E-asy rider: Harley Davidson takes electric motorcycle for a spin - but fans are upset that environmentally friendly hog is too quiet
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Harley Davidson began road trials of its first electric motorcycle yesterday, with riders preparing to take the eco-friendly beasts on a tour of the U.S.
At a launch event in New York City, riders took iconic motorcycle brand's experimental machine purring across the Manhattan Bridge and through the streets of the city centre.
But across the country in Los Angeles, Harley fans complained that the quiet new electric models had dispensed with part of the brand's main and enduring appeal.
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Electron heads: Bikers ride Project LiveWire motorcycles, the first electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle, across the Manhattan Bridge in New York City, at an invitation-only event to officially unveil the new machine
Not so fast: Riders speed across the bridge with their electric-powered hogs, which can reach 92mph
What will the Angels say? The e-Harleys don't so much roar as purr, which fans say might put them off
'When I ride a motorcycle, it's that engine vibration, the sound, the kind of visceral experience you get that you can't get with an electric motorcycle,' said a customer at Harley's dealership in LA's Canoga Park suburb.
'If I'm going to buy an electric motorcycle, I might as well buy a scooter or something like that,' he told CNBC, which noted that many Harley buyers tune up their bikes to make them louder.
Like other electric vehicles, the engine on Harley Davidson's Livewire prototype is silent, although the meshing of gears reportedly makes a hum like a jet aeroplane taking off, quietly.
With its rather modest 74 horsepower and a top speed of 92 miles per hour, it's also not likely to appeal to the speed demon market - despite its claimed acceleration to 60mph in four seconds.
Mark-Hans Richer, Harley Davidson's chief marketing officer, rides a Livewire motorcycle, the company's first electric bike, at a press conference at the Harley Davidson Store in New York City yesterday
Looks the part: Mr Richer strikes a typical Harley pose outside the New York dealership
Mod cons: A close-up view of the Livewire's handlebars shows a computer console
Hogs of the future? Livewires are lined up outside the New York dealership. They are set for a nationwide tour
But they won't have a chance to shun it, at least not yet. There are no firm plans to bring the Livewire into production, and analysts say Harley's decision to move into the still niche electric bikes market is all about building a buzz.
Robin Farley, an analyst at UBS, told CNBC's Abigail Bassett that Harley Davidson is trying to show it can appeal to a new kind of customer, a move 'that's been a challenge for them in the past.'
From today, the Livewire will begin moving across the U.S. for a series of events at dealerships allowing select customers to ride and give feedback on the machines.
The tour will include a trip down the famous Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles, taking in at least 30 dealerships before the year is out.
A Harley Davidson spokesman said: 'Any final decisions about whether to bring an electric motorcycle to market - and when - will be made at a later date.'
Showpiece: A Livewire on display inside the Harley Davidson store in New York City
Presenting to you... Mr Richer speaks at a press conference unveiling the Harley Davidson Livewire motorcycle
Caged beast: A Livewire is theatrically lit on display at the Harley Davidson store in New York City
The prototype electric motorbikes will now embark on a tour including a trip down the famous Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles, taking in at least 30 dealerships before the year is out
Engine block: Gone is the iconic bulbous chrome petrol tank for which the Harley is so well known
Experiment: Harley Davidson has said it has no plans to bring the Livewire to market in the foreseeable future
Some see the venture as a risk for Harley because there's currently almost no market for full-size electric motorcycles.
The millions of two-wheeled electric vehicles sold each year are almost exclusively scooters and low-powered bikes that appeal to Chinese commuters.
In addition the company has little experience in such an emerging technology.
But one analyst said investment by a major manufacturer could help create demand, and Harkey Davidson president Matt Levatich emphasized in an interview with The Associated Press that Harley is interested in the long-term potential, regardless of immediate demand.
'We think that the trends in both EV [Electric Vehicle] technology and customer openness to EV products, both automotive and motorcycles, is only going to increase, and when you think about sustainability and environmental trends, we just see that being an increasing part of the lifestyle and the requirements of riders,' Levatich said.
'So, nobody can predict right now how big that industry will be or how significant it will be.'
At the same time, Mr Levatich and others involved in creating the bike predicted it would sell based on performance, not environmental awareness.
Harley-Davidson has unveiled its new electric motorcycle at the company's research facility in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The company plans to unveil the LiveWire model Monday 23 June, at an invitation-only event in New York before travelling down Route 66 to let riders have a test drive
With no need to shift gears, the bike can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometres) per hour in about four seconds.
The engine is silent, but the meshing of gears apparently emits a hum like a jet airplane taking off.
'Some people may get on it thinking, "golf cart,"' lead engineer Jeff Richlen said.
'And they get off thinking, "rocket ship."'
A NEW ERA FOR HARLEY
Not content on just building an electric motorcycle, earlier this month Harley-Davidson unveiled two bikes aimed at women.
The Street 500 and Street 750 were the firm's first new bikes in 13 years and bosses hope they will become the must-have 'little black number' in every woman's garage.
Designers have got rid of the large, bulbous petrol tanks and shiny chrome which are synonymous with Harley's masculine style.
Instead the bikes have been given a sleek, black makeover and include smaller handle grips, lower seats and different foot peg positions to appeal to female riders.
The move to create a motorcycle for the female market has been fuelled by a 30 per cent rise in sales to women over the past decade in the U.S. alone.
One in 10 of Harley's sales in America is now made to a woman.
One hurdle the company has yet to address is the limited range offered by electric motorcycles.
The batteries must be recharged after about 130 miles (210 kilometres), and that can take 30 minutes to an hour.
San Jose State University police Captain Alan Cavallo helped his department buy two bikes from Zero Motorcycles, the current top-selling brand, and said officers have been 'super happy' with the quiet, environmentally friendly bikes made nearby in Scotts Valley, California.
But he said American riders who like to hit the highway would likely lose patience with the technology.
'That's the deal with the cars; you can't jump in a Tesla and drive to LA, it won't make it,' Cavallo said.
He added: 'People want the convenience of "I pull into a gas station, I pour some gas in my tank and I go."'
California firm Zero Motorcycles introduced its first full-size motorcycle in 2010 and expects to sell about 2,400 bikes this year, said Scott Harden, the company's vice president of global marketing.
That would give it about half of the global market for full-size, high-powered electric motorcycles.
In comparison, Harley-Davidson alone sold more than 260,000 conventional motorcycles last year.
But John Gartner, a research director for the consulting firm Navigant Research, said having large, well-funded companies get into the electric motorcycle market could give it a significant boost.
The major automakers helped drive sales for hybrid and electric cars, he noted.
'Their marketing budgets are much larger and they have dealerships set up everywhere, and so it's much easier for companies like Ford, BMW and Honda to advertise about their electric vehicles,' he said.
Employee Ben Lund demonstrates Harley's new electric motorcycle at Harley's research facility in Wisconsin. The bike has a range of 130 miles (210 kilometres), after which it must be charged for 30 minutes to an hour to fully recharge the battery
e-asy riders: Bikers ride their Harleys as they attend the Hamburg Harley Days parade (file pic)
This photo shows the control screen on Harley-Davidson's new electric motorcycle. With no need to shift gears, the bike can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometres) per hour in about 4 seconds. The engine is silent, but the meshing of gears emits a hum like a jet airplane taking off
The bike was first spotted earlier this week on the set of the new Avengers movie and has now been confirmed by Harley. Here a stunt double for Scarlett Johansson is seen riding the e-bike during filming for Avengers: Age of Ultron at the World Cup Sangam Digital Media City Expressway in Seoul, South Korea
The bike boasts an all-electric engine (shown) that can accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-95 kph) in four seconds. A lightweight aluminium frame surrounds the battery to keep the weight of the bike down and enable it to reach high speeds and have a decent range before needing to be charged
Mr Levatich said true growth will require common standards for rapid charging and other features, as well as places for people to plug in.
Harley expects to play a key role in developing electric vehicle standards, and its dealership network could provide charging stations to serve all drivers, he said.
'We've been very silent up to this point about our investment in EV technology,' Levatich said.
But, he added, 'now that we're public, and we're in this space, we expect to be involved and a part of leading the development of the standards, and the technology and the infrastructure necessary to further the acceptance and the utility of electric vehicles.'
A BRIEF HISTORY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Harley-Davidson Motor Company is the largest manufacturer of heavyweight motorcycles in the world.
William S. Harley and William A. Davidson founded Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903.
The first documented appearance of a Harley was in a Milwaukee motorcycle race at State Fair Park in 1904 (pictured right).
A year later, Carl H. Land of Chicago, the first Harley dealer, sold three bikes out of the initial line and by 1907 production had increased to 150 motorcycles.
During this time, the firm also sold motorcycles to police departments and ramped production to 450 motorcycles by 1908.
During World War I, Harley provided 15,000 motorcycles to the U.S. marking the first time that the motorcycle had been adopted for combat service.
By 1920, Harley was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world with more than 28,000 motorcycles sold in 67 countries that year.
From 1929 to 1933, sales of Harleys fell from 21,000 to 3,700, but this was reversed when more than 90,000 motorcycles were produced for the U.S and Allied Nations during World War II.
The brand's reputation was damaged in 1952 when Harley was charged with restrictive practices after requesting the U.S Tariff Commission place a 40 per cent tax on imported motorcycles.
From the 1950's to the 1970's Harleys were featured in Hollywood films as motorcycles ridden by biker gangs and featured in 1969 bike classic Easy Rider (pictured below)
Harley later became synonymous with the Hells Angels biker gang, too.
American Machinery and Foundry bought Harley-Davidson in 1969, but Harleys became more expensive but of poorer quality.
Sales dropped so significantly that the company almost went bankrupt, but in 1981, American Machinery and Foundry sold Harley-Davidson to a group of thirteen investors for £47 million ($80 million).
In 1983, Harley established the Harley Owners Group (HOG), a nickname that has been given to Harleys from the 1920s, when a team of farm boys used an actual pig as their mascot during motorcycle races.
In 2000, Ford began making a Harley-Davidson edition of its popular F-150 pickup truck.
In 2008, the Harley-Davidson Museum opened in the Menomonee River Valley.
According to Interbrand, the value of the Harley-Davidson brand decreased by 43 per cent in 2009, linked to a significant drop in the company's profits over the previous two quarters.
Except for the modern VRSC and Street model families, current Harley-Davidson motorcycles have stayed true to the classic Harley designs.
This is why the move to an electric model signifies a shift away from its heritage.
Harley-Davidson's attempts to establish itself in the light motorcycle market haven't been as successful and have largely been abandoned since the 1978 sale of its Italian Aermacchi subsidiary, the company re-entered the middleweight market in 2014 with its Street series of motorcycles.
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