanks for the laugh!

CaptDL said:

Can it be recharged in 2 minutes?

Click to expand...

Even faster if vehicle battery modules become standardized across the industry to be swapped at refill stations.
You wouldn't own the insured modules and you would only pay for their electric charge plus an administration/maintenance fee along profit, of course.
It is a matter of critical mass for the oil industry to move their focus away from vehicles and towards power stations but for now the current market configuration is much more profitable for them.

"Standardized battery modules."

They haven't been able to standardize a standard battery since the industry began. With the Govt throttling energy production, mining, manufacturing... It ain't gonna happen.

Standardization is REALLY useful and helpful, and overall everyone likes it best. ...except the manufacturers, who make A KILLING by having proprietary items like headlights, etc...

As for swapping batteries and being on your way, would that be like the Blue Rhino propane exchange system? Where I would have to pay roughly 4 TIMES the amount I would for just re-filling my propane tank? If it was competitively priced, I'd be quite interested. Still, can you imagine the space required for all those battery modules? LOTS more space required than what gasoline requires.

Electric stuff is great, it really is. Our hybrid car saves us about 40% on our fuel bill (thus far). However, a pure electric is just a complete non-starter. Battery tech has a LONG way to go to offer anything like the flexibility of an ICE and gasoline, diesel fuel, any of the alcohols, propane, natural gas...