Technical Wizard Exec Vance Strader on Leading Livewire, Buell & Harley Davidson | One Gang Ep 104

Send us Fan MailVance Strader has been shaping the motorcycle world for decades. He began his career at Buell, working on performance-driven machines that pushed the limits of design and engineering. At Harley-Davidson, he rose to Chief Engineer, driving innovation at one of the most legendary brands in motorcycling. His journey then led him to become Chief Technical Officer of LiveWire, where he guided the creation of Harley’s first electric motorcycles and helped launch LiveWire as a standalone EV brand. With a career that bridges iconic heritage and groundbreaking innovation, Vance brings a wealth of industry experience, valuable insight, and his own perspective on what the future of motorcycling holds. Vance drops some exclusive behind-the-scenes stories that you don't want to miss. Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Vance Strader and the One Gang Worldwide Podcast01:20 Vance Strader's Early Life and First Motorcycle Experiences04:51 Innovative Engineering at Team Losi10:19 Joining Buell: Challenges and Innovations16:17 The Birth of the XB Platform21:49 Harley-Davidson and the Economic Meltdown23:36 Eric Buell Racing and Post-Harley Ventures27:03 Transition to Harley-Davidson Corporate32:22 Developing Harley's First Electric Motorcycle45:33 Building Harley's Engineering Systems Group48:20 Designing the Pan America and Middleweight Platforms55:15 The Decision to Enter the Adventure Bike Market55:51 The Decision to Enter a New Market56:19 Sponsor Break: Butt Buffer57:19 Pan America's Market Performance58:21 Silicon Valley Livewire Labs01:02:38 Challenges in EV Development01:08:13 Spinning Off Livewire from Harley01:11:05 Hiring and Leadership Insights01:14:10 Balancing Performance, Cost, and Scalability01:19:14 Reflecting on a Career at Harley01:24:26 Future of Two-Wheel Innovation01:33:40 Speed Round: Fun and Personal Questions01:40:59 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsConnect with Vance:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vstraderCheck Out Our Sponsors:LeatherUp - Use Code "CW20" at checkout for 20% off! : https://www.leatherup.com/Butt Buffer: https://buttbuffer.com/Connect with Cycles Worldwide:Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more episodes:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9f5Fx7tVs67xgemZUFphawFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551644038136Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cyclesworldwidellc/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergey-tokman-2a78a6284/TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@cycles.worldwide#VanceStrader #MotorcycleInnovation #BuellMotorcycles #HarleyDavidson #LiveWire #MotorcycleCulture #TwoWheels #EVMotorcycles #MotorcycleCommunity #RideTheFuture #MotorcycleLife #PerformanceEngineering #MotorcycleIndustry #MotorcycleLeadership