Harley Davidson Livewire

Harley Davidson Livewire
Harley Davidson Livewire

The 2020 Harley Davidson LiveWire is the first electric motorcycles from an establish mainstream brand and manufacturer. It is a new product from a manufacturer that formerly revelled in building Cruisers, with old school internal combustion engine, specifically high capacity, ancient push rod V2 engines. They also looked and sounded great for a long time.

They where also the first brand to try and trade mark a sound, the Harley Davidson noise which is fair enough but law suits on things like usually indicate that a company is in financial trouble and lacking innovation. It’s a well known ploy if you’ve been lazy on your MBA studies. Eg. Microsoft and Apple. That said following this desperate act usually means the company is at a crossroads and the LiveWire is the result.

First it was the moving of country of manufacture from the US to India with the introduction of the Street 500 range a clever but ultimately doomed move since it doesn’t sound or look like a Harley Davidson and certainly isn’t made in the US. Hence we saw a shift in branding, which hasn’t made any impact, Even I don’t  even know what it really is and I’m a fan. Indeed Harley Davison is at a financial cross road too, lots of debt and customers dropping out for age related reasons and models which don’t resonate with younger buyers or outlaw motorcycle gangs in 2020.

In terms looks and design the Harley Davidson LiveWire in isolation is not brand related but is modern and good looking albeit generic design. When viewed with the other models in the Harley range you wouldn’t pick it as one. That said I’m sure they tried to design a Cruiser style electric motorcycle cycle but choose no to for what ever reason. I also wish they would have designed the battery unit a little better than what it is.  While it looks better than it’s competitors designs it’s still does look like it’s price tag suggests.

In terms of technology and electric motor, all I can really present are the released specifications and my opinion based on that and other reviews I trust on line. Needless to say The LiveWire is fast for a Harley Davidson but not quite petrol engine from other brands fast. That said I wasn’t entirely disappointed at the Livewire’s claim range on a single charge based on the other electric motorcycles I’ve already looked at. Of note the regenerative brake charging is a nice feature to have and this is a 1st generation model so it can only get better.

As per every other review I’ve read on the internet, I too can be completely complementary about the Harley Davidson LiveWire but there is one pretty big problem. The major problem with the Harley Davidson LiveWire is pricing! The LiveWire is now selling in the US for around $30,000 before on roads. It’s a very expensive motorcycle even with a Harley Davidson badge. With options and on roads you can buy an entry level Tesla Model 3. That said the LiveWire is already in the history books, ebooks and all over the internet as the first electric Motorcycle for Harley Davidson and the first for a mainstream motorcycle manufacturer and will be remembered.

 
Harley Davidson Livewire – Key Specifications
Engine: Electric motor – RevelationTM 
Battery Capacity: 15.5Kw dependent on model
Power/Torque: 78Kw and 117Nm @1 RPM
Gearbox: Direct – Belt final drive
Kerb Weight: 249 Kg
Performance: Top Speed 180kph Approx
Sustained top speed xxx Kph Approx
Fuel Economy: City up to 230 km
Highway 150 km
Charging time dependent on charging accessory.
Seat height: 761 mm
Dimensions: L2135 x Wxx x Hxx x WB1490 mm
Recommended Retail Price: FROM $29,999 USD (2020)