Harley LiveWire - Are they CRAZY?

[DGS49]

Although I wouldn't purchase a new Harley under any circumstances, I wish the company well, and I hope they can find a way to overcome the aging-out of their customer base.

With much fanfare, they have introduced their new LiveWire model - the electric Harley that nobody has been pining for. From all indications, it is a pretty good motorcycle. Performance and handling are excellent. It has an advertised range of 140 miles (more or less), with less than 100 miles in "Sport" mode, which is how many will ride them. It will charge fully in about an hour on a super-charger, or in a couple hours on house current. When you purchase one you get a bunch of electrons, probably enough to last the first year if you ride regularly. The bike is as quick as you might expect, going 0-60 in three seconds, and it has electronic wizardry to keep you from flipping on your back.

The price is just south of $30k, which pretty much makes it a rich guy's toy.

But what about its Harley-ness? There is no manly rumble emanating from its non-existent exhaust, and look at the riding position.

I could have ridden like that when I was 18-40, but for the people who have enough jack to buy one of them, I would think they would want the more "relaxed" cruiser riding position, with the footpegs forward. Or even floorboards - that's what I would want.

I don't get it. Who is going to buy one of these things? It lacks everything that today's Harley riders treasure: the sound, the vibration, and Presence of that big V-twin. At $8k, they could sell a lot of them, but I just don't see their market demographic at thirty thousand dollars a copy.

 

[toobfreak]

The price is just south of $30k, which pretty much makes it a rich guy's toy.

30K for that little shit of a bike? I wouldn't pay 30K for a car! Think about it----- most ANY car will get you anywhere in comfort and fast. I never buy new anything and used, you can buy a great car for a song and change. When I was a kid, you could get a nice car for $2000. You could buy a nice bike for under 1K. Anyone who blows 30K on a car much less a cycle is an absolute idiot turkey with either no brains as a consumer or more money than sense.

Before I blew 30K on that bike, I'd weld by own frame, throw an electric motor and battery on it and make my own for about 1K. Only problem is how to make it street legal.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

Although I wouldn't purchase a new Harley under any circumstances, I wish the company well, and I hope they can find a way to overcome the aging-out of their customer base.

With much fanfare, they have introduced their new LiveWire model - the electric Harley that nobody has been pining for. From all indications, it is a pretty good motorcycle. Performance and handling are excellent. It has an advertised range of 140 miles (more or less), with less than 100 miles in "Sport" mode, which is how many will ride them. It will charge fully in about an hour on a super-charger, or in a couple hours on house current. When you purchase one you get a bunch of electrons, probably enough to last the first year if you ride regularly. The bike is as quick as you might expect, going 0-60 in three seconds, and it has electronic wizardry to keep you from flipping on your back.

The price is just south of $30k, which pretty much makes it a rich guy's toy.

But what about its Harley-ness? There is no manly rumble emanating from its non-existent exhaust, and look at the riding position.

I could have ridden like that when I was 18-40, but for the people who have enough jack to buy one of them, I would think they would want the more "relaxed" cruiser riding position, with the footpegs forward. Or even floorboards - that's what I would want.

I don't get it. Who is going to buy one of these things? It lacks everything that today's Harley riders treasure: the sound, the vibration, and Presence of that big V-twin. At $8k, they could sell a lot of them, but I just don't see their market demographic at thirty thousand dollars a copy.

They're pushing it hard on their website.

I agree. I won't ride around here - too crazy on the roads, but were I to buy a bike, I'd want a monster, not a scooter.

 

[Canon Shooter]

Yeah, on the surface it would appear to be a weird move for Harley, but I don't think it was totally unexpected. There's a segment of riders who'll go for it, just as there are people who traded in their Chevy's for Teslas...