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Harley breaks the mold and opens its doors to the rest of us with a solid product strategy
– Opened pre-bookings for the electric LiveWire which costs US $ 29,799
– Expect it to cost ~Rs. 40-50 lakh if it comes to India via the CBU route
– Revealed specs of the LiveWire
– LiveWire deliveries to commence in September 2019
– Showcased electric scooter concept for urban mobility
– Showcased electric off-road trail bike concept
An electric naked street fighter with a supercar-like 3.5-second 0-100kmph time is nothing to scoff at regardless of who makes it. It’s far more impressive considering that this crotch rocket wears the Harley-Davidson badge. The motorcycle maker is known for its laid-back cruisers with old-school push-rod V-twins and loud pipes.
As Harley’s target audience of baby boomers shrinks, they’re looking to excite the youth and get young blood on two wheels.
The LiveWire already has a production plan. The scooter and the trials bike are still only concepts. But if their production avatars end up sharing the floor with the LiveWire, that will mean a whole new direction for Harley-Davidson.
While their bikes may have different personalities, they’re all seen as cruisers. There’s no need to get the Iron 883 and the Road Glide as they both pretty much do the same thing. But a scooter, a street naked, and a trail bike are so different that a single owner could have all three in his/her garage and easily justify spending the cash. The scooter can do the grocery runs in style. The LiveWire can take you to office and back through curvy canyon roads. The lightweight trail bike will let you have fun off the road. Judging by the looks of that thing, it appears pretty hardcore and may not even sneeze at a rocky trail.
It’s nothing new and many automakers do it. Ducati, for example, has the stylish Scrambler for weekend breakfast rides, the Monster for commuting, the Multistrada for touring, and the Panigale for the track. The fact that it’s coming from Harley-Davidson makes it noteworthy.
Whether we get to see the two concepts in production form or not will greatly depend on the success of the LiveWire. It’s a big-ticket product for only the early adopters. It’s certainly a good strategy to have a small number of customers to satisfy should something go wrong. A new product with new technology is bound to have teething issues. With a big price tag, it’s going to have a smaller number of paying beta testers and limited success. A positive response from the earliy adopters should help clear the path for the other two concepts, which are not only going to be more refined but also more affordable. Which is how it should be because the mass market is neither prepared nor willing to become a guinea pig. Harley-Davidson LiveWire Specs
– 0-100kmph in 3.5 seconds
– 177km range per charge
– Adjustable front and rear suspensions from Showa
– Michelin Scorcher tires
– 4.3-inch touchscreen console
– Available in orange, lime green, and black
– 20km per hour charge rate regardless of whether you connect to 110v (level1) or 220v (level 2)