TECH

Will an electric motorcycle save Harley Davidson? A symbol of liberty and power, Harley Davidson was founded in Milwaukee in 1903. After becoming the leading motorcycle manufacturer in the world in 1920, the brand has remained its iconic presence in the motorcycle culture, offering freedom and American-quality products to its riders for over a century. We are approaching the company's 115th-year anniversary and the highway is looking a little rocky for the king of the road.The company has seen a steady decline, with its latest growth in sales reported in 2014's financial report. The next years showed a decline in sales of 1.3% in 2015, 1.6% in 2016 and a staggering 6.7% in 2017. And while we Harley enthusiasts would like to think this is a temporary issue, the truth is the company has been down- spiraling for some time. It seems HDI is having a hard time appealing to new riders.Harley Davidson's rumbling motorcycles are known for their powerful, loud, pricey and gas-eating nature. This makes it hard to compete in a full market of millennials in a struggling economy. New riders look for affordability and green technology, which is the opposite of what comes to mind when you hear the words "Harley Davidson". And now that baby boomers are getting too old to ride, Harley needs to plan ahead and cater to the needs of new generations.
The company has introduced its Street 500 and 750 "learner bikes" in the recent past, but it seems that it has not been enough to sway riders from the Japanese giants. What's next? Apparently an electric motorcycle!

In their last earnings call, Harley Davidson states of their plan for the future includes investing in electric motorcycles. They emphasize Project LiveWire, an electric motorcycle they have been working on for about 4 years, and they are getting ready to finally launch a fully electric bike within 18 months.Not much else is mentioned, but we assume the new electric vehicle will be based on Project LiveWire. This bike was able to go from 0-60 mph in 4 seconds, with battery life reaching about 55 miles on full charge ... in economy mode. This is not much to write home about, especially considering you can not get far from home on this bike. Do not cross the option off just yet, though; let's keep in mind the LiveWire uses 4-year-old technology, in an industry that is moving really fast, with a model that is not meant for production. We expect an upgrade for Harley's first electric motorcycle to reach the production lines.



Edgar Cervantes