Bob Pickett has ridden Harley’s electrical providing. Right here’s what Bob thought!
In the event you had requested which main producer can be first to launch a high-specification electrical bike, I doubt Harley-Davidson would have topped many individuals’s listing. But in 2014 it debuted a prototype, and in 2019 it went into full manufacturing. In the identical 12 months, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode from Ushuaia in Argentina to Los Angeles on prototype LiveWire bikes for ‘The Lengthy Approach Up’. 2021 noticed LiveWire spun off as a separate firm, and since then it’s been valued at USD 1.77 billion.
Give Me Some Spec
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A forged aluminium trellis body homes Harley’s ‘Revelation’ water-cooled magnetic motor, placing out 100bhp/75kW energy and 84lb-ft of torque with a high velocity of 115mph. The 15.4kW battery has an estimated vary of 146 miles (Metropolis), 95 (Mixed) or 70 (Freeway). Seat peak is 30 inches. Suspension comes courtesy of Showa SFF Massive-Piston entrance forks up entrance and Showa BFRC monoshock rear. The 562lb weight is stopped by Brembo twin
4-piston monobloc radial-mount entrance, dual-piston rear.
What’s It Like To Journey?
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We final rode a LiveWire in 2021 so time to refresh the reminiscence.
The LiveWire has nice ergonomics. The bars lean you gently into the bike, pegs impartial. No weight in your shoulders or wrists, calm down into the bike, and trip in whole consolation. Not fairly so comfy, the seat. Slim and agency, it was supportive throughout our transient time collectively however I’m unsure I fancy using from Ushuaia to Los Angeles on one!
As I solely had it for a quick time I left it in Highway mode. Frankly, that’s sufficient for many of your using wants. You’ll be able to roll gently in single figures, however whenever you open up there may be seemingly infinite quantities of drive on faucet because it effortlessly surges ahead.
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The motor sits beneath the battery, giving the LiveWire a really low centre of gravity. A mixture of this and the wonderful Showa suspension, and the bike feels steady and planted always, nothing appears to ruffle it (although ripples and bumps do make themselves identified via the rear), the Michelin Scorcher tyres glued to the street because it flows easily from bend to bend. The Brembo monobloc brakes are phenomenal. Big quantities of stopping energy allied to tons of really feel, they’ll haul you up in full management.
There are a number of niggles, principally coming from Harley styling cues. The mirrors may do with being greater and I’ll by no means be satisfied that separate indicators make sense. The instrument clusters are busy (the flip facet being so many capabilities can be found on the contact of a button). And I’m not a fan of key fobs; if it isn’t connected to the bike, it’s too simple to lose (I do know somebody who rode off, stopped to refill… and realised they’d left the fob of their storage!)
However these are private issues. Cash has been spent in all the precise locations with top-class brakes and suspension, nice powerplant, well-thought-out ergonomics. It’s an excellent bike.
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How A lot Does It Value?
It’s not low-cost – with the usual LiveWire that everybody is aware of coming in at £22,990.
Need To Attempt One?
We borrowed a motorbike from the great of us at Lind Watford.
Lind Watford Harley-Davidson
Unit One, Commerce Metropolis
Thomas Sawyer Approach,
Watford WD18 0GS
01923 940646 / www.lind.co.uk
