Harley-Davidson LiveWire

source: Harley Davidson

One of the two motorcycle manufacturers in the USA to survive the Great Depression, the other one being Indian. Found in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it was a hit among all age and class of people. We’re talking about none other than the legendary Harley Davidson.

Fast forward to 2019, the HD has launched its new model named LiveWire. Do you know what a livewire means? It means an energetic and unpredictable person. Yeah, HD didn’t launch a human but a two-wheeler whose performance indeed match with the name.

The first prototype was showcased in June 2014 and was available for test rides in the USA, later it was seen in Europe and Canada in 2015.

The production of LiveWire hit after 18 months and the preorders have started in January 2019. Wow, what do we have is not just a two-wheeler, it is an electric two-wheeler from Harley Davidson.

Now that’s something to talk about. Are you interested? Then hop in for the review of HD LiveWire 2019.

Source: Harley Davidson

Looks and Design

Harley Davidson, one of the world known bike manufacturing company which is known for its cruiser bikes which are powerful and good-looking beast.

Now they have decided to kick both things out by going at Sporty Electric Bike, yes they are serious, and I think you might like if you give it a shot. In terms of looks, I really loved the styling they have given to it, especially the headlight. If you look at it carefully you can have a stare-down with the demonic-eyes looking directly at you.

They have given a sporty design, you can see a bit Harley touch like headlamp cover and colour. They have also given it a 10.9 cm touch screen display, to show every important detail about the bike, but the way this display has been designed and positioned on the bike is something not much appealing. It's like they just stuck a big screen phone on the handle using a holder. Harley Davidson is going to provide customization option, so you might be able to cover things up.

Before we talk about the performance and range, let's see what all tech has Harley Davidson has installed in this bike to assist the riders while riding.

Source: Harley Davidson

The latest LiveWire design is embedded with Electronic Chassis Control (ECC) system. It will make sure that the rider is confident enough go hard and fast on road(we don’t promote reckless riding).

The ECC gives you the following benefits

Enhanced cornering

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Traction Control System (TCS)

Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS)

You can see a combined effort of electronic controls and hydraulic power control where it's required. It uses the new six-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and ABS sensor tech.

This is just the tech that has been installed, now let's see how it feels when combined with its hardware. As it is an electric bike let’s start with its accelerations.

Source: Harley Davidson

Performance

Get an instant power when you twist the throttle, as you know, no clutch, no gears and nothing to hinder the momentum in which you wanna fly away because its an electric vehicle (EV) and Harley Davidson is using permanent magnets so that you get full torque from low rpm.

As said by Harley Davidson, a high-voltage battery or just say a (RESS); Rechargeable Energy Storage System containing lithium-ion cells packed in a finned cast aluminium housing. The big battery provides a 225 lm of city ride or  142 km combined stop-and-go at highway range.

This is decent enough for a sports electric bike, its no good if it takes too long to charge but it not. An onboard level 1 charger & a power cord which to any standard outlet in your house will do. It gets fully charged overnight. If you want a fast charger, get a level 3 DC Fast Charge station for 80% charge in just 40 minutes or 100% in an hour.

They are using cast aluminium to keep the weight as low as possible, and the frame is extremely rigid. With the Michelin tires, 180 mm rear and 120 mm front give proper grip, and Brembo brakes both in front and rear to give it the stopping power it needs. Combining all this and you get a really capable sports bike, with a low centre of gravity. The ride is comfortable which is expected from Harley, and the body control is exceptional which was not expected. Still, the range is something needs to be verified one the live wire comes to the street to live it up.

Specifications of this two-wheeler couldn’t be found anywhere but we promise to update it the moment we find it.

Source: Harley Davidson

Final verdict:

There are still a few things that are unknown like price and specs, but on the day of launch it comes in the price range it should be worth going for. Best suited for people who are planning for EV, wants a hard acceleration bike with a bit of retro look in a sports bike.

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