What do we think about electric motorcycles?

I'm not much of a Harley guy, certainly not a tree hugger but I kind of like it.   However ....

Production is stopped and owners are advised to charge it outside.  Any idea what the ball park price was?

$28K IIRC

I think it's a great idea, but at that price it seems impractical.

I really like the idea of them.  In talking with a few friends who ride almost exclusively each of them had one significant argument I hadn't concerned.  They make no noise.  This is not the "loud pipes save lives" crowd but all were strictly convinced it would be a real safety concern.

I've ridden a Zero and the "no noise, no vibration" thing messes with you.

It's harder to judge speed on it, I hit 70mph pretty quickly around town and had to be mindful to behave myself.

Fun bike though.

A guy I work with has a Zero.  Hearing it ride away is definitely eerie.  Like a slightly louder RC car. 

From what I've read, the main problem with the H-D offering is the price.  Nearly 3x the base price for most Zero models. 

Ian F said:

A guy I work with has a Zero.  Hearing it ride away is definitely eerie.  Like a slightly louder RC car. 

From what I've read, the main problem with the H-D offering is the price.  Nearly 3x the base price for most Zero models. 

And they wonder why millennials won't buy their products. 

I've heard from a couple friends that work for Harley that the Livewire  "is like riding an angle grinder" All you hear is the gear train, wind and tires.

If you're interested in the Livewire, Cycle World magazine tested one in their latest issue.  They seemed to like it pretty well.

In reply to RacetruckRon :

HD did that on purpose too... Because.. It just -has- to make noise.

yupididit said:

And they wonder why millennials won't buy their products. 

It's not marketed for/to millennials.  There will be future offerings at a lower price-point.  The Livewire is being marketed as a Premium offering and is the Halo product of the brand, like the S is to Tesla.

yupididit said:

And they wonder why millennials won't buy their products. 

Although the guy I work with who has the Zero is not a Millennial.  He's an engineer in his 50's. But like many of the guys I work with up here in NH, he's a bit of an eccentric - even by engineer standards... 

Motorcycling is big up here in NH.  More so than the Philly area.  I see a ton of them on a nice day.  Regular commuters too, not just weekenders.  I have yet to see a Livewire.  

The dirt bikes (not Harley) are cool.

I want one. Not enough to pay the prices they ask, but I do want one. I'm sure that a lot of my local travel will someday be on one. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

I want one. Not enough to pay the prices they ask, but I do want one. I'm sure that a lot of my local travel will someday be on one. 

100% Agree

Livewire is the only Harley I've ever wanted. That's says a lot.

I rode an Alta and wrote about it here.  It was the best bike I've ever ridden... for maybe 10 minutes and then the overheat warnings started.  Then the company went out of business.

I've also ridden a Zero FX, which was slower, softer, and way less exciting but had none of the range problems or heat management issues.  For maybe $5k I'd get one, but since they currently cost twice that, no deal.

KTM has some nice new electric dirt bike options that highly interest me, with great price points.  Living in an area where you can ride; but close to homes; makes a near silent bike a more attractive option.

wheelsmithy said:

The dirt bikes (not Harley) are cool.

 

No kidding. I'm not even a motorcycle guy and those make me a little twitchy. It's like a heavy mountain bike with acceleration and without the racket of a dirt bike. They just look like serious fun. I'm pretty sure if I ever test rode one I'd never give it back.

The only ICE motocycle that's ever interested me was the little Buell...lightning? The boss had one. It looked wieldy, all small stature and torque.

I have a friend with an Alta that rides motocross with it.  For a couple of quick track sessions where range isn't much to be paranoid about, it's pretty cool.  Motocross bikes take a lot of time and parts to maintain.  The Alta just needs a wash, chain lube and tires.  However, for a weekend of riding, you have to listen to a little generator run nonstop to partially recharge the big battery.  He has a regular 4 stroke bike for anything more than an afternoon session.  

Is the little generator purr more annoying than the sound of a dirtbike? :)

Sounds like what your friend needs is a big battery bank in the trailer. Or a spare battery or two - most of the ones I've looked at (casually) have quick release batteries.

All this, and the DIY electric car thread here on GRM have led me to you tubing some electric bike options. I'm thinking re-purposing small street bikes on the cheap.

this one is not home-made. still cool.

The hub mounted motors seem cool, so you have room for batteries where the engine once lived.

Another wormhole to jump down. Thing is, I live 1.5 mi from work. 50 or so mile range could work.

Keith Tanner said:

Is the little generator purr more annoying than the sound of a dirtbike? :)

Sounds like what your friend needs is a big battery bank in the trailer. Or a spare battery or two - most of the ones I've looked at (casually) have quick release batteries.

Much more annoying.  Dirtbikes sound cool, even 4 stroke dirtbikes.  

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

You could always go old school and jam some baseball cards in the spokes.