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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Harley-Davidson invites public to test electric motorbike | Harley-Davidson invites public to test electric motorbike |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Iconic motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson has revealed its first electric motorcycle. | Iconic motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson has revealed its first electric motorcycle. |
| The bike will not go on general sale, instead the firm will select customers from the US to ride it and provide feedback | The bike will not go on general sale, instead the firm will select customers from the US to ride it and provide feedback |
| The bike - dubbed Project LiveWire - will travel down the US's Route 66 visiting more than 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships between now and the end of the year. | The bike - dubbed Project LiveWire - will travel down the US's Route 66 visiting more than 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships between now and the end of the year. |
| Fans had a mixed reaction to the bike. | Fans had a mixed reaction to the bike. |
| "Project LiveWire is more like the first electric guitar - not an electric car," said Mark-Hans Richer, senior vice president at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. | "Project LiveWire is more like the first electric guitar - not an electric car," said Mark-Hans Richer, senior vice president at Harley-Davidson Motor Company. |
| "It's an expression of individuality and iconic style that just happens to be electric. Project LiveWire is a bold statement for us as a company and a brand." | "It's an expression of individuality and iconic style that just happens to be electric. Project LiveWire is a bold statement for us as a company and a brand." |
| The bike can go 130 miles before it needs charging and will offer riders a top speed of 92mph (148km/h). Recharges will take between 30 minutes to an hour. | |
| Silent bike | Silent bike |
| Initial feedback from the Harley-Davidson Riders Club of Great Britain suggested a degree of cynicism. | Initial feedback from the Harley-Davidson Riders Club of Great Britain suggested a degree of cynicism. |
| Dave Scott said: "It looks ok but I'd need a real engine in it." | |
| While member Dazzlin asked how safe it would be: "For an electric bike it has a good look, but I can't help think a silent bike is a recipe for disaster on our ever increasingly busy roads". | |
| In a teaser video released by the firm a motorcycle is seen driving down Route 66 almost without noise. | In a teaser video released by the firm a motorcycle is seen driving down Route 66 almost without noise. |
| Purpose-built electric bicycles are becoming hugely popular. In China 25 million are sold each year, according to Prof Peter Wells, co-director of the automotive industry research group at Cardiff Business School. | |
| The market for an electric Harley will be more "niche" he said but it is unsurprising that the firm is jumping on the bandwagon. | |
| "We are moving toward zero emissions cities and motorbike manufacturers, like car manufacturers have to go that way," he said. | |
| "In an ideal world I expect that they want it to go faster and further than it will." |