Finally, the LiveWire Faces Off Against the Zero SR/F
We’ve been waiting for this motorized matchup for a long time.
Last year, we wrote about the Harley-Davidson LiveWire squaring off against the Zero SR/F. Harley-Davidson is America’s biggest motorcycle company, while Zero is America’s biggest electric motorcycle company. In a way, this battle of the batteries is a lot like Hulk Hogan stepping into the ring with Macho Man Randy Savage.
Charles Fleming, writing for the Los Angeles Times, recently had a chance to ride both bikes back-to-back. In his words, “I rode both and came away surprised by which bike I preferred.”
Now, keep in mind, Zero is based near Santa Cruz, just a few short hours north of Los Angeles, California. If Fleming prefers the SR/F, we can’t blame him for rooting for the home team. After all, he rode both, and we haven’t yet.
Besides, Zero has been building electric motorcycles for much longer than Harley-Davidson has. They’ve got a clear advantage here, right?
That perceived advantage widens in scope when you look at the specs on paper. The Zero SR/F is lighter, faster, and cheaper than the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. So, it’s a foregone conclusion that Fleming picks the Zero as his favorite. Right? Wrong.
Much to his surprise — as well as ours — Fleming prefers the Milwaukee muscle to the California kid. As Fleming says, the LiveWire “delivers more than promised — or at least more than I expected.”
Admitting that he’s typically not much of a Harley fan, Fleming had high praise for the LiveWire’s handling, braking, and ergonomics. While the Zero SR/F was good, he says it’s not quite perfect, yet.
It seems that all of the delays were well worth it. To hear Fleming tell it, Harley came to bat with a fully-realized, game-changing electric bike. While the Zero SR/F is a good bike, it will need a little work yet to compete with the big boys.
Of course, we’d like to find this out for ourselves. Once we have a chance to ride both back-to-back like Fleming did, we’ll let you know if we agree with his assessment.
Photos: Los Angeles Times/Kevin Wing/Harley-Davidson/Zero Motorcycles
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