Why do they even bother

100 mile range... I would just get a scooter. You can't go anywhere with this overpriced POS. Give it a rest and come back when it can go 200+ miles. Desperation.

https://www.engadget.com/harley-dav...r-announced-specs-availability-202520836.html

 

I bet they could have, but not for $8k less than the original. Lithium batteries ain't cheap.

 

And the target customer for this is likely young, "environmentally conscious" kids who just want something for around town.

Electric vehicles make the feel all funny inside, like ICEs do for us.

 

100 miles?
Perfect for the dealer- tavern circuit

 

No kidding ..Lol
Has "Los Angeles" written all over it...
I can see it now...
Apple employee who refuses to go to a office, puts on a $60.00 Harley shirt, rides to a prerequisite Hipster spot, Let's just say the Coffee Bar@
Deus Ex Machina, post some selfies on Instagram, buys another $60.00 T Shirt
then rides a block or two to a Craft beer or Whiskey Bar...

This is just what they want...It's perfect..lol.

Buyers can't be caught dead riding a scooter...It has to be "branded ", and everyone has to join Elon & his minions and fight man-made"climate change".

 

Begun, the combustion wars have.

 

I just met a guy yesterday that was riding a $14k electric BMW scooter.
60 mile range on the freeway and 100 around town.
Geddafuggouttahere.

 

$60 H-D is cheap. Double it

 

In all fairness my Hyper only gets about 120 miles on a tank of fuel...

That being said, it gets decent mileage, I can fuel up in under 5 min and it doesn't sound like a golf cart.

Electric vehicles of all types will just be a rolling testament to virtue signaling until they get the cost down, energy density up in the batteries and faster charging.

 

This has been discussed before, but you seem to think everyone's else need for a vehicle is exactly the same as yours for some reason. If you have another vehicle for long trips (we have 4 vehicles for the two of us in our household) and a short commute, an electric vehicle can work out well. That is even more true now that fuel costs are well over $4 a gallon and over $5 for premium and diesel. I have a friend with a Leaf and he drives it all over the area and mostly just charges it at home. They take his wife's car if they have a long trip.

Ranges are up over 200 miles for many of the new electric cars. When you factor in the lower operating costs, they are price competitive with fossil fuel versions of vehicles with similar performance (excluding range). Harley's have long demanded a premium price, and I wouldn't expect their electric bike to be any different.

I agree electric vehicles are not quite where I would buy one, but it is getting close. A reliable high speed charging network would go a long way and they are working on that.

 

Reserve light used to come on at 80 miles on my Vmax.

 

My wifes next vehicle will be an electric car, save me so many headaches, she kills the battery on her IC car on a regular basis, and zero chance of warming up the engine before she thrashes it, it will have instant heat for defrosting the windshield, no more scraping for me buddy.

 

There’s not a whole lot of empathetic type thinking ‘round these parts is there?

What gave away that it has “Los Angeles” written all over it? Was it the ad that was filmed all over LA featuring the skyline and street views? Maybe the other urban shots, the clothing they were wearing, and the ethnic makeup of the actors? You’re pretty astute!

The motorcycle market and world are changing, get over it. The American populace is extremely urbanized and clustered around a small number of megacities. People don’t want and can’t use big stonkin’ cruisers and Hayabusas. This bike looks like it’d be perfect for commuting and taking jaunts in the canyons. As long as you don’t think you’re going for huge all day adventures on this bike, it’ll be fine. I don’t think the range will be a limitation for those use cases. The biggest problem I see with this bike is that it’ll be much heavier than a similarly profiled ICE bike, and charging infrastructure even in Los Angeles leaves much to be desired.

This bike is a good choice for a second fun/commuter vehicle. It’s somewhat upmarket and reasonably priced. I think it’ll do well. I’d rather get a Ducati Scrambler than this bike, but in a few years after EV technology and infrastructure have matured I might give it a look.

 

smiles per gallon

 

So fuck the rest of us?

 

ES&G

 

large corporate entities looking to expand do tend to focus on the largest potential markets, yes.

 

Not sure where you got that from. You have literally hundreds of other motorcycles to choose from. Including big ass Harleys made by the same folks that can eat up long rural highway miles for breakfast, if that’s your inclination.

A manufacturer producing a product aimed at a particular market doesn’t mean they’re going to take away everyone else’s toys. There will be a change in the types and quantities of bikes produced, sure. There will still be products for every market of decent size though.

If you want manufacturers to continue making new motorcycles, they had better adapt to the market as it exists and not as you wish it were. I applaud Harley for trying something new and producing vehicles that the market will actually buy. No one under 70 wants an ape hangar 50 foot long cruiser. I took a look at the Sportster S, it looks great. Maybe they can survive as a brand.