The first Around the World with a Electric Motorcycle

Riders around the world will have the chance to add their voices to help shape the future of Project LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s first electric motorcycle, as the company’s Project LiveWire™ Experience tour expands globally in 2015. Building on the excitement of Project LiveWire’s debut last year, select consumers in Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States will have an opportunity to ride and provide feedback on the bike, helping to guide the development of the new motorcycle, beginning this week with events at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.

«Project LiveWire has reset expectations about what a Harley-Davidson motorcycle can be», said Harley-Davidson Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. «The first phase of the Project LiveWire Experience tour provided valuable feedback about the features and experience riders expect from an electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This year we’re expanding that experience to a global audience to gain even deeper insights from riders to help us shape the future direction of this exciting technology».

While not for sale, the Project LiveWire motorcycle was specifically designed for the purpose of seeking insight into rider expectations of an electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The Project LiveWire Experience invites customers to test ride and learn more about the story of the motorcycle and provide feedback on their experience. Even those who don’t yet ride will have the opportunity to feel the power of Project LiveWire through the Jumpstart demo – a simulated riding experience.

In 2014, more than 15,000 customers provided feedback on Project LiveWire, including more than 6,800 who took demo rides, as part of a 30-stop tour across the United States and at a special consumer event for Latin American customers in Miami. Longer term plans for retail availability of Project LiveWire will be influenced by feedback from riders during the Project Livewire Experience tour.

Highlights of the 2015 tour, which encompasses events in eight countries on three continents, include:

• Media and invitation-only consumer rides at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit from Feb. 25 to March 4.
• A contest for riders throughout Europe to enter for a chance to be one of the first 1,000 people to ride Project LiveWire at one of five locations in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands from May to August.
• A 13-stop tour in the United States and Canada visiting select Harley-Davidson dealerships and consumer events beginning in April.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) full-year 2014 diluted earnings per share increased 18.3 percent to $3.88 compared to diluted EPS of $3.28 in 2013. Net income was $844.6 million on consolidated revenue of $6.23 billion compared to full-year 2013 net income of $734.0 million on consolidated revenue of $5.90 billion. For the fourth quarter of 2014, diluted EPS increased 2.9 percent year-over-year to $0.35. Fourth quarter net income was $74.5 million on consolidated revenue of $1.20 billion compared to net income of $75.4 million on consolidated revenue of $1.19 billion in the year-ago period.

Worldwide retail sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter and 2.7 percent for the full year compared to the year-ago periods, driven by strong international sales – up 9.2 percent in the fourth quarter and 5.4 percent for the full year according to the company. Harley-Davidson expects to ship 282,000 to 287,000 motorcycles to dealers and distributors worldwide in 2015, an approximate 4 to 6 percent increase from 2014 shipments. In the first quarter of 2015, the Company expects to ship 79,000 to 84,000 motorcycles compared to 80,682 motorcycles shipped in the year-ago period. The Company expects full-year 2015 operating margin of approximately 18 to 19 percent for the Motorcycles segment. The Company expects 2015 capital expenditures for Harley-Davidson, Inc. of $240 million to $260 million.