want this on my motorcycle, my car, my mountain QUICK Throttle MAGAZINE PO Box 3062 • Dana Point, CA 92629 bike, everywhere! 949-388-3695 AUGUST 2014 [email protected] • www.quickthrottle.com Now about that sound...you’ve heard the clip, you’ve maybe heard it revving on the dyno-type platform they’ve been setting up on the Livewire tours. Well, it doesn’t quite sound the same on the road, but close. Yes, it’s got the turbine sound, just not enough of it. I told the H-D guys, “When you finally ship these things, make the sound as raunchy as possible.” Sure it’s cool, but I want more of it. If I can’t set off car alarms with my pipes, I gotta have something right? Now I have heard it’s actually louder than the Zero and other electric bikes. H-D Sportbike looks aside, we were very intrigued. Why? claims they “designed” the sound that way. They We Ride Harley-Davidson’s Because we knew from the Tesla Roadster in 2008 also told me the sound can be affected by how the that this technology could provide “instant torque” gears are cut. I did notice, when riding around with New Electric Motorcycle and remain very fast throughout the entire power those other Livewire’s, that it was very reminiscent curve. Our interest was also piqued when we heard of the scene in “Return of the Jedi” when they’re By CD, Editor of QT Magazine the sound it made, or a recording of it at least - it sounded like a cross between a turbine engine and That’s right, we rode it the Jetson’s flying car. Like many of you, I’ve been reading about Project Did it sound as good when we rode it? Well, yes 07 - Harley Livewire Livewire from Harley-Davidson, but what’s and no. But we’ll get to that in a minute. And, we’ll absolutely shocking (pun intended) is how many tell you about something very cool that we hadn’t people wrote about it (either in blogs or magazines, expected out of the ride....but right now let’s talk 11 - Constructing Anarchy or posting on message boards) but clearly didn’t specs, the few we’ve been able to pull out of H-D, RIDE it. One reason is certainly that H-D didn’t or find on our own: It’s got a lithium-ion battery, give us a chance to ride it soon enough - and when an induction 3-phase, 4-pole motor that makes 74 I say soon enough, I mean, before the public hears horsepower and 52 ft. lbs. of torque at 8,500 RPM, 12 - San Diego Indian about it and we say, umm, yeah that looks cool, can the bike weighs only 463 pounds and does 0-60 in we ride it too, and tell people about it? But another 4 seconds. reason is that some choose to opine on subjects they What it doesn’t have is also very much worth 15 - Ride & Event Calendar really don’t understand. Well call me crazy, but mentioning - no clutch. no shifting through gears. flying on those motorcycle-type speeders through I choose to reserve judgement until I actually can Sacrilege to some, to be sure! I reached for the clutch the forest (on Endor, of course, for the geeks). It was RIDE a motorcycle, before I condemn it, celebrate several times before I settled into a different rhythm. very cool, I have to say. Just give me more cowbell. 19 - Women Who Ride it, or just plain report on it. Personally, I’d miss it if I owned this bike (or I’d have After riding this completely new bike, I can easily this as my “city bike”). I drive a stick shift sports Now here’s two more specs I didn’t mention yet, but tell who rode one, and who merely took a position car for the same reason. There is a visceral thrill are probably the most important - 54 miles and 3 on electric motorcycles, pro or con. Both positions in going through the gears, much more so than an hours - that’s how far it will go on one charge, and 20 - Sprint Street Vibrations are valid, but as gearheads, aren’t we all about the automatic. I get that it makes this bike a lot easier to how long it will take to charge it again. And it’s 220 Machine and the Ride?? ride, but it’s also kinda cool to be doing something only right now, not 110 volt. And it’s only got an So with that off my chest, here we go. that others are intimidated by...but, this is a different outboard charger. So clearly it’s not ready for market 21 - New Indian Colors kind of ride. It just doesn’t need shifting to maximize just yet...I told the H-D guy that those numbers Don’t be afraid. acceleration. It’s got that in spades. needed to be doubled and halved, respectively. It’s not the beginning of the end of your internal Look Mom, no brakes? 100-mile range and 90 minutes charge time are 23 - MotorMarc - Legend Rider combustion engine. That end was foretold when Now here’s another common “accessory” that it reasonable, for this to be at the very least, a strong they discovered that fossil fuels are finite and will, has, but doesn’t need....brakes! Yes, you read that “commuter bike.” And it can be that - because it’s WRITERS: at some point, run out. Maybe by then we’ll get our right. It’s got front and rear brakes, and when you light, nimble, and yes, fun. “potato-potato” sound out of actual potatoes, or first get on they warn you “Now, it doesn’t have 24 - Road Test CD, Randy Twells, Lisa Dalgaard, Mike Dalgaard, hydrogen, or whatever. But for now and for a long ABS...” and you’re thinking, what? In 2014?? But When talking to the production guy about changes Famous Jake, Tom “PIR8” Tinney, Ray Seidel, time to come, our gas-powered V-Twins are safe. when you ride it, you experience something that I’d like to see, I suddenly stopped and said, “but it Robert Sweeney, Art Hall, “Wild Bill” Saxton Meanwhile, vehicles like the Tesla and the Prius maybe only motorhome owners or diesel truck seems you’ve already finalized the production?” 26 - Thunder on the Lot have shown that there is a burgeoning consumer drivers know about - compression, or “jake” The bikes just seemed to tight and well-finished. He demand for rechargeable vehicles. Harley-Davidson braking. On the Livewire it’s called “Regenerative laughed and said, “Production? Oh no, those are PHOTOGRAPHERS: very wisely started to develop this technology, but Braking,” and it’s the motor slowing itself down prototypes. You’re looking at about 180k per bike.” 27 - Viking Bag Review also very quietly. So on June 19th, they shocked the when you let off the throttle, in order to charge the Randy Twells, Art Hall, Ron Sinoy, world (pun intended again) when they launched battery during deceleration. The SIDE EFFECT of So does Harley-Davidson have some diabolical CD, George Childress Project Livewire. They introduced a motorcycle this, according to Harley’s Product Development plan? Yes, but it’s not to force an electric bike on that looked like a sportbike and sounded like a jet man Phil Zagrodnik, is that it slows the motor so you. It’s to sell you a bike, or two, and accessories, 29 - Hydration turbine. And it ran on batteries. quickly that you don’t touch the brakes. Think of and clothes, and parts for those bikes. As for electric WEBMASTER: it as the opposite of freewheeling. Well I couldn’t or gas, that’s not up to them. It’s up to you. Sure, Chrome Horse Promotions www.chrome-horse.net believe it. I had the bike up to 65 mph and was they feel the pressure mounting from the Feds to 31 - El Cajon 60th running around town with 6 other Livewire riders, start producing these vehicles, but they don’t have QUICK THROTTLE LLC® 2014 is published monthly and NO reproduction of content is permitted without in and out of traffic, and I reached for but never to build them if you’re not buying them. Like we Publisher or Editor’s prior written approval. Publisher and Editor assume no financial responsibility for errors in ads applied the brakes. One H-D person told me, “We said earlier though, some folks do want Teslas and beyond the cost of space occupied by error; a correction will be printed. Publisher is not liable for: any slandering put the brakes on there to comply with federal law, Priuses, and some folks are building electric bikes. 33 - New Products of an individual, or group as we mean no malice or individual criticism at any time; nor are we responsible for So H-D is ready to expand to that segment, when the opinions or comments of our columnists; and promises, coupons, or lack of fulfillment from advertisers who but you almost don’t need them.” I’ll be honest - I are solely responsible for the content of their ads. Publisher and Editor are also to be held harmless from: failure LOVE this feature. It was so natural and so effective, you are. In the meantime, they are thrilled to build to produce any issue as scheduled due to reasons beyond our control; all suits.