As our Autoblog colleagues point out, the biggest challenge is maximizing range. The LiveWire concept only got 60 miles on a charge at best, which just won't cut it when you're riding to Sturgis. Harley doesn't have the luxury of a large car floor to hold its battery packs -- it has to cram a lot of cells into a narrow space without making the bike ugly or unmaneuverable. A cruiser may make more sense than a street bike.

Having said this, the very fact that Harley is planning a production e-bike is noteworthy. This is a brand that's virtually synonymous with loud, roaring gas engines. Clearly, it believes there's enough interest in the idea (or at least, enough pressure from an eco-conscious society) that it's worth bucking expectations.