Climbing onto Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire, the company’s first electric motorcycle, feels like you’re getting on any of the company’s other bikes. While it looks different, it feels solid and molds to your body quickly.

But from there, it’s entirely different.

Instead of the loud roar that is so familiar to Harley riders, the LiveWire starts silently. And rather than the rumbling, bone-shaking growl that, for so many people, goes hand in hand with Harley Davidson, the LiveWire has a higher pitched sound as it accelerates.

That’s likely to throw some people off at first. The LiveWire is a very dramatic shift for the company and for riders, but even though it eschews the internal combustion engine, it’s still very much a Harley.

The LiveWire is a big shift for the company. Officials hope the electric bike will boost its flagging retail sales. The company’s U.S. retail sales dropped 13.3% to 36,200 in the third quarter, while its total international sales rose 2.6%.

The motorcycle maker gave Fortune a chance to ride a simulation of its forthcoming electric motorcycle at the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas this week. It was on a stand in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center and stationary, and required using augmented reality glasses to demonstrate the bike’s speed, so it was far from a definitive test. But the back wheel of the LiveWire was turning and the speed seemed to be accurately reflected. And, electric or not, this thing seemed like a fast bike.

Harley-Davidson says LiveWire will go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. (We didn’t time it, but it hit that mark fast in our simulated test.) And unlike traditional Harleys, this bike doesn’t require riders to use a clutch or manually shift gears. It also has a lower center of gravity and adjustable suspension. Those qualities, when combined, mean it’s more welcoming to new riders.

And that’s a very intentional design decision, says the company.

“This is really designed to enter into a new segment with new customers, particularly in the urban environment, because this is really built for that,” says Heather Malenshek, chief marketing officer for Harley Davidson. “We’re trying to bring in the new generation of riders, because this is a very easy bike to ride.”

The LiveWire I rode topped out at 69 mph, but the production model will reach 110 mph. It’s expected to have a range of 110 miles per charge. (That’s notably higher than the initial estimate of 50 miles when Harley-Davidson first started talking about LiveWire in 2014.)

LiveWire will be Harley Davidson’s first electric bike, but it won’t be its last. At CES, the company also introduced two new concept electric two-wheeled vehicles, which Malkenshek says are already in testing and will put into production at a later date. The idea is to build out a large collection of electric two-wheeled vehicles, from full-on motorcycles to scooters to other types of vehicles.

“You still get the raw motion of riding a Harley Davidson, but in an all electric motor,” she says. “And we’re bringing a broad portfolio and I don’t think anyone else is. It’s our intent to lead the category and push the category.”

Harley-Davidson began taking orders on the LiveWire earlier this week. It will reach U.S. dealerships in August with prices starting at $29,799 (which is notably higher than non-electric models, which start at $7,500 to $8,000). It will be available in other countries at a still unannounced future date.

The company has called LiveWire and electric vehicles “the future of Harley-Davidson”.

“We’re at a historic juncture in the evolution of mobility, and Harley-Davidson is at the forefront,” said Matt Levatich, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “Innovation that moves the body and soul has always been at the heart of our brand, and this next chapter in our history is about creating products and opportunities for existing and aspiring riders of all ages and walks of life.”

Electric might be the company’s future, but don’t take that to mean it plans to do away with the bikes that made it iconic.

“We fully intend to keep making the internal combustion engine,” says Malkenshek. “I think they’re going to live together for quite some time.”

骑上哈雷戴维森（Harley-Davidson）的首款电动摩托车LiveWire，你会感觉它与该公司的其他车型没有什么区别。它的外形不太一样，不过很坚实，而且很快就能与你的身躯合为一体。

不过之后，它的驾驶体验就完全不同了。

LiveWire没有哈雷摩托车用户所熟悉的巨大轰鸣，启动时相当安静。它在加速时也没有公认的哈雷戴维森特质：发出隆隆作响、震耳欲聋的咆哮，它的声音更加高亢尖锐。

这可能会导致他们起初流失一些拥趸。对公司和骑手而言，LiveWire都是一次重大的转变，不过即使它放弃了内燃机，骨子里仍然有许多哈雷的特质。

LiveWire是公司的一次重大转型。高管们希望这款电动摩托车提振公司低迷的零售额。尽管第三季度哈雷的国际总销量提高了2.6%，但他们在美国区的销量下滑13.3%，只卖出了3.62万辆摩托车。

在本周拉斯维加斯的消费电子展技术贸易展上，这家摩托厂商让《财富》杂志体验了一下这款即将面世的电动摩托车的模拟版。它放在拉斯维加斯会议中心（Las Vegas Convention Center）的展台上，本身不能开动，需要我们用增强现实眼镜来模拟摩托车的速度，所以这和真正意义上的测试还有差别。不过，LiveWire的后轮可以转动，模拟的速度体验似乎也很准确。此外，不管它是不是电动的，这看起来是一款很快的摩托车。

哈雷戴维森表示，LiveWire从0加速到60英里/小时只需要3.5秒。（我们没有计时，不过在模拟测试中它的确很快就达到了那个速度。）与传统的哈雷摩托车不同，这辆摩托车不需要驾驶者调整离合器或手动变速。它的重心更低，拥有可调悬架。这些特质都会让它在新骑手那里更受青睐。

公司表示，这样设计是有意为之的。

哈雷戴维森的首席市场官希瑟·马伦舍克表示：“这样设计是为了进入一个拥有新客户的新领域，尤其是在城市环境中，这款车就是为此打造的。我们试图吸引新一代骑手，这辆摩托车非常好骑。”

我骑的这款LiveWire最高时速为69英里/小时，不过量产版将达到110英里/小时。预计每次充电的行驶路程为110英里（比起2014年哈雷戴维森第一次谈论LiveWire时估计的50英里，如今有了明显提高）。

LiveWire将成为哈雷戴维森的第一款电动摩托车，不过它不会是最后一款。在消费电子展上，公司还介绍了两款新的概念型电动两轮车。马伦舍克表示，它们已经进入测试阶段，之后将投入生产。公司的想法是打造大规模的电动两轮车辆产品线，提供从普通摩托车到小轮摩托车到其他类型车辆等各种选择。

她表示：“你仍然能享受到哈雷戴维森原汁原味的驾驶体验，不过只是换成了一辆全电动摩托。我们正在推出一系列组合产品，我不认为还有哪家厂商在这么做。我们打算引领这个类别，推动这个类别向前发展。”

哈雷戴维森在本周早些时候开始接受LiveWire的订单。美国经销商将在今年8月拿到现车，它的起售价是29,799美元（相比于非电动摩托车7,500至8,000美元的起售价，这要昂贵得多）。这款车型未来也将在其他国家售卖，不过具体日期还未宣布。

公司把LiveWire和电动车辆称作“哈雷戴维森的未来”。

哈雷戴维森的总裁和首席执行官马特·莱瓦蒂奇表示：“我们正处在交通工具变革的历史节点。用创新产品搭载身体和灵魂，这一直是我们品牌的核心，而我们历史新篇章的主题就是为不同年龄、各行各业的现有骑手和有志成为骑手的人创造产品和机遇。”

电动化可能是公司的未来，不过别以为这表示公司打算抛弃其标志性的摩托车了。

马伦舍克表示：“我们完全有继续生产内燃机的计划。我认为两种发动机会在相当长一段时间内共存。”（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正