THE PROJECT LIVEWIRE™ EXPERIENCE KICKS OFF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM –
GERMAN RIDERS WILL SOON BE ABLE TO HAVE A SAY IN THE FUTURE OF THE FIRST ELECTRICALLY POWERED HARLEY-DAVIDSON®
Oxford (May 29, 2015) – In mid-May, British motorcycle enthusiasts had the opportunity to Project LiveWire™ Ride a bike and see for yourself the first electrically powered Harley-Davidson to inform.
In keeping with Harley-Davidson's consumer-oriented product development process, the motorcycle was not only available to ride at the event. Instead, after the exclusive test ride, the company expressly asked customers to provide feedback on the bike. After all, the machines that are Project LiveWire created, not intended for sale, but serve solely to learn more about customers' wishes for an electrically powered Harley-Davidson.
To get to know the LiveWire, British motorcycle fans gathered at Millbrook Venues, a technology center with a test track in Bedfordshire. Those who did not yet have a driver's license were allowed to ride on the Jumpstart™ Driving Simulator get an impression of the performance of the electrically powered Harley-Davidson. Around 230 customers took advantage of the opportunity to take a test ride, while another 50 jumped on the Jumpstart™.
„We are thrilled that the global Project LiveWire Experience Tour has made its first European stop in our country,“ says Steven Colling, Marketing Manager Harley-Davidson UK & Ireland. „The event helps to gain valuable insights into the direction a electric Harley-Davidson will be further developed in the future. We were very impressed by the extensive feedback we received from drivers. It is a great help to us in understanding this fascinating new market—especially as the technology of electric vehicles is developing rapidly.“
„To be honest, the LiveWire was the first electric motorcycle I'd ever ridden. What surprised me most was the way it delivered power, much more immediate and direct than anything I've ridden before – and I've ridden a lot of bikes. If this is the future, I'm in!“ said Phil Whitmore, one of the riders who had the opportunity to test a Project LiveWire bike on May 15.
„It was completely different from anything I had expected,“ said Danny from Northamptonshire, who owns a competitor's machine. „I had a big grin on my face the whole time. It's hard to imagine that a few batteries underneath you can generate all that power. I thought Harleys were those big, cumbersome, slow things. But this bike really blew me away.“
The Project LiveWire Experience Tour continues – via France and Italy to Germany, where customers will have the opportunity to test an electrically powered Harley-Davidson at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, 2015. Anyone who wants to find out more, see the machine's performance for themselves, and give the Motor Company their feedback can apply for a test ride at projectlivewire.harley-davidson.com.
Text and image credits: Copyright Harley-Davidson Oxford
