08-11-2014, 02:43 PM
I test rode a Harley Livewire this weekend and I must say I am really impressed. Harley has done something really brave here and taken a hard left turn in an attempt to appeal to the "I don't want to dress up like a pirate" crowd. The engineering and design are first rate and owe nothing to the traditionalists. The riding position is very VFR-like and the riding experience is wonderful. It feels really fast in a way that is totally useable. There was a very big crowd at the ride event in Seattle and everybody was uniformly impressed. There were no pirates to be seen, though, which makes me think that the traditional Harley crowd may be less than impressed.
However, I think the electric bike manufacturers are all missing the correct answer, at least in the near term. Until the breakthrough comes in battery chemistry (10 years, 20 years?), I think the best solution would be an all electric bike with a 60 HP motor and a small battery pack for a 10-20 mile range, and a small very efficient internal combustion generator motor (maybe 15 horsepower) capable of putting out enough juice to sustain a 60MPH cruising speed. That way you get the best of everything, with that smooth simple electric drive train, and a good long range.
However, I think the electric bike manufacturers are all missing the correct answer, at least in the near term. Until the breakthrough comes in battery chemistry (10 years, 20 years?), I think the best solution would be an all electric bike with a 60 HP motor and a small battery pack for a 10-20 mile range, and a small very efficient internal combustion generator motor (maybe 15 horsepower) capable of putting out enough juice to sustain a 60MPH cruising speed. That way you get the best of everything, with that smooth simple electric drive train, and a good long range.