Live Free. Ride Hard. Be Happy.: Harley-Davidson

Showing posts with label Harley-Davidson. Show all posts

7.18.2014

The Real Story Behind Harley-Davidson’s Electric Motorcycle

Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire

Four-weeks ago the Motor Company shocked the world (no pun intended) by announcing its exploratory foray into electrics. Headlines like “Hell Freezes Over Harley-Davidson Shows New Electric Motorcycle” captured the sentiment of the day. No one could have imagined the 111-year old Motor Company, creator and champion of arguably the most beloved internal combustion powered motorcycles in history, would ever build anything else. For a few Harley riders, the news was downright sacrilege. After all, an electric motorcycle could never look, feel, or sound like a “real” Harley-Davidson…right? Unfortunately, in the midst of the buzz surrounding the announcement, the real story behind Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle was lost.

The world we live in today is vastly different from the world we lived in 10 years ago… or even five years ago. Social norms are not the same. Right, wrong, or indifferent, even the things people deeply value have changed. To remain successful, companies and individuals must adapt. If they don’t, they face extinction. The Motor Company’s history, rich in tradition, makes their announcement even more heartening because it shows a true willingness to adapt. At the end of the day, Harley-Davidson’s continued success relies on its ability to stay true to its heritage while building a bridge to the future. Project LiveWire does just that…and therein lies the real story.

Manufacturer	Harley- Davidson	Zero Motorcycles	Brammo	Mission Motorcycles	Energica Superbike
Status	Prototype	Production	Production	Production	Production
Range (miles)	~60	158-171	50-128	105-140	62-118
Top Speed (mph)	~92	~100	~110	~150	~150
Price $	???	9.5K-21.9K	11K-19K	32.5K-42.5K	25K-28K

Quick Comparison of Current e-Motorcycle Specifications

No doubt, the Motor Company has a few hurdles to jump in terms of user acceptance and overall range but their efforts to build customer interest and acceptance with the Project LiveWire ExperienceTour and their collaboration with Mission Motors are steps in the right direction. As a bona-fide Harley-Davidson enthusiast and rider, I’m hopeful that other Harley riders will recognize this as a giant leap towards the future and support the Motor Company’s efforts to bring this electric motorcycle to market. Although it might not be feasible to ride 1000-miles in 24 hours on a LiveWire (or any other electric motorcycle) today, urban-suburban commuting is entirely within reason. Given the current specs for existing production electric motorcycles, one can almost bet that the Motor Company has some surprises up their sleeve when it comes time for production.

Navigant Research - Top 10 e-Motorcycle/e-Scooter Players Today

(Photo from zeromotorcyles.com)

Fellow moto-blogger, Chris Cope, wrote that Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle represents a seismic shift in motorcycling. I couldn’t agree more. According to Navigant Research, the market is in the early stages of development and its key players are relatively new manufacturers with limited distribution channels. Harley-Davidson has the name recognition, capital, and worldwide distribution channels needed to electrify a market projected to grow by 30% a year (in North America and Europe) for the next decade. With LiveWire, Harley-Davidson is poised to become THE dominant player in the electric motorcycle market. Seismic shift, indeed!

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References:

6.05.2014

Love'em or Hate'em Harley-Davidson Has Earned A Little Loyalty

Love’em or hate’em the Harley-Davidson Motor Company is the indisputable King of building lasting relationships with its customers. As a Harley owner, I’m impressed with the Motor Company’s efforts to create a bond between the company and those of us who buy their motorcycles. I’ll be the first to admit their primary motivation for creating this bond is to sell more product…but I don’t care. It’s great that Harley-Davidson values our business enough to create and promote an environment where people from all walks of life can come together to share the freedom and passion of riding. I don’t know of any other motorcycle company that even tries to do that.

Shade Tree Saloon

This past weekend I attended a customer appreciation event sponsored by my local dealer, Gruene Harley-Davidson. The dealership organized a ride to the Shade Tree Saloon & Grill, a local watering hole, in Spring Branch, Texas and bought everyone’s lunch. There were 200+ people and 150+ bikes that participated. As I moved through the crowd, I was amazed at how easily the conversation flowed. No one cared whether you were blue-collar, white-collar, or no-collar. What was important was that you enjoyed riding. There was an unspoken sense of family. It was a great event!

Besides giving away free food and drink, which can be found on almost any weekend at many Harley dealerships around the country, the Motor Company also promotes the Harley Owners Group (HOG) as a way to bring like-minded individuals together. Whether you’re a new rider or one that’s ridden your entire life, HOG is a great way to meet folks who just want to ride and have fun. HOG has been around for 31 years and boasts over 1,400 chapters with more than one-million members worldwide. Now, that’s a lot of motorcycle love. If you own a Harley-Davidson, you should check out your local HOG Chapter (most Harley dealerships sponsor a chapter). As a member of the Gruene HOG Chapter, I’ve participated in countless group rides, eaten some great food, seen some terrific places, helped raise money for charity, and met some really cool people.

My involvement with HOG has been very positive. While I enjoy riding by myself, riding with other Chapter members adds a new dynamic to the whole experience. There’s something almost magical about riding in a crisp staggered formation with people you’ve grown to trust…and it’s nice knowing you’re not alone when you have trouble along the road. Had the Harley-Davidson Motor Company not pushed and promoted HOG, I certainly would have missed some great times and may have never fully understood the camaraderie shared by those who ride. That’s worth something.

Just a few of the many Bikes at Shade Tree

I know there are other motorcycle manufacturers out there and I’m not such a Harley disciple that I would never consider another brand. But…wait for it…I’ll always look at Harleys first because the Motor Company has earned a little loyalty. As I stated in the beginning, I know of no other motorcycle manufacturer that invests as much in their customers as Harley-Davidson. Maybe that’s what makes them an American icon.

I’d like to know if my experience is unique, so please share your experiences with me. And if I’ve missed something in terms of other motorcycle manufacturers and how they treat their customers, by all means, please share your story because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you ride. It only matters that you ride.

1.09.2014

The Truth About the Harley-Davidson Sportster

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had several conversations regarding my decision to buy a Harley-Davidson Sportster. Most start with someone informing me the Sportster is a “starter/girls” bike, then telling me you can’t really do long distance riding or touring on a Sportster, and finally ending with a question on when I plan on getting a “real” Harley. I’m always dumbfounded by people’s remarks and wonder if they’ve ever actually ridden one. I suppose because the Sporty is one of the most reasonably priced bikes in the Harley-Davidson line-up and isn’t quite as large as its siblings, many have a misperception that it’s not a bike worth serious consideration. Really?

Let me set the record straight by debunking these three “myths”…

Myth #1 - The Sportster is a “Starter/Girls” Bike.

Granted, there are a good number of women and new riders who choose the Sportster but this doesn’t make it a “starter” or a “girls” bike. In fact, many would argue that any bike over 750 cc is too large to be a “starter” bike. I’m of the opinion that you should start on whatever bike you’re comfortable with -- realizing of course, that larger displacement generally means more weight, which can make a bike more difficult to handle, especially in low speed situations.

Although the Sportster is the lightest bike in the Harley-Davidson family, it has other characteristics that make it less than optimum as a “starter” bike. First is its overall seat height. The Sporty actually sits taller than most of its bigger siblings, giving it a higher center of gravity. This causes it to feel a little top-heavy and can negatively affect handling (again, at low speeds). Don’t be fooled…unless you’re Hercules, 582 pounds isn’t “light”.

	2012 Sporty 1200	2014 Fat Bob	2014 Breakout	2014 Street Glide	2014 Road King	2014 CVO Softail	2014 CVO Limited
Running Wt (lbs)	582	706	710	810	814	782	944
Seat Height (in)	28	27.2	24.7	27.4	28.2	25.8	29.1
Torque (ft-lbs)	79	98.8	95.2	104.7	104.7	107.7	115.1
RPM	4000	3500	3000	3250	3250	3000	3750
Calculated HP	60.17	65.84	54.38	64.79	64.79	61.52	65.75
Pwr-to-Wt	0.103	0.093	0.077	0.080	0.080	0.079	0.070

Comparative Data for Select H-D Models

Another characteristic that blows the “starter” bike myth out of the water is the fact that the Sportster has a better power-to-weight ratio than other stock Harleys. This means the Sporty will generally have better off-the-line (stoplight-to-stoplight) performance. The Sportster has great throttle response and is quick. Definitely not a good characteristic of a “starter” bike.

Myth #2 – The Sportster isn’t Capable of “Touring”

This is laughable. I can say with 100% confidence that the Sportster can go anywhere a big touring bike can go. With the right seat, you can ride a Sporty all day and all night long and get-up the next morning and do it again. I know, I’ve done it. The Sportster may not offer the BarcaLounger comfort of the Road King or Ultra Glide but it’s a very capable touring machine. You can ride a Sportster hard, put it up wet, and it’ll never complain. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

Myth #3 – The Sportster isn’t a “Real” Harley-Davidson

This may be the most obscene myth of them all. The Sporty has been in continuous production for 57 years (62, if you count its predecessor the Model K). That’s longer than any other bike in Harley-Davidson’s line-up. How anyone can say that the bike produced for more than half of the Motor Company’s existence isn’t a “real” Harley is beyond me.

For those that say a “real” Harley is measured by displacement, consider the fact that before 1999 Harley-Davidson’s largest displacement engine was 1340 cc. Does that mean “real” Harley’s have only been produced for the last 15 years of Harley-Davidson’s 110-year history? I think not. I’m sure William Harley and Arthur Davidson would agree with me.

The truth is the Sportster is just a fun bike to ride. It’ll put a smile on your face and won’t break the bank doing it. I’m glad women and new riders are selecting the Sporty, it’s a great all around bike. Hell, it might be the most versatile motorcycle Harley-Davidson makes. You can modify it to be whatever your heart desires…café racer, bobber, touring bike, you name it and the Sportster makes a good foundation. One could argue that based on its versatility, the Harley-Davidson Sportster is the most “real” Harley ever made.

I ride a Sporty and I’m proud of it! :-)

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Resource Links

1. http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/2014-Motorcycles/compare-bikes.html

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson

3. http://www.hdforums.com/forum/general-harley-davidson-chat/164093-the-sportster-as-a-starter-bike.html

4. http://www.v-twinforum.com/forums/v-twin-forum-general-harley-talk/127069-dyna-vs-sportster-first-bike.html

5. http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/archive/index.php/t-1092841.html

6. http://www.1728.org/mtrtrq.htm

7. http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Harley-Davidson-XL1200C-Sportster1200Custom.htm

8. http://www.jamesrussellpublishing.biz/sportster1200.html

11.08.2013

No Dinosaurs Here…HD to Build 500cc and 750cc Motorcycles

If you’re like me, you may have been a little surprised to learn that Harley-Davidson® will manufacture 500 and 750cc bikes starting in 2014. I mean it’s been 35+ years since the Motor Company sold a HD branded small displacement bike and even then it was from Italian subsidiary, Aermacchi. So why the revival now? In a word -- DEMOGRAPHICS.

Middle-aged men like me are only getting older and let’s face it, one day we won’t be able to ride those big touring bikes we’ve grown to love. What about the Motor Company then? Visions of dinosaurs come to mind, and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs…they became extinct. In order for the Motor Company to survive and thrive, they need to expand the brand appeal to a much more diverse demographic. Over the past few years, they’ve worked hard to do just that and I applaud them for it. The Motor Company’s focus on the IronElite, the Harlistas, and women riders has already increased the size and diversity of the Harley-Davidson® family. However, there’s still more work to do in bringing in the next generation of Harley enthusiasts. The new HD Speed™ 500 and 750 should help by appealing to younger riders.

As a member of both the National and Gruene Chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG), I’m hoping these bikes will bring new and younger riders into our ranks. If we’re lucky, the launch of the Speed™ 500 and 750 will give us a tool to ignite the passion for riding and love of all things Harley in a new generation of riders. I believe this will be good for the riding community and will help ensure Harley-Davidson’s next 110 years are as rich with mystique and heritage as the last 110 years. No dinosaurs allowed!

Check out the specs and pass the info along to a new/young rider…let’s welcome the new demographic these bikes will bring into the Harley-Davidson® family with open arms.

Speed™ 500 (494 CC Liquid Cooled Engine) – priced at $6,700

· Speed™ 750 (794 CC Liquid Cooled Engine) – priced at $7,500

6 Speed Transmission
Belt Dive
2 Into 1 Exhaust
Mid-Mount Controls
Single Caliper Disc Brakes
Specially Tuned Suspension
2 Up Seat w/ Passenger Pegs
LED Tail Lights and Bullet Signals
V Twin 60° 4 Valves per Head
Wheel Size: 17” Front, 15” Rear
Wheelbase: 59.5”
Weight: 480 lbs (Wet)

Learn more about the bikes at http://street.harley-davidson.com/en_US

To stay informed on whats going on in the biker community check out Biker News Online, it was one of the first blogs to report on the unveiling of the new bikes in Milan, Italy on Monday.