MOTORING NEWS - On 30 January the Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson company of the US announced increased investment in electric motorcycle technology and an expected launch schedule for its first production electric ride.
No information yet on the motorcycle's name, style, battery size or driving range per charge, but the company's target is to launch the new motorcycle within 18 months.
Harley's LiveWire electric motorcycle concept has been revealed and may be relied on for a few hints.
Harley-Davidson took the LiveWire on the road in 2014 to get customer reaction.
Last year Harley announced a 2021 launch for its first electric motorcycle, but this week's announcement moves up the schedule to 2019.
Reasons for this move may be that younger potential customers are showing less interest in conventional motorbikes and are more environmentally aware.
Research undertaken by several automotive manufacturers show that younger buyers are less keen on owning their own wheels, thanks to ride sharing and other developments, according to millennialmagazine.com.
This means manufacturers have to find other ways to appeal to this market of the future.
The LiveWire concept of 2014 had an aluminium frame, adjustable rear mono-shock suspension and reversed front forks.
The riding position and appearance were similar to current naked sports bikes.
With a reported 80km range per charge and estimated 100Nm of torque and 55kW from a 10kWh battery and a longitudinally oriented motor, the LiveWire would need more work to be convenient for longer rides.
This electric motorcycle news may have softened the blow for investors who read the fourth quarter and full-year 2017 financial results.
It's no secret the motorcycle industry is slipping worldwide. Compared to 2016, Harley-Davidson's retail motorcycle sales dropped 8,5% in the US, 3,9% internationally and 6,7% overall.
Although Harley-Davidson is making money and returned a healthy net income ($520-million on almost $5-billion in sales in 2017), sales are down and an electric motorcycle is a proactive move to increase business.
Harley isn't alone in seeing its business fade as millennials and other riders younger than its traditional customer mix show little interest in motorcycles.
Harley-Davidson leads among motorcycle companies reaching out to younger markets to build its future customer base.
ARTICLE: Bloomberg and TechCentral
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'
