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[DonTom]

If the gas stations are running, you can charge your bike!

I think that's a good point; the electrics are the next thing and the Harley demographic is aging.  That can come together very powerfully.

-Crissa

Yes, but I did not then know.  What I did know is that my Moto Guzzi Stelvio could get to Reno and back a couple of times with no stops at all.  Yes, I could have taken my electric bikes as well as all the chargers were open at Cisco Grove east today. But I needed to give my ICE bikes some exercise anyway as I ride my electrics about 95% of my rides.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[Curt]

It's way too early to make a call like "so far it's been a flop".

And remember, buyers don't necessarily think in a logical manner, as opposed to most sport riders.
As a sport/dirt rider, I have no idea why anyone would buy any Harley, ever. Yet they do.

It will be another year or five before Harley's future becomes apparent.
I'll not be too sad if they fail, especially after they murdered Buell and Alta.

[DonTom]

I have no idea why anyone would buy any Harley, ever. Yet they do.

I have ridden many Harleys, I hated them all, until I tried out my buddy's 2017 Road Glide. And then I bought one. It's (by far) the most comfy bike I own.  Whenever I am going more than a few hundred miles, my Harley is my choice.

FWIW, I used to be a real Harley hater. But to me, who makes it is NOT at all important. It's the model, not the company name. I have NO (and I mean NONE) brand loyalty. Companies and models change all the time.

-Don-  Reno, NV

[MikeL]

It's way too early to make a call like "so far it's been a flop".

And remember, buyers don't necessarily think in a logical manner, as opposed to most sport riders.
As a sport/dirt rider, I have no idea why anyone would buy any Harley, ever. Yet they do.

It will be another year or five before Harley's future becomes apparent.
I'll not be too sad if they fail, especially after they murdered Buell and Alta.

Almost no motorcycle purchase is logical at this point. Between the danger and cost it doesn't make sense as a mode of transportation.

As far as sport/dirt riders being more logical than Harley riders.. I'm not sure that is accurate. 99% of sport riders can't ride what they have to its full potential, does that make their purchase illogical? 99% of sport riders don't go the track. Does that make their purchase illogical?

People just have different preferences for what they want to ride. I love sport bikes but not a fan of the riding style or position. I don't ride to beat anyone in the twisties I mostly just enjoy cruising up the mountain - looking at bikes - hanging out - heading to the coast.

On another note, do we know if Harley was the cause of Alta's downfall? I know they pulled out of funding but I don't believe Harley would pull out of Alta for stupid reasons. Everyone LOVED those motorcycles. Something must have been off about finances, costs to build, management, something.

The fact that nobody else stepped up to fund Alta is also questionable. If the company was the chosen one of electric dirt bikes wouldn't another investor/investors step up? The fact they just shut down one day due to finances makes me think there was more to it.. but speculation is speculation.

[JaimeC]

Alta's assets were purchased by BRP (Can Am), but I think they were just after the intellectual property.  They stated they don't have any intention of restarting the brand.
https://dirtbiketest.com/fresh-dirt/alta-motors-purchased-but-probably-the-end-of-the-line/#9crM0LRqcePS55Q0.97

[Crissa]

Ahh, knowing the range.  That's the way.  In some ways I miss my Sentra (or my first Honda).  That Sentra I knew its range so tightly I glided in on fumes (like literally stalling out in a gas station) multiple times.

I made it from San Jose to LA on single tank and hop multiple times... Once almost made it to San Diego.

My Mazda is much too punchy to know the range at that distance.  A little wind, a little traffic, and it sucks gas completely different.  The Zero is turning out to be the same, but I've never had a bike before.

-Crissa

[Richard230]

Thinking about the H-D LiveWire last night made me wonder if H-D sunk Alta Motors by pulling their financing lifeline just to eliminate come competition in the EV market that was half the price and could very well have cut into their sales - such as they are.
I wouldn't put it past them. They have done things like that in the past. 

[JaimeC]

Thinking about the H-D LiveWire last night made me wonder if H-D sunk Alta Motors by pulling their financing lifeline just to eliminate come competition in the EV market that was half the price and could very well have cut into their sales - such as they are.
I wouldn't put it past them. They have done things like that in the past.

That's a stretch.  Alta only made dirt bikes and Harley doesn't make ANY (unless you count their competition-only flat-trackers).  If anything, they would've targeted Zero, I would think.  OTOH, they DID have a deal with Mission Motors early on in the Livewire's development, and pulled out of that...

[NEW2elec]

I was very upset at Alta shutting down.  I think Harley had some sort of roll in it but Alta needed to have it's ship in order.
They should have been able to go on with or without Harley.  In Harley's defense if Alta's books looked as bad as they likely did
then I guess you can't blame them too much for not taking on bad debt. 
I didn't know at the time that Alta was just using the 18650 cells. 
In the end I think it was a great little dirt bike there may not have been enough secret sauce for Harley to pull the trigger.

[Richard230]

Thinking about the H-D LiveWire last night made me wonder if H-D sunk Alta Motors by pulling their financing lifeline just to eliminate come competition in the EV market that was half the price and could very well have cut into their sales - such as they are.
I wouldn't put it past them. They have done things like that in the past.

That's a stretch.  Alta only made dirt bikes and Harley doesn't make ANY (unless you count their competition-only flat-trackers).  If anything, they would've targeted Zero, I would think.  OTOH, they DID have a deal with Mission Motors early on in the Livewire's development, and pulled out of that...

My recollection is that Alta was producing a couple of street-legal ADV and super-moto models that were based upon their dirt bikes before they went under.