Harley-Davidson’s first stab at building a commercially viable electric motorcycle has been met with a rather mixed response – is a silent Harley with a 50-mile range really worthy of carrying the badge?
Harley-Davidson has insisted that its bold move into electric motorcycle production is just the ticket for getting a new-generation of younger riders interested in the brand. However, initial reception from the more dedicated Harley crew has been mixed at best – has the firm put out the first Harley that isn’t really a Harley?
Just to state the pretty darn obvious for a moment – Harley bikes are loud. And what’s more, that iconic Harley music is such a part of the whole experience that plenty of riders mod their exhausts to make it as loud and gut-rumbling as possible.
The Harley-Davidson LiveWire is rather different however. Swapping the gasoline for battery packs has enabled its maker to create a bike that’s every bit as whisper quite as the hybrids we’ve all gotten used to nearly getting run over by. Set to go on tour shortly to dozens of major cities across the US, Harley hasn’t yet decided whether or not to put the LiveWire into full production.
The idea of a silent Harley is about as standard as a death-metal band playing at a Sunday church service. As for the firm’s motivation for the project, they insist it has huge potential in its appeal to younger riders and city dwellers.
“People in an urban environment have different needs and different requirements. You know, they’re not riding a thousand miles across the country,” said Ben Lund, one of the senior figures behind the project.
“They’re maybe running around to the grocery store or they have a short commute.”
As for its initial reception so far, traditional Harley fans don’t appear to have been entirely own over by the LiveWire – most having singled out its distinct lack of noise and range.
“I like a bigger motorcycle and more of a touring bike,” said Randy Jones added, a Harley rider at the debut event for the LiveWire at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.
His buddy and fellow Harley fanatic John Vozer insisted that with a range of just 50 miles, the LiveWire didn’t seem practical enough for real riders.
“They’re gonna have to charge in a hurry,” he said.
“If they could charge as fast as you could pump gas, then I’ll think about it. Up ’til then, no, thank you.”