Harley Davidson is Looking Ahead

Harley Davidson is trying to bring some new riders into the fold. The hype surrounding the new LiveWire electric motorcycle has been in high gear for several years, and dealers expect to have the bikes in their hands this fall. One dealer in Milwaukee reported to The Business Journals that he has deposits on all ten bikes in his allotment.

The rollout hit a bit of bump in the highway this month when Harley halted production. There was a glitch in the home charging mechanism. It turned out that it was in only one bike, though, so production is back underway.

Ease of operation is one reason that Harley thinks this bike will be an opportunity to draw in new riders. Riders do not have to master clutch or shift pedal operation, something that will appeal to those who do not enjoy that part of the two wheel experience. It is difficult to find a new car with a standard transmission now and part of the reason for that is not many people are interested in learning to drive with a clutch. This attitude will be an advantage when sales people are pitching the LiveWire to potential buyers.

In 2016 Harley introduced the Dyna Lowrider S. This was Lowrider with the Screaming Eagle 110 engine, dual disc brakes up front, cruise control, ABS, and an upgraded suspension. These were all upgrades from the standard Lowrider and it came with a modest cost increase. The bike was popular with buyers and well-received by the motorcycle press. It was only in production for two years and the next year the Dyna platform was discontinued.

For 2020 Harley has issued a Lowrider S based on the new Softail frame. It carries over many of the styling features of the original Lowrider S, but there are some inexplicable deficiencies. The most glaring is the lack of cruise control. This is a major step backwards and I cannot understand the though process behind this. One styling change that I do not like is putting silver clutch and brake levers on the bike. It is a blacked out bike, so this seems like a blatant move to encourage the buyer to switch out the levers. The reviews of this bike are favorable, but the writers continue to praise the 2016-2017 model.

My 2016 Lowrider S at UW-Green Bay Phoenix sculpture.

It will be interesting to watch Harley Davidson over the winter. They have two other bikes that they have teased over the past couple of years. One is an adventure style bike and the other is in the streetfighter type. The new LRS was announced without much fanfare, so these two could appear at any time.

It is a difficult time for motorcycle manufacturers and I applaud Harley for making an effort to keep there base of riders while attempting to draw in new and younger ones.