[LiVE]

I was at my dealer yesterday and they have several LW's on the floor (funny thing is that all the sales guys seem to have a love-hate relationship with it....it's not a real HD but it is more fun than anything else on the floor!). Anyway, I saw a sold ticket on one and was told that they are not technically allowed to sell it yet and that no new LW can be sold under the new brand until something is cleared up on the business end with the spinout. First I heard of this and so was wondering if there is any truth. I have found HD sales staff to be less than reliable.

FWIW...my #421 is still rocking like it is brand new and I am very happy to have the HD branded original. I hope LW takes off someday

 

[BHigerd]

The love-hate relationship, I'm convinced, is common among the Harley dealership crowd. If they have one and it runs, it's generally a love thing (example: Adamec Harley President, Jacksonville, FL). The current Harley Davidson CEO made a HUGE mistake disenfranchising the "Harley" name from the bike when the world is declaring war on fossil fuels. Shows a real lack for future thinking. Maintaining the division, with R&D, was estimated at a mere $300M (+/- $50M). That's a small price to keep moving into the main future automotive technology as a leader in the field. If I were on the Harley Davidson Board of Directors, I would vote to fire the current CEO, bring back the former CEO on an interim basis, and really look at the future.

 

[Phaedrus]

I was at my dealer yesterday and they have several LW's on the floor (funny thing is that all the sales guys seem to have a love-hate relationship with it....it's not a real HD but it is more fun than anything else on the floor!). Anyway, I saw a sold ticket on one and was told that they are not technically allowed to sell it yet and that no new LW can be sold under the new brand until something is cleared up on the business end with the spinout. First I heard of this and so was wondering if there is any truth. I have found HD sales staff to be less than reliable.

FWIW...my #421 is still rocking like it is brand new and I am very happy to have the HD branded original. I hope LW takes off someday

That's funny. My 2022 LW1 was delivered to me last week, by my Harley dealer.

And my LW1 needs some warranty service, and my HD dealer is taking care of that just fine.

 

[BHigerd]

That's 100% correct! The "vested partner" Harley turned to was used by the current CEO in what is one the dumbest business moves I've seen in years just to temporarily lower prices (a short-term fix). Harley still owns Livewire (majority, I believe). Just buy it back, make it better each year, and expect a future for EVs with Harley the leader in 2 wheel versions. Or sell clothes.
Dang guys, I helped Freightliner enter school bus chassis. This is a no-brainer. Your current CEO just can't see it.

 

[Phaedrus]

The Harley "divestment" of Livewire seems a smart financial move by HD. It retains 74% ownership, while taking Livewire public and gaining maybe $500M in capital for Livewire expansion and development. Plus the sales method effectively let HD increase its assets by, some say, almost $2B while avoiding regilatory issues that would have been faced by Livewire going public through an IPO.

Livewire is still looked at by the public as being HD's EV motorcycle, so there is no brand identity problem there. And a good bit of corporate America doesnt even really understand that Livewire EV is truly an independent company (on paper at least).

So, all around it looks like HD did some smart financial planning to rapidly expand its footprint in the EV motorcycle arena.

Now to see if dealers will really embrace livewire in the future.....

 

[BHigerd]

Best part of this site, is we can agree to disagree. And yet it's still about a crazy motorcycle!

EDIT: Still feel the same, but I have to give you one. I just received a text from a contact at Adamec Harley, where possibly the most Livewires were sold (?), a complication of multiple Jacksonville, Florida HD Dealerships. The have a bunch and there might be a good deal for someone. And yep, they are selling the next generation of Livewires without the dumb hole in the fender as soon as they sell off my version.

I still think Harley should have kept it clear they are developing EVs. Because on Cape Cod, home of a bunch of Boston educated self-proclaimed thinkers, they seldom even realize Harley makes an EV. It's ONLY because it says "Harley Davidson" and Harvard taught them to read that they make the connection.