[Junko]

Seriously if the Livewire is half as pretty in production form as the 750 flat trackers I'll be having two thank you very much

 

[L!VE]

it's too bad that a lot of that is just and engine and it's components, i expect to see something as covered up as the livewire's we seen

 

[roadking]

if they can keep it more retro looking that would be quite awesome, but doing that based off of what they already showed us might be hard.

 

[Yusef]

I don't think they will want to make it look retro. An electric bike is the perfect chance to make a forward looking design instead of a retro looking one. I think its pretty clear from the Livewire concept that HD is not going to do the neo-retro thing with the Livewire.

 

[Hawkman]

So much of what makes this bike look cool is the hardware, like the exhaust and engine, etc... The Livewire simply doesn't have those things so I can't see it looking too much like these bikes. It will be interesting how electric bike components can be integrated into design like the components of petrol powered bikes are. Electric bikes are so new, and the technology is developing so rapidly that designers haven't had nearly as much a chance to experiment with how to integrate those parts into design like with other traditional bikes.

 

[Junko]

I'm sorry but the shape of an exhaust pipe is not what gets me off about a bike. Its the entire package. For Example Honda makes the CTX1300 with a SEXY sounding and looking V4 engine, but the bikes turns me off completely, not my package.

LOOK

 

[L!VE]

I'm sorry but the shape of an exhaust pipe is not what gets me off about a bike. Its the entire package. For Example Honda makes the CTX1300 with a SEXY sounding and looking V4 engine, but the bikes turns me off completely, not my package.

LOOK

this is so true.

the livewire looks amazing yet it has no exhaust, even if i didn't know it was electric with how good it looks i might not even question if an exhaust would make it look better.

 

[Yusef]

It's pretty cool that because electric bikes don't need exhausts and other things it offers designers a chance to build a bike that doesn't have the same set of constraints and elements that traditional bikes do. I'm sure there is some revolutionary waiting in the wings ready to show us some new bike design concept that will really impress us with how creative it is.

 

[Hawkman]

It's pretty cool that because electric bikes don't need exhausts and other things it offers designers a chance to build a bike that doesn't have the same set of constraints and elements that traditional bikes do. I'm sure there is some revolutionary waiting in the wings ready to show us some new bike design concept that will really impress us with how creative it is.

I think that's true, but at the same time it's not like you can completely reinvent the bike. I'm sure there will be some cool concepts eventually, but often those concepts never make it to production and are just design exercises.

 

[Junko]

Bikes are inherently constrained to a specific shape. There have been a few interesting departures or should I say variations, but they are still limited by the fact that there are two wheels and the rider has to sit between them.

The NM4 from Honda comes to mind as does Dan Gurneys Gator, but at the end of day nothing major has changed fundamentally. Just look at the bicycle, unchanged since almost ever...

 

[Yusef]

That is understandable. You can't completely reinvent the motorcycle. I do think that it's hard to imagine a revolutionary motorcycle design, but that is because if it were easy then it wouldn't be very revolutionary. It'll be hard to imagine until someone comes forward with it, and then we will all be like, "Wow."

 

[Junko]

That is understandable. You can't completely reinvent the motorcycle. I do think that it's hard to imagine a revolutionary motorcycle design, but that is because if it were easy then it wouldn't be very revolutionary. It'll be hard to imagine until someone comes forward with it, and then we will all be like, "Wow."

I just don't know or even think that's possible. I mean there is no reinventing or revolutionizing the wheel, the same basic principles will always apply. I feel the same goes for motorcycles. Sure we've seen advancements to the machine, frame construction and suspension geometry have made huge leaps forward as has engine technology, but fundamentally the livewire is no different than the first bicycle someone strapped an engine to...

 

[L!VE]

All we'll see is a difference in design, performance, materials, powertrain, etc.

 

[Hawkman]

There are some pretty interesting concept bikes out there though. They may not be practical, but there are cool ideas out there.

 

[Yusef]

Taking a look through concept bikes would be a good way to see what could be in the cards for the future.

 

[L!VE]

Taking a look through concept bikes would be a good way to see what could be in the cards for the future.

yup, they always are, even if they just happen to be design exercises which i would love to see more of.

 

[Junko]

the only thing that could change is we see more recumbant bikes like the vultus honda

 

[L!VE]

I'm sorry but the shape of an exhaust pipe is not what gets me off about a bike. Its the entire package. For Example Honda makes the CTX1300 with a SEXY sounding and looking V4 engine, but the bikes turns me off completely, not my package.

LOOK

that last photo is poster worthy!

 

[Yusef]

It does look good. Is there a extra graphic on there that isn't usually there?

 

[Junko]

There are some pretty interesting concept bikes out there though. They may not be practical, but there are cool ideas out there.

its useless if it not practical... form follows function