More funner Tesla alternative...

Isn't one of the primary attractions of a Harley Davidson the way that the engine sounds? I mean - it's not really a performance bike - more of a lifestyle purchase.

I can imagine electric working for other brands, but hard to imagine on a Harley.
 
deonb said:
Isn't one of the primary attractions of a Harley Davidson the way that the engine sounds? I mean - it's not really a performance bike - more of a lifestyle purchase.

I can imagine electric working for other brands, but hard to imagine on a Harley.
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Think Gen-Z. Traditional Harley's appeal to us more mature folk.
 
flhrci said:
Think Gen-Z. Traditional Harley's appeal to us more mature folk.
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Gen-Z would probably avoid the H-D name, regardless of the product produced just to avoid the stigma. They can certainly try though. I view the e-bikes as outside of the Harley niche, as they are known for making cruisers/tourers. E-bikes like the one in the link have a pretty short range (< 90 miles at highway speeds) which doesn’t fit the weekend cruiser crowd which makes up most H-D riders.

The E-bikes do bode well for commuters and sport riders who want a lot of punch, but don’t necessarily go on two hour-long stretches down the highway.
 
deonb said:
Isn't one of the primary attractions of a Harley Davidson the way that the engine sounds? I mean - it's not really a performance bike - more of a lifestyle purchase.

I can imagine electric working for other brands, but hard to imagine on a Harley.
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Since H-D is in town here, I know several people who do or have worked for them. They're hurting, mainly because millenials don't really care to ride motorcycles. This is probably just one way for them to try to capture the younger market, who doesn't really care about the classic Harley sound.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Gen-Z would probably avoid the H-D name, regardless of the product produced just to avoid the stigma.
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Old joke: what's the difference between a Hoover and a Harley? The position if the dirtbag . . . .

Harleys aren't too bad if you like vibration and noise. Personally, I hate being behind one on the road; forget being behind of them!
 
Hank S said:
Old joke: what's the difference between a Hoover and a Harley? The position if the dirtbag . . . .
!
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....Hoover is designed to only carry one dirtbag...
 
IK04 said:
Harley only has maybe a year left. They will be gone by their own hand...
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I don't think they're in quite that dire a situation, but I could see them filing for bankruptcy in the next 5 years or so, especially if the economy cools off and people stop buying $30K+ toys.

Hank S said:
Old joke: what's the difference between a Hoover and a Harley? The position if the dirtbag . . . .

Harleys aren't too bad if you like vibration and noise. Personally, I hate being behind one on the road; forget being behind of them!
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They do what they do, fairly well. Loafing down the road and providing decent torque. It's what a V-twin does best. They just don't appeal to many riders outside of that. They have a poor maintenance/reliability history in comparison to the Japanese bike makers, while also having less performance and costing 50% more in the same segments. They probably make more money off of their merchandise than they do the bikes, lol.
 
flyingron said:
Can you get loud pipes for it?
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CarlH said:
Could always install a playing card in the spokes for noise....
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Speaking of: electric car-makers are trying to create signature sounds for their brands that would be audible to pedestrians.

“Take the Mercedes-Benz S-Class 12-cylinder model. If that approaches you at 10 kilometers an hour you can also barely hear it, so we wanted a sound which also oozes refinement for the electric car,” Hermann said.

Lol @ "oozes refinement."

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-car-sounds-for-post-petrol-era-idUSKCN1QM0N4
 
I've owned several HDs over the last 15 years. Never had a problem. My preference was the stock bike with no add-on pipes, etc. No extraordinary vibration or noise. Very cool sound though. Throatier rumble than my Japanese bikes, although if you're honest I didn't notice a big difference in power.

An ebike would be alright. I think I might even like it. But it would feel different.
 
Gerhardt said:
I've owned several HDs over the last 15 years. Never had a problem. My preference was the stock bike with no add-on pipes, etc. No extraordinary vibration or noise. Very cool sound though. Throatier rumble than my Japanese bikes, although if you're honest I didn't notice a big difference in power.

An ebike would be alright. I think I might even like it. But it would feel different.
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I've had a few friends with new H-D Street Glides which left them stranded or went into limp mode several times. One is still fighting electrical issues. Uncle finally gave up on H-D after his new Road Glide kept going into limp mode in Houston traffic. His bike spent more time at the dealership in the first year than he spent riding it. I'm not implying that they're completely junk, but they don't get the reputation for being finicky for no reason. I think the Sportster lineup is probably the least troublesome, but that's partly because they have fewer fancy add-ons that cause problems. The Yamaha/Honda guys just have the reliability side figured out much more-so than H-D.
 
Of course with some heavy duty speakers and a good sound chip you could have whatever pipe noise generated you wanted. Could run from a belching softtail to a well-tuned eletraglide or a overreved rice burner.
 
deonb said:
Isn't one of the primary attractions of a Harley Davidson the way that the engine sounds? I mean - it's not really a performance bike - more of a lifestyle purchase.

I can imagine electric working for other brands, but hard to imagine on a Harley.
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The H-D name has been on weird Italian motorcycles, including some two-strokes, in the past.
 
In Lindbergh's day the average young man was mesmerized by airplanes. In the 1960's -1970's me and my buddies were thrilled with motorcycles (still am!). Nowadays, young men and women are obsessed with electronic junk (iphones, iPads, iPods, computer games etc.) and have no interest in motorcycles, airplanes, or cars for that matter. A lot of young men don't even want to get a drivers' license, a phenomenon unheard of when I was growing up. So Harley-Davidson is faced with the task of selling new motorcycles to this generation of electronic gizmo-enthralled youth that are also limited in funds to spend on anything other than a top of the line phone. That's quite a quandary to be in for a manufacturer of high-end motorcycles which has always fed off of the fat of the land.
I own an iPhone, iPad, computer etc., but they are tools mostly and not my only form of entertainment. I would much rather fly, ride, drive or build something in my shop than stare at a screen all day or keep my thumbs busy texting everyone I know. I hope Harley figures out a way to survive in the marketplace and bring in unique offerings that interest new generations of riders.
 
flyingron said:
Can you get loud pipes for it?
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Sure, but the Scotsman is extra. :)

bagpipes.jpg

I remember back when the Japanese manufacturers were coming out with their Harley clones, and of course, the initial V-twins ran a bit TOO smoothly. Oh well, back to the drawing board to introduce some extra vibration.
 
I know HD has to cater to the younger generation which is why they designed a bike that looks half like a sportster and half like a sport bike. As as a 55 year old guy I have no interest in a bike I have to lean forward to ride. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think the younger crowd isn going to shell out heft $ on the bar and shield. Especially when bikes with sportier looks and better performance and reliability at a fraction of the cost.
 
deonb said:
Isn't one of the primary attractions of a Harley Davidson the way that the engine sounds? I mean - it's not really a performance bike - more of a lifestyle purchase.
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Far as I can tell, the primary attraction is all the shirts, jackets and wall hangings that say Harley Davidson on them. I think they may also have made motorcycles at one time but it doesn't seem like that is their primary business anymore.
 
Interesting comment on another article.

https://jalopnik.com/forget-about-livewire-harleys-two-electric-concepts-fr-1831598810

“They painted themselves into a corner like nobody has before.

Loud, expensive, old guy bikes (and the network of dealers and existing customers) are going to clash horribly with the demographic they are hoping to get.

Do you really think the skinny jeans barista is going to buy from a store where customers are flying the stars and bars or nazi ****? Do you think the existing customers are going to tolerate skinny jeans baristas who aren’t macho enough for a HD?”​
 
Kenny Phillips said:
The H-D name has been on weird Italian motorcycles, including some two-strokes, in the past.
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That would be Aermacchi
Aermacchi_HD_Corsa_Varie3.jpg


Aermacchi also make(d) these
220px-Aermacchi_SF260.jpg


220px-EMB339.JPG


220px-Aermacchi_M-346_%28code_MT55219%29_arrives_RIAT_Fairford_13July2017.jpg
 
At least they realize the have a problem.

The boomer bike owners have mostly bought their last Harley.

There are fewer gen x harley people. And fewer still millennials.

Harleys just aren’t cool anymore. They are a senior citizens bike. Like a corvette!
 
Old97 said:
At least they realize the have a problem.

The boomer bike owners have mostly bought their last Harley.

There are fewer gen x harley people. And fewer still millennials.

Harleys just aren’t cool anymore. They are a senior citizens bike. Like a corvette!
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At least the Corvette still stands at the top of the pack for performance per dollar value against its competition (essentially all six-figure Supercars). The H-D brand doesn't have as much to boast about against its competitors, aside from wider array of t-shirt designs! :)
 
SoonerAviator said:
At least the Corvette still stands at the top of the pack for performance per dollar value against its competition (essentially all six-figure Supercars). The H-D brand doesn't have as much to boast about against its competitors, aside from wider array of t-shirt designs! :)
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And generally, wider seats, for their target demographic.
 
Eric Stoltz said:
Didn't hd try this with the Erik Buell line... And fail?

Here's what Buell is up to now. Marketing to the market correctly I'd like to think.

https://jalopnik.com/erik-buells-new-company-fuell-jumping-into-the-electric-1833050677
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The electric bicycle looks good, but that motorcycle is as ugly as every other Buell design from the past. He really needs help in designing motorcycles to be visually appealing. I hope he is successful this time and that he adds good looking motorcycles to his lineup.
 
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