Jump to content

$29,799................ and no potato, potato!


gv550

Recommended Posts

  • Premium Member

Fully electric vehicles don't work for most of us. A few of the reasons are price, distance of travel before recharge, charge times and performance. (Check out a Tesla on the Nürburgring, It goes into limp mode because of the batteries overheating just a few minutes in) Even if we make everything electric the storage platform right now is lithium - ion batteries and it is hard to find and difficult to produce. No to mention the overheat issues they can have.

Chevy just canceled the volt. That was a federally subsidized product. Just like ALL Tesla's That it's self should tell you something.  

Purely electric vehicles are an oddity or toy. While maybe being a viable alternative for 1% - 5% of people.

 

http://www.thedrive.com/news/5207/this-video-reminds-us-that-the-tesla-model-s-is-an-awful-track-car

 

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ash/ash_programs/hazmat/aircarrier_info/media/battery_incident_chart.pdf

"It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same"  Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Cruizin said:

Bike sales have been declining the past 8 years for all manufacturers. The reason why is also what Harley should have focused on.   Bike sales have been declining while ATV/SxS sales have been rapidly exploding thru the top of the charts. 

RZR's, Can Am's, sport UTV's are selling like crazy. Guys are selling their bikes and buying rock crawling UTV's nationwide. 

In Europe it's not cars that are killing bikes but scooters. Specifically scooters like the T-max and X-adv that funnily enough cost more than the Tracer, and, have more extras as standard than the Tracer. The new T-max DX comes with electrically adjustable windscreen, heated seats, keyless ignition all as standard. People want economy and comfort, and since Europe has major traffic/parking issues scooters are a lot more desirable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Premium Member

Until an electric bike can travel 200+ miles mostly at highway speeds and be recharged in 10 minuets or less Ill pass at any price. Although I regularly commute, It's not why I ride. Besides, I love the sounds and smells of a gasoline powered motorcycle.

Let’s go Brandon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Premium Member
On 1/8/2019 at 8:25 PM, Cruizin said:

Bike sales have been declining the past 8 years for all manufacturers. The reason why is also what Harley should have focused on.   Bike sales have been declining while ATV/SxS sales have been rapidly exploding thru the top of the charts. 

RZR's, Can Am's, sport UTV's are selling like crazy. Guys are selling their bikes and buying rock crawling UTV's nationwide. 

Harley should have embraced the exploding off road market. Should have built a sport UTV to challenge the Polaris Ranger. HArley dealerships would have jumped from joy, as Sport UTV owners spend a ton of money upgrading their machines.  It is where the powersports money is going. 

Yamaha jumped in. Honda releases the Talon in March to dealers. Polaris is taking over the powersports world with it's Razor sales.  

And what does Harley do?  They bank their future on the slow selling electric bike market.

And this is how Harley dies. 

My nearby motorcycle dealer in NJ makes his living selling Yamaha and Kawasaki watercraft and business is booming!  Unit and trailer sales spring and summer and winterization service in the colder months.  I'm happy because it keeps him there to sell and service bikes too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • Supporting Member

Regardless of my opinion of other portions of the H-D business plan, I believe this is legitimately a good move:  

49ac5110-4028-11e9-b6f7-72d555b31188
WWW.AUTOBLOG.COM

Talk about hooking 'em young.

It won’t swing the needle much on the financials, but anything to get ‘The New H-D’ brand in front of the general public has to be good.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Supporting Member
23 minutes ago, koth442 said:

I put a short on HD stock... It's done nothing but go up since!

Interesting you mention that.  I’m torn on which way to play HD, so have stayed on the sidelines so far...  I was really tempted to buy when all the doom & gloom negative news was making the mainstream press rounds.  But I didn’t, so missed the window in that cycle... at this point, I think I’ll remain an interested outside observer.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, texscottyd said:

Interesting you mention that.  I’m torn on which way to play HD, so have stayed on the sidelines so far...  I was really tempted to buy when all the doom & gloom negative news was making the mainstream press rounds.  But I didn’t, so missed the window in that cycle... at this point, I think I’ll remain an interested outside observer.   

Well I'm still short, so you're probably safe going long. But the moment I give up and cover, HD will take a 10 point dive.

  • Thumbsup 1

'15 FJ09

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Supporting Member
22 hours ago, texscottyd said:

Regardless of my opinion of other portions of the H-D business plan, I believe this is legitimately a good move:  

49ac5110-4028-11e9-b6f7-72d555b31188
WWW.AUTOBLOG.COM

Talk about hooking 'em young.

It won’t swing the needle much on the financials, but anything to get ‘The New H-D’ brand in front of the general public has to be good.  

I hope it works for HD, should have been done a long time ago. The only problem is they will be sold by select dealerships, just like Buells were. We all know how Harley salesman and dealers treated prospective Buell buyers and owners.

Edited by roadrash83

He who dies with the most toys wins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Supporting Member

Well, look at this:   The Zero SR/F prototype, currently hanging out at EuroSport Cycles in Fort Worth.  Supposedly the only one in the U.S. at this point in time...  

E1A809D3-AFD2-4AC8-8FB2-C15AE1B43076.jpeg.3fc51d20425105e5c4acd8f6d59a7452.jpeg

I have to admit, that’s kinda sexy.  

  • Thumbsup 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Supporting Member
26 minutes ago, texscottyd said:

Well, look at this:   The Zero SR/F prototype, currently hanging out at EuroSport Cycles in Fort Worth.  Supposedly the only one in the U.S. at this point in time...  

E1A809D3-AFD2-4AC8-8FB2-C15AE1B43076.jpeg.3fc51d20425105e5c4acd8f6d59a7452.jpeg

I have to admit, that’s kinda sexy.  

Yes, I like that a lot.  And those bronze colored wheels kind of match some of the engine bits on the FJ...  Hmmm 

  • Thumbsup 1

***2015 Candy Red FJ-09***

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...
  • Supporting Member

Resurrecting an old thread here...  interesting review of the LiveWire.   I remain intrigued, but highly skeptical.   

There are some tidbits in here I wasn’t aware of:  Liquid cooling sounds almost comical on an electric bike, but I get it due to the heat density of the motor.  The 553 pound weight seems way heavier than I would have expected, no doubt due to that huge battery.   0-60 mph in three seconds flat sounds great, but burning through 20% of the battery life in 13 miles?  That’s going to be a tough sell, even if it wasn’t a $30k motorcycle. 

On the plus side, it looks beautifully finished, and sounds like it could be a ball to ride.   We shall see... 

GAXU5ZGIWVDTHF7AOYNJJR65SA.jpg

We review Harley-Davidson’s gateway...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does Harley still make the water cooled bike?  Anyway, I've been into BMW dealerships who have tried to get me off my Honda and onto an RT, but never had a Harley dealer try to sell me anything.  No tattoos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×