Hitting Neutral – Harley Davidson Live Wire offers their second model.
Starting in the US, this July, you will be able to buy the second electric Motorcycle offered by Harley Davidson’s electric division. For $15,499(US) you will be able to ride away with an S2 Del Mar capable of 0-60 in 3 seconds.
It will also have a range of 110 “city miles” and will recharge on a Level 2 charger from 20% to 80% in 75 minutes. There is no fast or super charge available currently.
My Take – This is an urban commuter motorcycle. Nothing wrong with that but, it is a niche spot that might find some traction against Zero’s offerings. The lack of a fast charger option is a bit of let down but from an urban zip around traffic commuter bike point of view it will probably work.
I test rode the Live Wire and the Zero SRF each were fantastic rides. Acceleration and handling were very good with both bikes, and they are something that people should look at if interested. But I am not yet a fan of EVs and electric motorcycles.
In the real world, outside of the urban jungle, there is still a dearth of charging stations and charging times are still incomparable to the standard conventional vehicle. I am awaiting the evolution of hydrogen power to be pursued as hard as EV. That will be the true zero emission vehicle.
*****
Up Shift – Ducati sets a new record!
For the first time ever, Ducati has recorded revenue of over $1 Billion!
This is a 24% increase over 2021 and a profit of over $100 million. This also aligns with the sale of the most Ducati motorcycles ever at 61,562 a 3.6% increase over 2021. Ducati has also expanded their dealership network to over 800.
My Take: Tie this to their race success in MotoGP and other series then I think we are in a Golden Age of Ducati. This is well deserved success they created a plan and are executing it well. It was just a few years ago that people stated that Ducati was Italian for 8th place, can’t say that anymore!
Ride on, Ride Safe
