The LiveWire is Harley’s revolutionary look to the future of motorcycles. In stark contrast to the company’s entire history, the LiveWire is all electric. The just-under-500-pound EV bike is expensive, some might say far too expensive, at $29,799. It’s also ridiculously quick with a 3-second 0-60 time, and can manage 140 miles of range in city riding.
The first LiveWire concept was unveiled way back in 2014, and we’ve been anxiously awaiting the production version of the EV bike ever since. Later this week I’ll get the opportunity to ride the production-ready bike in Portland. So, what do you want to know?
The LiveWire is a departure from Harleys past as well, featuring streetfighter-ish good looks, sporty mid-controls, and a cast aluminum trellis frame. With a battery array where you’d normally find a big V-twin, the bike looks straight out of a futuristic sci-fi feature.
I look forward to seeing what it’s like to ride a bike without shifting, as the “gearbox” holds a single beveled gear cog. Even among EV bikes, setting the motor longitudinally is unique to Harley, necessitating a 90-degree bevel to turn a belt drive to the rear wheel. I imagine it will be strange to experience an eerily quiet Harley, but it has a truly unique whine thanks to that beveled gear.
Personally, I’m looking forward to the riding experience, as just looking at it you can see it holds a lot of performance potential. Will it lure new bike buyers into Harley showrooms? Will traditional Harley buyers want it? Will it be worth the massive price tag? I’ll let you know after I’ve ridden it.
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