Livewire was a great idea, but they chose the wrong bike to present the platform.
An Electric Road King with a massive battery pack would have sold much better, and be much more familiar, and would allow people to use tons of hardware already in the HD parts and accessories line up.
Making it a street fighter/sporty bike was a bad idea.
I think the Live wire and the VRod should have been sold under the Buell name, of course that means HD needed to also keep Buell alive.
The Live wire should also be all in less then 10k, and not as performance oriented or make a budget version that has more range then neck snapping acceleration.
Livewire was a great idea, but they chose the wrong bike to present the platform.
An Electric Road King with a massive battery pack would have sold much better, and be much more familiar, and would allow people to use tons of hardware already in the HD parts and accessories line up.
Making it a street fighter/sporty bike was a bad idea.
I would have preferred an electric Electra Glide. The big issue I have with current electric bikes is they are not useful for going to work or running errands. I want luggage space and I want wind protection. Doing wind protection right would actually improve the efficiency of the bikes. The real hold up is no one has gone full liquid cooling on both the pack and the motor which is needed if these bikes are to be as functional as electric cars are. I did not care for the Livewire not only because of price but mostly because home charging was limited to L1 speeds so no quick turn around at home or option to top off if headed out. Unless I am on a road trip my Telsa is always charged at home and I can dump 10 kWh per hour into it with L2 - L1 is like 1-2.5 kWh at most.
Nearly every car manufacturer has an electric vehicle offering and most Motorcycle manufacturers are trying it as well. I think Harley was bold to to try an electric offering with the Live Wire and the Del Mar. I've said it before and I'm a prime example, Harley needs to attract new younger riders. All us old bastards (I say that with love) will not be riding forever, and Harley needs to attract new younger buyers. Some of those new buyers will like the Cruiser or Touring offerings, but some may come to the dealers specifically looking for an E-Bike. Other Bike manufacturers like Kawasaki are doing the same.
The Live Wire and Del Mar cater to the City or Suburb riders who have a 15-25 mile commute and want something cool and electric to get them there. Those bikes are not meant for touring nor putting a battery in a Street Glide or Road King would sell. Both the LIve Wire and Del Mar are small enough to whip in and out of traffic on a short commute. I've seen both on the road here in the SF Bay Area (San Jose) when I'm stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.
Having said all that, those bikes are polarizing for sure. The Live Wire is a tall bike for what it is. The Del Mar actually looks kinda cool in person (but then again I like the Fat Bob look). I think may EV manufacturers (cars and bikes) rushed to get something to market, without much customer focus in mind. Ford's Mach Es are sitting on the lots, as are many other all electric vehicles as customers move towards Hybrid cars and trucks.
Time will tell, but in 20 years there will be more and more electric motorcycles as the technology and models evolve.
Funny this thread popped up. I was at Speedway HD in Concord, NC today and saw the new Livewire. I had to do a double take. I actually like it. It’s a tough looking bike in person.
They have one of the older/original design, and three of the newer style.
05-13-2024 | 05:41 PM
Latest LiveWire Move Proves Harley Should Move On From Electric Brand
