1990 Harley-davidson Softail on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Vespa goes back to the future

IT'S been a while coming, but the gorgeous Vespa 946 - EICMA 2012's Best of Show - has finally introduced something to the two-wheeled world that our four-wheeled counterparts have had for a while.  I call this 'reverse retro-futurism' - the art of borrowing lines from models past and imbuing them with a sleek sense of future direction (as opposed to retro-futurism, the pre-1960s design trend of depicting the technology of the future. The term 'decopunk' may come close, but feel free to tell me if there's a more exact term.) It's what the New Mini and the New Beetle (both 1997 and 2012 versions) have done so well, and so successfully: building an all-new model as a tribute to a classic, something that's modern yet already timeless, with a widely-appreciated, inclusive aesthetic (and here we eliminate the Plymouth PT Cruiser from the conversation). The biking world is great at retro, indeed thrives on it, but not so good at adding in a taste of the 21st century.

Harley-Davidson Reveals Project Livewire

Yesterday we published a scoop on what we believed to be a production electric motorcycle by, of all companies, Harley-Davidson, dubbed “Livewire.” Today, H-D officially announced Project LiveWire as the company’s first electric motorcycle.However, it appears as though our speculation about LiveWire going into production was a bit off base. Instead, The Motor Company is continuing with its customer-led product development approach and letting riders decide whether or not LiveWire sees the light of day. Starting next week select consumers across the country will be able to ride and provide feedback on the bike, helping to shape the future of Harley-Davidson’s first-ever electric motorcycle. While not for sale, Project LiveWire is specifically designed for the purpose of getting insight into rider expectations of an electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Zero Motorcycles Launches Dealer Network

Zero Motorcycles announced a new network of eight dealerships as the electric motorcycle company begins the transition from an online-based sales model to a traditional showroom sales model. Until now, Zero conducts its sales over the Internet with the help of a system of Independent Representatives around the country who use a handful of demo models instead of actual inventory to showcase the brand. As both demand and production have increased, Zero is ready to adopt a new dealer-based model.