The LiveWire is Gonna Recharge Harley-Davidson, and We Can’t Wait
That means that LiveWire riders should win nearly every AMA-sanctioned stoplight drag race they find themselves involved in. It also means instantaneous throttle response when you need to get out of someone’s (or something’s) way in a hurry. Harley-Davidson states a 0-60 time of four seconds—not as fast as liter sportbikes, but faster than most anything else in Harley-Davidson’s current lineup. Still, I hope that the production bike is a bit faster.
Also See: Forum Members React to Latest LiveWire Report
The last electric motorcycle I rode had substantially less power than the upcoming LiveWire (which is quoted at 55 kilowatts, or 74 horsepower), and it had several throttle settings (which is selectable on the instrument cluster) to tone down the brutal throttle response.
Even at a lower setting, a full-throttle launch resulted in a very light front wheel and a feeling like a fat man was standing on my chest. I was hooked immediately. It’s been a couple of years since I rode that bike (a 2016 Zero FX, in case you’re wondering). I’d like to imagine that with the benefit of two more years of technological advancements and the backing of a company as large as Harley-Davidson, the LiveWire will be a superior bike. Here’s hoping I’m right.
One thing that has always impressed me about with Harley-Davidson motorcycles is the build quality. They’re tremendously well put together, with high-quality materials and switchgear that feels good to use.
The latter is called “haptic response.” The world’s luxury car makers spend a lot of time and money on haptics, making sure everything feels just right. Switches click into place with a satisfying, authoritative action, while knobs provide just the right amount of resistance while turning to make the operator feel as though they’re doing something substantial and important.
I’ve spent time on many of my friends’ motorcycles, and the same can’t be said for even the most expensive competitors. Cheap plastics, fragile switches, and lackluster displays let down otherwise good motorcycles, tainting the experience.
Let’s talk about a major strength of electric motors: Torque. Electric motors generate prodigious amounts of torque at the bottom of the RPM range where it’s needed most.
Unfortunately, this same quality doesn’t always extend to the drivetrain. I love my Harley, and I enjoy working on it. However, I have several friends who have purchased brand new motorcycles only to have mechanical issues pop up quickly. While they are always repaired quickly under warranty, it’s disheartening to pay a premium for a motorcycle that has issues right off the showroom floor or shortly thereafter.
Then again, even when everything’s going well (which is, admittedly, most of the time), things aren’t perfect. Nobody would ever accuse a Harley gearbox as operating smoothly. Another well-established Harley owner axiom is that Harley-Davidsons don’t leak, they simply mark their territory. While I’m not trying to knock Harley-Davidson, these are just some of the quirks we’ve learned to live with and accept if we want to ride our favorite brand of motorcycles.
Don’t get me wrong, I love working on my bike. The relationship forged between a rider and their motorcycle doesn’t just happen on the open road, it happens in the workshop, as well. My battle-worn Sportster turns twenty next year, with just a handful of those years under my ownership. It feels good to say that I’ve personally wrenched on nearly every component of my motorcycle. It’s a piece of me, and I, a piece of it.
I’d love to have a LiveWire that would ask for nothing more than a power source, fresh tires, and new brakes every now and again.
That said, given unlimited funds and garage space, I’d love to have a Harley-Davidson LiveWire sitting beside it (and about twenty other bikes) that would ask for nothing more than a power source, fresh tires, and new brakes every now and again.
The LiveWire offers a chance to enjoy most of the things we love about Harley-Davidson motorcycles with almost none of our classic complaints. The Motor Company has the chance to give us a real winner, and I hope they deliver.
What are your thoughts on the LiveWire? Join the forums to chime in.
