Coming Soon: Electric Harley

When you think Harley-Davidson you probably think of rumbling engines, massive tailpipes, and long trips down dusty highways. But the company's newest project doesn't involve any of that. Instead, the company on Monday will unveil LiveWire, its first fully electric zero-emission bike, the AP reports. After an invitation-only event in New York, the company will take about two dozen LiveWires on a 30-city tour to let aficionados test-ride them. Harley is confident they'll enjoy the experience, too. "Some people may get on it thinking, 'golf cart,'" the lead engineer predicted. "And they get off thinking, 'rocket ship.'"

The bike has also been spotted on the set of the upcoming Avengers movie, Motorcycle.com reports. It will probably be a few years before the bikes are actually available for public purchase, which Motorcycle.com's editorial director thinks is a smart move, allowing the company to dip its toe into the market while evaluating demand. Still, Gizmodo thinks the performance specs on the early prototypes are "distinctly unimpressive." With a top speed of 92 mph and a range of 53 miles, LiveWire is "left in the dust of other electric motorcycles currently on sale." (More Harley-Davidson stories.)