The future of a motorcycle icon is a weighty subject. One that requires some careful analysis and due consideration. Harley Davidson is a company with a storied history, and a cult-like following of Harley Davidson buyers.
Today, Harley Davidson is faced with change that is so profound, it begs the question, how will it succeed? Well one thing is certain. HD (from here in replaced for Harley Davidson) is at a crossroads. Factors that should have been anticipated but were ignored for a decade, have now made their impact clear. Lost market share, and diminishing financial reserves have led the new CEO Jochen Zeitz to conclude that HD must evolve or die.
“HD, which is known for its large-engine, heavyweight cruiser motorcycles, is currently undergoing a long-term transition with the aim of becoming an electric brand,”said Zeitz.
“At some point in time, Harley Davidson will be all-electric,” he told Dezeen. “But that’s a long-term transition that needs to happen. It’s not something you do overnight.”
But Zeitz and Harley’s governance board are committed to the transition. Zeitz’s statements to Dezeen on January 13th, 2023 underscore his intentions.
“I believe in big transformational change for iconic brands, which is what I’ve always done in my life,” he said.
“We are targeting different consumer profiles – you have the traditional core customer, but you have a contemporary core customer, you have dreamers that aspire to ride or may just dream about the brand,” he continued.
“The brand is not just for inspiring for those who buy motorcycles, it’s inspiring for others, which is why we’re making such a big effort on apparel and accessories to really bring the brand to broader customer bases – customers that might or might not ride one day.”
But irrespecctive of big efforts on apparel and accessories, HD has to come up with motorcycles that appeal, if not to its existing historical buyer, then to the milllenials and Gen X’ers. In this endeavor HD is banking on its first new electric motorcycle.
The specifications in terms of performance are impressive, and the price reasonable. (Specifications to follow). What isn’t, is the distance that the motorcycle can travel before requiring charging, like all HD electric motorcycles to date.
And with a Level II charger, it will still take two hours and twenty-two minutes to recharge the motorcycle. A Level I charger will require 8.4 hours to fully recharge!
The second issue is range. In the city, the motorcycle can travel 113 miles, however on the highway, that is reduced to just 70 miles.
The bike does get from 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds, which is decent, with a top speed of 103 mph. It produces 84 HP and 194 FT-Lbs of torque.
With the issues it faces in a tough electric market against proven products like Zero and Energica, it will face a tough uphill battle for market share.
For example, Energica’s EsseEsse9, has a range of 261 miles city and 130 miles highway. It charges at 242 miles per hour of charge on a Level II charger, and 42 miles per hour of charge on a Level 1 charger. It has a top speed of 125 mph, accelerates at 2.8 seconds to 60 mph and has a two year warranty on the motorcycle and a three year warranty on the battery. It sells for $22,850 US.
It would seem that the only advantage of the S2 Del Rey is its price. Harley Davidson certainly has its work cut out for itself.
https://www.livewire.com/s2-del-mar-electric-motorcycle
What do you think? Is HD on the right track? Do they have a choice?
Time is short and things are very fluid in the motorcycle market. We’ll have to see where the chips fall in the coming months.
Thanks for coming.
Ciao.
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