Battery-bike bonanza as Harley-Davidson gives glimpse of their electric future

Harley-Davidson have posted a render image of a new middleweight electric concept on their US website. The flattrack-inspired electric motorbike looks to bridge the gap between the very lightweight electric concepts showcased in 2019 and the full production LiveWire.

“The middleweight EV concept bridges our EV technology to our rich history of racing and the legendary XR750,” says a statement alongside the image.

Although it is just a drawing, the concept has road-going features like indicators and a numberplate hanger, suggesting that it is more than a design exercise.

Also pictured is a version of the electric scooter we saw last year that looks far closer to being production-ready. The footboards made from upcycled skate decks are gone and it now has a proper paintjob and an enclosed motor and battery.

There’s no word yet on when, where, or even if the models pictured will go on sale but it looks like we can expect Harley-Davidson’s electric division to be very busy in the coming years.

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X-Games stars play with Harley-Davidson electric concepts

First published: 05 August 2019 by Ben Clarke

Back in January we saw Winter X-Games competitor, Jacko Strong, and X-Games host, Jack Mitrani let loose on Harley-Davidson’s electric bike concepts. Well, now it’s the turn of Summer X-Games stars to have a go.

Harley-Davidson have released video footage of BMX riders Larry Edgar and Ryan Williams riding the American firm’s lightweight off-roader and scooter concepts respectively.

The lightweight off-roader looks almost as nimble as a MTB at the hands of Edgar as he explores the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, hitting several jumps and riding some berms.

In a seperate video (above) Williams takes a 360 cam tour of the city on the electric scooter concept complete with skateboard deck footboards.

These bikes are still just concepts, but since Harley-Davidson recently launched their first production electric, the LiveWire, perhaps these bikes will hit the market at some point.

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Winter X-Games stars ride H-D electric concepts

First published – 28/01/19

When Harley-Davidson released production details of the LiveWire electric motorbike, they also showed us a lightweight off-road electric concept.

No details have been released but a video on their YouTube channel shows X-Games FMX gold medallist, Jacko Strong having a play with a prototype in the snow. In the video, Jacko says that the bike is definitely different to ride than a petrol motorbike with amazing power and “torque from ground zero.”

The lightweight bike looks similar in style to the Cake Kalk, which makes 20bhp and weighs 69kg. These bikes occupy a middle ground between a traditional off-road motorbike and a mountain bike. Unlike an e-mtb, they don’t have pedals and rely entirely on battery power for propulsion.

The Harley looks to have a much smaller battery than the Cake, which may indicate a shorter range (the Cake gets over two hours in ‘Explore’ mode) or lower power.

On the flip side, the H-D’s forks and rear shock look smaller than the Öhlins units on the Cake, which could mean it is lighter.

Another Harley-Davidson electric concept

A second YouTube video also shows an electric scooter concept that seems to be targeting the urban mobility market. X-Games host Jack Mitrani is let loose on the trendy-looking scooter, complete with skateboard deck footrests and BMX handlebars.

Mitrani describes the scooter as quiet, smooth and torquey and predicts, “I’m sure we’ll see them all over cities and college towns, it’s the wave of the future.”

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• Best electric motorbikes of 2019
• Triumph electric motorbike project
• Bike review: Harley-Davidson LiveWire