IN
THE
WIND
P36
HARLEY-
DAVIDSON'S
ELECTRIC
CONCEPT IN
THE SNOW
H
arley-Davidson's first foray into
the electric mountain bike/
off-road segment made its first
appearance recently in the hands
of Australian FMX rider Jackson
Strong.
Strong, the man who pioneered
the front flip in freestyle moto-
cross, took the machine for a spin
in the mountains around Aspen,
Colorado, ahead of the Winter X
Games, waxing lyrical about the
motorcycle's (let's be clear, it is still
a motorcycle) performance in the
cold stuff.
To be fair, the silent H-D does
indeed look like a fun time, although
we have absolutely no specs on
battery life, charging time or indeed
power and weight, something uber-
important for the electric mountain
bike segment.
This is by far the most un-Harley
Harley ever created by Milwaukee
and it part of the brand's push to put
two million new riders on their seats
by 2027 as part of the More Roads
to Harley-Davidson initiative, which
the recently unveiled LiveWire
heads. One thing is for sure, we
can't wait to get on one of these to
see what the hype is all about. CN
MARQUEZ RETURNS TO TRACK ACTION
R
eigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Mar-
quez made his first tentative steps back on
track after his shoulder reconstruction surgery.
Marquez rode a training/pit bike at a local kart track
in Alcarràs, Spain, after a winter of recovery follow-
ing surgery to correct the repeated dislocations he
has suffered during his career.
Marquez's surgery was performed by Dr. Xavier
Mir, Dr. Victor Marlet and Dr. Teresa Marlet at the
Hospital Universitari Dexeus, with Marquez un-
dergoing an intensive physical therapy program in
order to be fit enough to take part in the first 2019
MotoGP pre-season test, scheduled for Sepang in
Malaysia this week, February 6-8.
"I needed this!" Marquez said of his first ride in
nearly two months. "Riders in general need to have
their minds clear. At least on the trip to Malaysia,
which is 14 hours long, I will be thinking I have
ridden a bike, got on the brakes, felt the throttle
and the clutch. We have done a few laps that have
helped me to see where things are. This week
we have to work on it. It was pretty much what I
expected, the large force under braking—espe-
cially left-handers, where I have to support my left
shoulder—was problematic. That is where we have
to continue working, have patience in Malaysia and
get to March at full fitness." CN
