Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Apriliarsv]

https://canadamotoguide.com/2019/09/12/bombardier-displays-electric-motorcycle-prototypes/

[DonTom]

https://canadamotoguide.com/2019/09/12/bombardier-displays-electric-motorcycle-prototypes/

IMO, there is too much vaporware as it is when it comes to electric motorcycles. I ignore it all until they are ready to be sold.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[Richard230]

Everyone seems to have a computer drawing of an electric motorcycle prototype.  What they don't seem to have is a product to sell to the public, a distribution network and retail dealers to sell the bikes.  Maybe BRP will be different some day.  No doubt they will keep an eye on H-D to see how well the Livewire sells before deciding to jump into the market.   

[DonTom]

Everyone seems to have a computer drawing of an electric motorcycle prototype.  What they don't seem to have is a product to sell to the public, a distribution network and retail dealers to sell the bikes.  Maybe BRP will be different some day.  No doubt they will keep an eye on H-D to see how well the Livewire sells before deciding to jump into the market.   

I expect the LW to be a very poor seller. Like somebody else here once said, the LW exists to make all other electric bikes look like a good deal.

If they can get the price of the LW down below 20K$, perhaps then they could sell a few. But even then, I would pay 5K$ more than that for my Energica SS9.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

[wavelet]

Everyone seems to have a computer drawing of an electric motorcycle prototype.  What they don't seem to have is a product to sell to the public, a distribution network and retail dealers to sell the bikes.  Maybe BRP will be different some day.  No doubt they will keep an eye on H-D to see how well the Livewire sells before deciding to jump into the market.   

I expect the LW to be a very poor seller. Like somebody else here once said, the LW exists to make all other electric bikes look like a good deal.

If they can get the price of the LW down below 20K$, perhaps then they could sell a few. But even then, I would pay 5K$ more than that for my Energica SS9.

IMO it's not just the price; there's a customer demographics issue. I don't see the majority of H-D's existing US customers being interested in an electric bike. Touring bike customers might be more amenable, but electric full-size touring rigs are pretty far off.
There would have been a much better situation if Buell hadn't been killed off; Buell customers weren't so tradition-bound -- but that's spilled milk.

[Richard230]

I continue to be surprised that no one seems to have tried to develop, manufacture and bring to market a cruiser-style electric motorcycle. You would think that, what with the popularity of the cruiser style and the larger chassis that would have more room for packaging batteries and other components, a cruiser would be a model that would be accepted by the motorcycle market.      I really expected something like that from H-D, which I imagine would be more acceptable to their current customers - if not the motorcycle press.

It looks like BRP is just throwing all sorts of concepts, both two, three-wheel and scooter ideas into the air, to see if anything sticks to the dart board.   

[Crissa]

Harley has a pretty diverse set of customers.

The core of their demographic are weekenders with lots of cash.  But they sell small light bikes, too, and they do sell, so...

*shrug*

I hope it does well, even if it's totally outside of my price range.

But... Bombardier?  Do they sell vehicles to civilians?

-Crissa

[Richard230]

Harley has a pretty diverse set of customers.

The core of their demographic are weekenders with lots of cash.  But they sell small light bikes, too, and they do sell, so...

*shrug*

I hope it does well, even if it's totally outside of my price range.

But... Bombardier?  Do they sell vehicles to civilians?

-Crissa

BRP makes the Can-am three and four-wheel recreational vehicles.  They make the Can-am Spyder reverse-trike, which seems to be selling well in certain markets.  They also make a lot of other recreational stuff, including snowmobiles, jet skis, outboard motors, utility vehicles, etc., along with trains and other big stuff.  Years ago Can-am made an innovative two-wheel motorcycle, but after a few years, sales faded away and they dropped the bike to manufacture other vehicles that made them more money.  Here is a link to their website, with their various consumer brands at the bottom of the page:  https://can-am.brp.com/

[Crissa]

Thanks!  I didn't know Bombardier owned the Can-Am brand

[wavelet]

Thanks!  I didn't know Bombardier owned the Can-Am brand

Note this is BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), who used to be a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc (a huge Canadian transportation conglomerate, including commercial aviation and railway stock. They haven't done military for a while).

BRP was sold off to private investors in 2003, but a third still belongs to the Bombardier family; Bombardier got started when Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile in 1935. They also own Rotax, one of the key engine suppliers for motorcycles and small planes, and Evinrude, ditto for boats.
They've always been a highly innovative company, and they do have large enough pockets to make substantial investments if they think it's worthwhile.

Electric drivetrains should be very interesting for them, because of commonality that would apply to many product lines.
That applied to Polaris as well, when they bought Brammo, of course -- for some reason they didn't do anything with it -- but I have higher hopes for BRP.

It's not clear how functional the prototypes they displayed were, but six different vehicle types is impressive.

[wavelet]

Thanks!  I didn't know Bombardier owned the Can-Am brand

Note this is BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), who used to be a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc (a huge Canadian transportation conglomerate, including commercial aviation and railway stock. They haven't done military for a while).

BRP was sold off to private investors in 2003, but a third still belongs to the Bombardier family; Bombardier got started when Joseph-Armand Bombardier invented the snowmobile in 1935. They also own Rotax, one of the key engine suppliers for motorcycles and small planes, and Evinrude, ditto for boats.
They've always been a highly innovative company, and they do have large enough pockets to make substantial investments in e-motorcycles if they think it's worthwhile -- they don't need outside investors.

Electric drivetrains should be very interesting for them, because of commonality that would apply to many product lines.
That applied to Polaris as well, when they bought Brammo, of course -- for some reason they didn't do anything with it -- but I have higher hopes for BRP.

It's not clear how functional the prototypes they displayed were, but six different vehicle types is impressive.