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Edited Date/Time
2/6/2019 12:30am
The title of recent Maxim article reads, "Harley-Davidson Unleashes 2 New Electric Mountain Bike Concepts". I had to click because the obviously electric motorcycle in the thumbnail was called a "mountain bike" by a major media outlet.
As I read the article I found the following lines: "To go along with Harley-Davidson's first-ever electric motorcycle, the Milwaukee-based chopper brand has created a striking pair of electric bike concepts for CES. We're talking pedal-less bicycles. The first has knobby tires and an inverted fork suspension presumably designed for trail riding."
Now, if you're a motorcycle fan with no idea that an actual mountain bike or bicycle needs to have pedals, I can understand the confusion. You probably see the bicycle-sized tires and wheels and think "oh, that's a bicycle." Except the pictured lightweight electric dirt bike (moto) doesn't have pedals (which they clearly deciphered with their "pedal-less" mention) and there's no human-powered propulsion involved with the pictured machines. It's not a bicycle. I also thought it was rich that they called the other scooter in the article a "minimalist moped." Without pedals, it's just a Mo.
This point of confusion contention is nothing new, but when headlines call a motorcycle a bicycle, it's a whacky, wild world out there!
At least the beast has a Minion DHF front tire so the helmet-less-Harley-Davidson-Ford-F150-colab-driving-e-pedal-less-bike riders on the trail will have good traction up front.
read it here
https://www.maxim.com/rides/harley-davidson-electric-bikes-2019-1
As I read the article I found the following lines: "To go along with Harley-Davidson's first-ever electric motorcycle, the Milwaukee-based chopper brand has created a striking pair of electric bike concepts for CES. We're talking pedal-less bicycles. The first has knobby tires and an inverted fork suspension presumably designed for trail riding."
Now, if you're a motorcycle fan with no idea that an actual mountain bike or bicycle needs to have pedals, I can understand the confusion. You probably see the bicycle-sized tires and wheels and think "oh, that's a bicycle." Except the pictured lightweight electric dirt bike (moto) doesn't have pedals (which they clearly deciphered with their "pedal-less" mention) and there's no human-powered propulsion involved with the pictured machines. It's not a bicycle. I also thought it was rich that they called the other scooter in the article a "minimalist moped." Without pedals, it's just a Mo.
This point of confusion contention is nothing new, but when headlines call a motorcycle a bicycle, it's a whacky, wild world out there!
At least the beast has a Minion DHF front tire so the helmet-less-Harley-Davidson-Ford-F150-colab-driving-e-pedal-less-bike riders on the trail will have good traction up front.
read it here
https://www.maxim.com/rides/harley-davidson-electric-bikes-2019-1
Maybe that's what they were going for, since that thing doesn't really fit into a category?
Call it what it is...
Its no different than a CX, XC, DH, or Road and banana seat style of bike. They are all still bicycles.
Small or big, Electric or gas a motorcycle is still a motorcycle until it has pedals as its primary form of power
The real conversation for the future is getting a sepertation made between pedal assist, and throttle assist Bicycles
Still, all ridiculous stretching of logic aside, it's a motorcycle. Like I said at the outset, I'm with the OP on this one.
Maybe we, as MTB'ers, should be a little more aggressively against this e-whatever-cycle-thing trend and actively work to keep them off of non-motorized trails.
. . . .More E-Bike Shaming!!!!
https://www.vitalmtb.com/community/gabs,47889/setup,37725?scope=newest&…
https://www.vitalmtb.com/community/lift-mtb-com,42768/setup,33059?scope…
What I'm wondering is the top speed of this thing? I see the DH shock fork an MTB wheels/tyres an I'm wondering if the top speed of this is going beyond what the bike parts are designed to work at? I mean like long term sustained top speed..
like most DH stuff must be safe at 25-35mph even up to 40mph for short periods but the long,sustained use on this bike at 40mph an higher (I'm guessing) must put the bike parts at stresses they're not rated to work at??
Just a thought....
OH, an debating over the semantics of the meaning of the word bicycle is just laaaaaaaaaame
and yes, it manuals itself
But so are these:
https://ridecake.com/
http://www.ktmfreeride-e.com/en
This or the 250 version would be the route. I think right now you could ride this in the bike lanes and be okay. The Police would have no idea what to do.
Harley is a sponsor of the Winter X Games and used the event and TV coverage to promote their new lineup through various activations.
They've got it equipped with Shimano Zee disc brakes, a Deity direct-mount stem, blacked-out Maxxis tires, and what is likely a Manitou Dorado up front.
The Harley PR guy is quick to add in "mountain bike" when describing it. Clearly, they are looking to make this appeal to a wider audience.
In a zigwheels.com article, the writer states: "Its off-road themed underpinnings and the convenience of an electric powertrain will be ideal not only for the urban environment but also for the occasional trail run."
The writer goes on, "At 14:55, Jackson Strong, an X Games gold medalist and motocross rider, takes the bike for a spin. And it seems like he’s having quite a blast with the bike thanks to its high ground clearance, inverted front forks and rear monoshock setup. They seem to work well on uneven terrain."
At the top of the article are the following bullet points. No doubt also heavily influenced by PR material:
- "The two models are scheduled to go on sale by 2022."
- "The electric scooter looks very utilitarian."
- "The electric mountain bike has a more rugged design language."
- "Both get a removable lithium-ion battery and don’t require a licence to ride either."
If continued, I think it's safe to say that Harley Davidson's marketing direction and dollars may lead to trail access issues for all preexisting two-wheeled groups. I'm all for dirt bikes and own one myself, but their push needs to be transparent with regard to where these things can legally be ridden.
i just think harley isn't making a distinction between bicycle (pedals and some kind of human power involved)) and motorcycle (pegs and throttle). the bike park comment seems ignorant to the market because he doesn't realize there are bike parks in urban areas already...for pedal bikes.
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