EV Harley? And it actually looks really good...

[ducatiz]

I found a new video of what it actually sounds like.

 

[Buckethead]

Aaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[Grampa]

[Vic]

I found a new video of what it actually sounds like.

 

[tuxicle]

Here's an article on, where else, Wired:

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/harley-davidson-livewire/

[abby normal]

Everybody's entitled to an opinion, but I say good for HD.  Here's a company
We all bag on for making the same old crap ... I'm pleased to see them exploring
What will undoubtedly be the direction of the future.  Maybe with their
Capital resources and volume capability they can make a real go of it.

[Skybarney]

Everybody's entitled to an opinion, but I say good for HD.  Here's a company
We all bag on for making the same old crap ... I'm pleased to see them exploring
What will undoubtedly be the direction of the future.  Maybe with their
Capital resources and volume capability they can make a real go of it.

Agreed!  still gonna bag on them though.   

[Speedbag]

I kind of hope this tour thing they are doing for this bike comes near me, I'd like to take one for a spin....

[lawbreaker]

My understanding is that the HD E-bike was actually made my Mission Motorcycles.

[sdelcegno]

This is far from a completed project. They basically created a bike that is being tested by hundreds of people from multiple cities. They want input from everyone that drives it on how to improve it. They them will be moving the project forward. Its still a prototype. I think it has promise.

[Skybarney]

If it is wired as poorly as my Buell was I would only test ride it in a Faraday Cage suit 

[Speeddog]

I'll just put this here:

http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/07/23/electric-motorcycle-reality-check-kevin-cameron-analyzes-battery-cost-capacity-and-charging-times/

[ChrisK]

I'll just put this here:

http://www.cycleworld.com/2014/07/23/electric-motorcycle-reality-check-kevin-cameron-analyzes-battery-cost-capacity-and-charging-times/

I wish there were more cited sources in that article. Using, "If I read material provided by vehicle industry battery people," as a source isn't exactly credible.

Can anyone tell me what direction that article was trying to take? I'm not sure the author knew. He mentions major car manufacturers choosing to pursue hybrids instead of full electric to meet the future EPA standards, and that if they thought they could feasibly do it all electric they would. But then he goes on to mention that it's sensible for Harley to have prototyped an electric bike. Maybe I'm missing the point of his article but I believe I've learned nothing from it.

My opinion, is that battery technology won't grow by the same percentage every year, he mentions 5 or 8%. I believe it will start growing exponentially, and will be efficient enough for most users sooner than we think. I think there is a huge number of people that ride say less than 100 miles at a time - leave their garage, ride, come back to their garage. I think that creates a huge market for people interested in electric. Those people don't need charging stations across the country, they don't need a HUGE range, and they don't need fast recharge times. Same applies for cars.

Back in 2008 I read a stat that the first computer at MIT back in the 60's filled an entire room and had less computing power than an iPhone did in '08. AND that the computing power available in an iPhone in '08, would be shrunk down to the size of a blood cell by 2025. I know that computer chips don't directly correlate to vehicle batteries, but my point is that amazing things have happened and are happening with inventing and manufacturing things much more complicated than batteries.

Ramblings over. 

[Speedbag]

I primarily want one of these just to ride to work, 10 miles each way.

 

I'll keep the other motos for less predictable excursions.

[Rudemouthsky]

I wish there were more cited sources in that article. Using, "If I read material provided by vehicle industry battery people," as a source isn't exactly credible.

Can anyone tell me what direction that article was trying to take? I'm not sure the author knew. He mentions major car manufacturers choosing to pursue hybrids instead of full electric to meet the future EPA standards, and that if they thought they could feasibly do it all electric they would. But then he goes on to mention that it's sensible for Harley to have prototyped an electric bike. Maybe I'm missing the point of his article but I believe I've learned nothing from it.

My opinion, is that battery technology won't grow by the same percentage every year, he mentions 5 or 8%. I believe it will start growing exponentially, and will be efficient enough for most users sooner than we think. I think there is a huge number of people that ride say less than 100 miles at a time - leave their garage, ride, come back to their garage. I think that creates a huge market for people interested in electric. Those people don't need charging stations across the country, they don't need a HUGE range, and they don't need fast recharge times. Same applies for cars.

Back in 2008 I read a stat that the first computer at MIT back in the 60's filled an entire room and had less computing power than an iPhone did in '08. AND that the computing power available in an iPhone in '08, would be shrunk down to the size of a blood cell by 2025. I know that computer chips don't directly correlate to vehicle batteries, but my point is that amazing things have happened and are happening with inventing and manufacturing things much more complicated than batteries.

Ramblings over. 

Agree. I finished that article and never did catch any point he may have made.