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posted by martyb on Monday May 15 2017, @06:48PM   Printer-friendly
from the You-say-'potato',-I-say-'Whhhhr' dept.

Harley-Davidson's forthcoming line of electric motorcycles will sound like jet fighters, but you might have to wait 5 years to get one.

This iconic American motorcycle company has hinted at producing an electric model over the past few years, and has shown off a prototype bike, dubbed Livewire, in 2014, but as of yet, no firm details on an electric production model have been released. However, a recent statement from Bill Davidson, the great grandson of company co-founder William Davidson, hints at an electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle coming to market within the next five years, as part of a decade-long plan that will see 100 new models from the company.

One of the unique and recognizable aspects of a Harley is the sound of that V-twin engine, which Davidson describes as sounding like "potato-potato-potato," and which may represent something of a task to re-create in an electric motorcycle. But Davidson said the company's approach to the sound and feel of the electric bike will rival the thought put into the design of its traditional motorcycles with their signature exhaust notes, and that a unique sound was created for the bikes "through various technologies."

Harley fans love the sound, so this probably won't attract the same crowd. Or will it?


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by bradley13 on Monday May 15 2017, @07:12PM (11 children)

    by bradley13 (3053) on Monday May 15 2017, @07:12PM (#510184) Homepage Journal

    One of the things I most look forward to with electric vehicles is a reduction in traffic noise.

    Naive, wasn't it. Now we get to listen to jets and tie fighters going down the road.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Monday May 15 2017, @07:15PM (8 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Monday May 15 2017, @07:15PM (#510188) Journal
    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by archfeld on Monday May 15 2017, @08:29PM (7 children)

      by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Monday May 15 2017, @08:29PM (#510215) Journal

      I always wanted to hear a car with the sound of a steam locomotive produced by mp3 or some such recording, or maybe just a loud screeching Roseanne voice yelling '...get out of my way !!!...'

      Other thoughts include Fred Flintstone and a 'Yabba Dabba Doo'; or a John Cleese with 'Pardon me, Excuse me, Pardon me'; Tweety bird with a 'I thot I saw an Electwic Car'; The pink Panther theme song would be cool as well.

      Anyone else have any good thoughts on an off the rocker sound scheme ?

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      • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday May 15 2017, @08:53PM

        by bob_super (1357) on Monday May 15 2017, @08:53PM (#510228)

        I just want to know whether we'll be able to change it on the fly.
        You thought road rage was bad with only gestures...

      • (Score: 2) by DECbot on Monday May 15 2017, @10:19PM

        by DECbot (832) on Monday May 15 2017, @10:19PM (#510257) Journal

        An audio track that goes "Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck..." normally, and then shouts "GOOSE!" when it detects that you cut someone off.

        That or endlessly playing the mexican hat dance [youtube.com].

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      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 15 2017, @10:20PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 15 2017, @10:20PM (#510258)
      • (Score: 2) by inertnet on Monday May 15 2017, @10:28PM

        by inertnet (4071) on Monday May 15 2017, @10:28PM (#510260) Journal

        Introduced 5 years ago in the Netherlands, electric delivery scooter keeps saying that Domino's pizza tastes good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n17B_uFF4cA [youtube.com]

      • (Score: 2) by RamiK on Monday May 15 2017, @10:39PM

        by RamiK (1813) on Monday May 15 2017, @10:39PM (#510267)

        I want a procedural drum cover of Meshuggah's Clockworks or Bleed. Maybe Black Dahlia Murder's What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse? So many possibilities...

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        compiling...
      • (Score: 2) by el_oscuro on Monday May 15 2017, @11:31PM

        by el_oscuro (1711) on Monday May 15 2017, @11:31PM (#510292)

        Perhaps the clank of a main battle tank

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      • (Score: 3, Funny) by kaszz on Tuesday May 16 2017, @06:40PM

        by kaszz (4211) on Tuesday May 16 2017, @06:40PM (#510666) Journal

        The choir of pre-school imitates the coolest car they can think of.... on repeat.
        Does that count as t-rr-ism? ;)

  • (Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday May 15 2017, @07:17PM

    by Grishnakh (2831) on Monday May 15 2017, @07:17PM (#510190)

    With electric cars (and trucks, and semi-tractors even), you *can* look forward to a reduction in traffic noise.

    Just not with motorcycles. Cars are subject to various noise laws, and aren't allowed to make an obscene, deafening amount of noise as they drive around. For some stupid reason, however, motorcycles are not subject to these laws. Even if the laws technically apply to them, the police simply will not enforce them, with a very few exceptions (like Carefree, Arizona, where a bunch of bikers were up in arms years ago because of this new noise ordinance aimed directly at them, because they were driving through this sleepy residential area on the way to some biker bar in neighboring Cave Creek, with the local cops actively pulling them over for their loud pipes).

  • (Score: 1) by aim on Tuesday May 16 2017, @06:39AM

    by aim (6322) on Tuesday May 16 2017, @06:39AM (#510419)

    For a motorbike, silence is death. At least over here in Europe, where I'm driving around, motorcycles tend to be overlooked very often. Having a certain level of noise helps being noticed, avoiding accidents - as drivers apparently can't be bothered to look over their shoulders when changing lanes etc. I'm a very defensive driver, still often seeing such situations (daily driver, I'm using it in most any weather to get to work).

    Ok, some people overdo it, changing exhausts to produce illegal levels of noise, and they risk being fined for it. I'm not talking about those, just the normal factory "sound".

    As for range anxiety - your typical motorbike has a range of 200-300km, some (including certain Harleys) have way less. Depending on seating position and comfort, you don't even want to drive that far. Having to stop for a recharge is actually a welcome occasion to stretch your legs, provided it is quick enough (i.e. similar to Tesla's supercharger).