H-D Forums Member Tries Out a LiveWire
We’re envious of one of our members, who had a chance to get up close and personal with the new all-electric Harley-Davidson.
Some guys have all the luck. One of our members, Tupp, from Aurora, Illinois, just posted about his experience with the new Harley-Davidson LiveWire.
Tupp and some of his buddies headed to a nearby parking lot, where Harley-Davidson’s marketing team set up several LiveWires, along with a small agility course with cones. Tupp currently rides a Road King, but he says that he came from dirt bikes and sport bikes before ending up on a Harley.
From the sound of things, he’s got experience on lots of different bikes, so he’s certainly qualified to weigh in on this bike. It’s definitely a big departure from the rest of the Harley-Davidson lineup.
Tupp praised the LiveWire’s lean angle and instantaneous power delivery. He was also impressed that it had cruise control and GPS capability.
What he was less impressed by was the LiveWire’s hefty, $30,000 price tag. In fact, most of the comments that followed Tupp’s initial post centered around how expensive the new bike is.
Range anxiety was another issue. While the LiveWire may only have a range of about 100 miles or so, VAFish makes a very good point: there’s a lot of Sportsters out there riding around on tiny, 2.5 gallon peanut tanks. Many of them have been modified in ways that make them uncomfortable to ride for too long anyway.
Wizardofaus seems to think that the novelty would wear off, and that it’d be just another device you have to plug in and charge at the end of the day. Again, VAFish points out that most of us are still using lawnmowers, weed whackers, string trimmers, and cars that take gasoline, so what’s the difference, anyway?
While the price of the LiveWire may be exorbitant to some, it’s hardly the most expensive bike Harley-Davidson sells. Not by a long shot, actually – VAFish points out that the CVO trikes run around $50,000!
Harley-Davidson is looking to bring new customers into the fold – the next generation of riders. Although slightly abrasive, VAFish’s closing statement rings true: “If old grumpy Harley riders like you are hating on the LiveWire I’d say Harley is taking a step in the right direction to enter new markets.”
Photos: H-D Forums
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