When you hear that a company with a long history of making motorcycles like Harley-Davidson is making an electric bike, you are forgiven for having high expectations, especially with the high prices Harley-Davidson wares command. It took the company half a decade and many test riders to finally make something they are proud to slap their famous logo on but the wait is worth it, given the price is no barrier.
Let’s dive into the specs of the LiveWire, the first ever electric motorcycle from a storied motorcycle maker. The bike is available in Vivid Black, Orange Fuse and Yellow Fuse.
The LiveWire uses a 15.5 kWh battery pack, which is among the largest in the world of electric bikes. It will power the bike for a city ride of 146 miles before needing a recharge. But when you tear down the highway, the range drops to 95 miles. And when you eventually have to charge, you can use a DC fast charger to boost the battery from 0 to 80% in under 40 minutes. 20 minutes more of plugging in and you reach 100%. An AC charger will take more than half a day.
The electric motor on the LiveWire is rated 78 kW. It is conspicuously placed on the machine, in line with the design language Harley-Davidson is known for. It will push the bike from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. Speed tops out at 110 mph.
Like any modern gadget, Harley-Davidson is letting you connect the bike to your phone through an app. The app works on both Android and iOS and lets you plan your rides, monitor the bike’s health and charging and do turn-by-turn navigation.
The app will let you select from four preset riding modes, each with different handling and performance characteristics.
Other features include traction control, anti-wheelie control, anti-lock braking, anti-theft alert, etc. There is also a USB port for keeping your phone juiced on your rides. You will also get a 500 kW worth of charging from Electrify America.
The brakes are Brembo Monoblock while Showa supplied the suspension, true to its nature as an electric powerbike.
The LiveWire will set you back $29,799, a rather hefty price tag. However, Harley-Davidson has plans for less expensive and less powerful models down the line.