Wired NextFest Report: Carl Vogel's electric Harley and biodiesel sidecar
The commute from Rhode Island to Manhattan for NextFest was a short trip for Carl Vogel and his electric Harley-Davidson. His was certainly one of the smaller exhibits in size, but he certainly got a lot of attention. At one point in the afternoon, attendees were 5 rows deep trying to get a look at the electric blue cruiser and sidecar.
The wide rectangular frame of the bike houses 560 pounds of lead-acid batteries that will take the bike about 60 miles at 55 mph while the top speed is roughly 85 mph. Oh, and that isn't just any sidecar. It houses a diesel engine that's filled up with biodiesel fuel, though, it doesn't directly power any of the wheels. Instead, it acts as a generator that can charge the batteries while the bike is in motion.
Carl didn't fire the bike up for us, but said that it basically sounds like a golf cart. He admits that the silence can take a bit away from the Hog mystique for some, but says he enjoys being able to cruise just hearing the wind and ground beneath your feet.
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More pics after the jump.
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