One would make a great pit bike, and the other would be a riot in the mountains.
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© CNET
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Harley-Davidson and the X Games aren't exactly traditional
bedfellows, but then again, these two concepts aren't exactly
traditional Harley-Davidsons.
Following in the vein of the LiveWire electric motorcycle that's set
to hit the market in the near future, Harley-Davidson showed off two
electric bike concepts at the X Games in Austin this week. The concepts
also appeared at CES, but that show was hectic enough for everything to blend into background noise, so taking them to the X Games was a smart idea.
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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The
first is an urban scooter or pit bike of sorts, small enough to sneak
around in tight places. The design is about as straightforward as
possible, with just a few clean lines and splashes of orange. The ring
up front hides the LED headlight, and the drop-down mirror on the side
is a nice aesthetic touch.
The
second concept is an electric mountain bike. There are some clever nods
to more traditional Harley-Davidson styling on the body, but there's no
mistaking this for what it is. Like the pit bike, the electric mountain
bike tucks the battery into the frame in a way where it shouldn't
bother anybody.
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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While Harley-Davidson didn't give out any
specifications for its bikes or batteries, it did say the battery itself
is designed to be removable and hand-carried inside, where it can be
charged using a special dock and any ol' wall outlet that's available.
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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H-D
is using these concepts to bring more attention to its future portfolio
of electrified models. Whether these will become production models is
unclear, but they're still pretty neat. Thus far, the only production
model that's announced is the LiveWire, and it's a pricey proposition at
$29,799. In its release, though, Harley did promise that future
electric models would carry prices as low as "a few thousand dollars."
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.
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