The Sound of Change

You know what is creating a lot of acoustic vibrations (call it noise or sound) in the news? It’s the entirely novel sound that the new electric Harley Davidson, named the Livewire, will make.

Making an electric motorcycle was perhaps the handshake with the future that the company was looking for. However, with this bold step came, what must have been a philosophical challenge the likes of which the company may have rarely encountered.

The V-Twin may have been easy to give up, but what about the deep signature rumble that gave instant recognition to a Harley the world over. The interweb buzzed about the possibility that Harley might simply play an artificial sound to keep this piece of its identity intact. Well! The cat, or should we say the cat’s roar, is out of the bag now.

Production versions of the Livewire now exist and they sound—very different. The thunder and rhythmic base that would resonate in your body is out. A futuristic jet engine sound that screams speed and technology is in. The interweb is buzzing again. Some love the sound of the future, others lament the passage of tradition, if nothing else. Meanwhile it appears that Harley Davidson has embraced the new sound featuring it in promotions for the new motorcycle.