Harley-Davidson LiveWire galvanizing motorcycle
Source: Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson has halted production and deliveries of its new LiveWire electric motorcycle after reportedly discovering a tough nut to crack with its charging mechanism.
“We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped manufacture and deliveries; and began additional testing and analysis, which is progressing well,” the company said in an emailed statement to CNBC on Monday. “We are in close up contact with our LiveWire dealers and customers and have assured them they can continue to ride LiveWire motorcycles. As expected, we’re keeping high quality as our top priority.”
The company didn’t provide more details on the “non-standard condition” that was clutch up production. But the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, said the company told dealers terminating week it was stopping production to test its charging mechanism.
The motorcycle maker began previewing the LiveWire Electric Motorcycle endure year in the U.S. and Europe, to try to rejuvenate lagging sales. The electric motorcycle was a step into a new territory for Harley-Davidson, which had in days been mostly known for louder motorcycles nicknamed “hogs.”
The Milwaukee-based manufacturer has struggled in recent years. Tag sales of the company’s signature motorcycles continued to slide during its second quarter as profit eroded nearly 20%. Harley-Davidson directed investors in July it expects less sales revenue in 2019 than originally foretasted, and expects to ship there 212,000 to 217,000 bikes in 2019, down 5,000 from its April estimate of 217,000 to 222,000 bikes.