Harley-Davidson unveils its first electric motorcycle

Legendary motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson has invited members of the public to test its first electric motorbike. Instead of the bike going on general sale, US customers will be invited to take it out for a spin and provide feedback.

http://betanews.com/2014/06/20/harley-davidson-unveils-its-first-electric-motorcycle/

Got to see it on one of my local news channels yesterday with a running video of it in silent action.

Old Harley diehards will be irate. A harley without the sound? Might as well be a skateboard. Hrruummph.

The good news: 0 to 60 mph in just under 4 seconds. Probably faster than any current production Harley other than the V-Rod.

The bad news: A reported range of 53 miles, and 3.5 hours to fully recharge the battery using a 220v outlet. Great if you like riding around town, not so great if you want to go from New York to Bangor Maine, a 450 mile trip. That would entail a total of 9 hours of riding time plus another 28 hours spent charging the battery. I think I'll pass on this one.

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

The bad news: A reported range of 53 miles, and 3.5 hours to fully recharge the battery using a 220v outlet.

The good new: If it is stolen the thief will not get very far and you have 3+ hours to track him down.

A harley without the sound?

The sound is too much in my opinion, there's a point of being seen and noticed by car drivers for safety against being ran into, and then there's the being absurd! Case in point there was an old biker behind me in traffic many years ago on a Harley and the hellish rumble coming off it I could actually physically feel inside my car as a vibration. I couldn't imagine being on that thing.

"The sound is too much in my opinion. . . "

>GASP<

My dear fellow, it is part of tha panache of the hog rider:

Chronic deafness, greasy jeans, bugs on your teeth, a thin film of oil on your goggles . . . Nirvana.

:P

People who run straight pipes on their Harleys are both obnoxious and clueless. The purpose of straight pipes, also known as drag pipes, are for drag racing, where the engine operates at 4,000 rpm and above. They tend to produce a terrible "flat spot" in a V-twin engine's powerband between 2,500 and 3,500 rpm, which is exactly where you do 90 percent or more of your riding. I have a S&S Super B carburetor installed on my 1971 Harley Sportster XLCH, and the instructions for jetting the carb make it perfectly clear: If you run straight pipes, you will never be able to properly adjust the carburetor's intermediate jet due to engine surging. S&S carbs require a certain amount of exhaust backpressure to respond to tuning, and straight pipes do not provide this. People might think they sound great, but they are seriously compromising smooth running and good throttle response in the engine's midrange, and this could make the difference between accelerating your way out of a dangerous situation or finding yourself with a Buick parked on your chest.

Good grief, whaddabuncha hardnoses.

I bet you guys don't even HAVE any bugs on yout teeth.

Tuned pipes (not straight) do sound great and can be designed to eliminate most of the flat spot.

And you will not be mistaken for a Vespa rider. :lol:

And you will not be mistaken for a Vespa rider. :lol:

I'd be way more scared of a gang of Vespa riders! :lol: