April 1, 2015: For Immediate Release: Harley Davidson, noted American motorcycle manufacturer, declares it’s electric motorcycle “Project LiveWire” a PR disaster with it’s die-hard customer base as a result of unrelenting social and internet feedback, and a plummeting stock market performance since the announcement last year, scraps plans to produce electric motorcycles, and sends all 40 test bikes to the crusher in a move reminiscent of GM’s EV1 experiment of “Who Killed the Electric Car” fame.
Just kidding.
…but in spite of what the Harley Davidson sources will tell you, I have actually read a lot of comments from their die-hard customer base, and it’s simply all rehashing the same anti-EV, anti-sportbike points you can hear in any bar or roadhouse across the country with a bunch of Harleys parked out front. Frankly, I wanted to get some feedback from some of the actual, real, Harley bikers (read: those who don’t dress up with leathers for just the weekend) at the Boston event, but first, they were notably absent on a Saturday morning, and second, the ones who were there weren’t the least bit interested in the LiveWire. I’ve had this nagging little feeling in the back of my mind since Day One with this project… someone at Harley got a bug up their ass about Zero and Brammo and Made in the USA motorcycles, and how H-D wasn’t representing, and told someone down the food chain to do the homework and see if it flies. Of course, it was kind of like asking a Jamaican to start an Olympic bobsled team, right?
…or something like that.
For what it’s worth, the immediate response from Wall Street sure doesn’t inspire confidence:
Time will tell, but you have to wonder… what exactly will happen to those 40 bikes if H-D decides to scrap the project?
The Electric Chronicles: Power in Flux 
Holy shit you had me going there for a moment! I liken this all to throwing a rock into a still pond; the ripples will remain long after the initial impact. Yeah, the electric vehicle has been sent to the crusher over and over, but it keeps coming back.
I remember that back in 2009 when Vectrix went chapter 11, there was a rumor that HD would take ownership of the Vectrix remains.
It is possible that after failing to make the Vectrix deal that they decided to build their own bike.
So if they are contemplating an EV since 2009 then it wouldn’t surprise me if the “go to market” plan is being executed now with the Livewire tour being just the first step of that plan.
Mico – I was unable to corroborate that rumor. Do you have any more information on that? Links, etc? The only reference I was able to find was on V is for Voltage, presumably by you… “marcopolo”.
http://visforvoltage.org/forum/7038-harley-davidson-acquire-vectrix
No, that wasn’t me, but that probably is the source I remembered too.
these fake stories are misleading the public as many just read the titles of articles. basically, unless it’s really obvious or really funny, don’t try to be The Onion. many are trying and only confusing masses of people in a world already full of mis-information.
Yeah, I’m trying to weed out my readers to people who actually read my posts… and have a sense of humor. Thanks for your comment, though. For the record though, the story isn’t fake, the headline is.