Meet your new electric and biodiesel Harley

We love electric cars as much as the next guy; unfortunately most of them just don't have what we in the biz call "zazz", y'know? But an electric Harley-Davidson: now that's something special. Although it's not officially endorsed by the Milwaukee headquarters, that hasn't stopped Carl Vogel of Long Island from building a green-friendly hog by tearing out the usual gasoline motor from a stock Harley chassis and replacing it with an electric motor that can achieve 85 mph. But don't be ready to toss your classic Harley aside just yet, as the electric version only has a range of 60 miles traveling at 55 mph; to boost that distance, Vogel coverted a sidecar into a biodiesel engine that can recharge the batteries while he rides. Eyeing one? Vogel told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he'd be quitting his job as a teacher by 2007 to start making diesel motorcycles full-time at a retail price of $30,000 to $40,000, but he didn't mention if he's going to be selling the electric ones too. No word on whether Vogel's challenged Willie Nelson to a biodiesel drag race yet, though.

[Via Treehugger, thanks Christine L.]

[Deluxe @ Sep 19th 2006 1:52AM]

I thought the whole point of a Harley was to be as loud and annoying as possible. Now it's just a blue Segway!

[Rick @ Sep 19th 2006 2:03AM]

hey look... its a... ummm... vespa. with a harley badge. he prob a real lady killer at the star trek conventions...

[tekdroid @ Sep 19th 2006 2:11AM]

DIY brilliance.

[Nick @ Sep 19th 2006 8:02AM]

All you naysayers.....this is perfect for the aging (and not quite aged) Harley lover whose environmental conscience is starting to get the better of them.

If the whole point of a Harley is to be as loud and as environmentally destructive as possible, then we truly do have more than a few jacka**es on the road.

I, for one, like the idea of an intelligent, clean(er), eye-turning ride.

[J Ozer @ Sep 19th 2006 9:05AM]

It can get 60 miles on a charge, or 30 if you use the built in amplifier to make it sound like a real harley.

[B from TX @ Sep 19th 2006 9:46AM]

$30-40k to smell like old french fries. I'll pass. I wouldn't pay more than $5,000 for a biodiesel motorcycle with an electric drive.

[Gus @ Sep 19th 2006 10:51AM]

A small motorcycle, like a 250cc Honda Rebel gets about 85mpg and has a max speed of about 55mph (depending on your weight). It would seem much more fiscally economic to get a Rebel for $3,200 (new MSRP) than to spend $30k to $40k for the same fuel economy, wrapped in a different package.
I suppose I am pro- Honda, and even though I would never buy I Harley, if someone were to give me one, I would ride it :)

[kevin @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:10PM]

This is completely wrong, I get over 50MPG on my 1200CC harley. If i wanted an electric motorcycle, i would have gotten a moped. but not a 30-40k moped. Good luck on his sales.