H-D Recalls 1000 Livewires

[oldbike54]

 To address a couple of points.

 Number one , there is no such thing as a quantum leap in technology , every gain is hard won, still the scientists and engineers persevere , progress is made .

 Number two . How many places do you suppose an automobile owner could buy gasoline existed in 1889 ? The argument that the infrastructure doesn't exist ignores history and how rapidly new technology is implemented .

 Dusty

[old head]

IMO
for short trips I see an increasing demand for EV.
Once they figure out the WIFI charging, that will be the defining technology for on the road vehicles it would seem.

[kingoffleece]

This is almost as entertaining as the BMW 1800 thread on ADV Rider.  I'm continually amazed how many experts the motorcycle industry has let slip thru their fingers.

[LowRyter]

Yes, it is great, but it’s not happening with electric vehicles and saying it’s so doesn’t make it so.  They are mostly natural gas powered and inconvenient to refuel.

I just hired a guy at work who drives a top of the line Tesla.  He and his wife moved into temporary housing for a few months while they look for a house to buy.  You guessed it, nowhere to charge his car.  For a while he was using his lunch hour to drive to a charging station, but then found it getting busy.  His initial solution was to wait in line and make up the time by working longer that day, then I showed him where he could plug in for a slow charge while working and get enough to drive home and back the next day.  All this for $80K or whatever, which for him is about 6 months gross.  Or for 6 weeks gross he could buy a car that provides proper utility and doesn’t cause him to be left behind in getting to work and earning a living.

So when he gets a house, he'll have no trouble charging his car overnight.   And it'll cost him about 1/4 the cost of going to the gas station and have all the performance and ecological advantages.

That car has a 300 mile range, so he should be good for a while once he gets charged it fully charged in the meantime.   Folks don't move into new houses that require temporary lodging very often.  Having done so myself, add it to list of lots of inconveniences.  It's a total PIA.

I don't have an EV yet.  But this tech is moving fast and I hope to purchase one before I die.  The automakers are building new plants and coming up with new models.  Soon we'll see charging stations like parking meters.   I wonder if we'll see EVs that can go 1,000 miles between charges, probably not "if", more like "when"?  Cities are already planning it and some are going to ban IC cars just because of pollution and congestion. 

I'm not sure why this topic causes a food fight every time someone mentions EVs.  No one is forcing anyone to buy one, yet.  But we can see the future. Having said this, none of this can make the Harley a nice bike if it isn't. 

[LowRyter]

My crystal ball says we have reached the limit of battery development. It can only be refined and marginally improved from here.

 So until we can build a quantum physics subatomic battery, we are stuck within the limits of what a Lithium Ion battery can do.
 I think Mayor of BBQ has it right.  We will see a 200 mile range performance e-bike under $12,000 USD (pre inflation).

Really?   Solid state batteries have already been demonstrated.   It's no accident that Tesla is building its new plant in Austin TX.

[Motormike]

<sigh>

 Same old silly argument .

 Look fellas , we are bouncing off of politics here , and I can hear the axes being put to the grindstone all the way out here in Oklahoma . Do we understand ?

 Dusty

I didn't even get that much warning when the mods cut my Banned from Facebook post!

[oldbike54]

I didn't even get that much warning when the mods cut my Banned from Facebook post!

 Probably because that thread went off the rails completely and was plowing a ten foot deep furrow on forbidden turf .

 Dusty

[Wildroamer]

Early cars had total loss dripping oiling systems and only went a couple miles per gallon at 15mph .. paved roads were few and far between and gas stations even less so.  Horses were cheaper & cleaner to produce and maintain than cars.. But I bet today you have 2x as many cars as you do horses at your house.

I know you are trying to couch this as some bold stance on the mining of heavy metals in Afghanistan or Bolivia or whatever, but you're just plain wrong

Well obviously since you know so much more about it than me, I'll let it go...
 

[Wildroamer]

I’ll look forward to quoting you on that in 2028. 

It sounds like he already knows everything you're going to add, so don't bother...😏

[Tusayan]

There may be more than you might imagine, given that I’ll likely have been doing well funded R&D directly in the field for 25 years by 2028.

[oldbike54]

It sounds like he already knows everything you're going to add, so don't bother...😏

 Time to stop grinding this particular ax .

 Dusty

[Wildroamer]

Time to stop grinding this particular ax .

 Dusty

Sure, though you did a bit of grinding yourself there, but no worries. Cheers