HOG - Should Harley-Davidson Create a Separate E-Bike Company?
With the Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) LiveWire electric motorcycle set to launch, and a bevy of other electric vehicles -- including dirt bikes, children's balance bikes, and actual bicycles -- on the horizon, investors will soon find out whether it can break into this decidedly different market.
There is reason to be skeptical, since the average person interested in this alternative means of travel would seem to be the polar opposite of the type of buyer Harley typically attracts for its gas-powered motorcycles.
Although there is still substantial value in the Harley-Davidson name, it's not so certain it carries much weight with electric vehicle buyers. The bike maker might have been better off creating a completely separate company to market and sell its electric vehicles, offering a nameplate that doesn't have the same baggage Harley-Davidson carries. More importantly, there may still be time to do so.