I guess they want to separate the brands so they can attract like minded riders. Or they can just end the business if it doesn't work. Kinda like Toyota and Scion I guess. Or Buell. They better get workin to crank out those electric bikes then, they only got one. The white Livewire looks nice =)
Speaking of affordable I saw a used Livewire for sale in Livermore on CL for less than $20k, not enough to get me to bite but it's better than $30k.
I plan on visiting Calmoto in Livermore tomorrow. If the LW is there I will check it out.
My concern for the H-D branding plan is that the cost of setting up a dedicated dealership from scratch is very expensive. It just won't work unless H-D bankrolls the entire operation from start to finish, including operating costs. Financially, it would be a lot better for them to set aside a specific area in established H-D dealerships to market their electric models and have dedicated salespeople, parts staff and technicians that would provide customer service for the electric bikes. Trying to develop stand-alone EV dealerships, especially when the market for electric motorcycles is so small right now, sounds like a recipe for financial failure. And you know how the H-D board hates financial failure.
Finally, a few established motorcycle manufacturers, like Yamaha with their Star cruiser brand, have tried to create separate premium or unique sub-brands and I don't believe that has ever worked out in the long-run.
