Harley-Davidson showed off a concept electric vehicle four years ago, in which we’ve been anxiously waiting to see. Now, the production-ready Harley-Davidson LiveWire is finally here – well, almost! On Tuesday, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based company revealed the production-ready electric motorcycleat the EICMA motorcycle show in Italy. The bad news? We have to wait until next year when it becomes available.
Harley is taking a huge risk with its electrification, as the company hopes it will ‘revive’ the brand, which struggled in recent years. LiveWire is expected to be the first electric motorcycle in a portfolio of electric Harley-Davidson bikes that will be available by 2022.
TechCrunch reports that Harley will be installing Level 2 public chargers and dealer locations (which will sell the electric bikes) to further encourage the switch to electric.
Although Harley didn’t release any pricing or range and performance information yet, there were some new details on the specs of the motorcycle. The bike is said to be powered by a permanent magnet electric motor that is located low in the motorcycle. According to the company, the position was chosen to lower the center of gravity, improve handling at different speeds and make it easier to control when stopped.
The LiveWire will feature two batteries: the main battery, which contains lithium-ion cells surrounded by a finned, cast-aluminum housing, and a small 12-volt lithium-ion battery that powers the lights, controls, horn and instrument display.
The motorcycle is capable of being charged with a Level 1 chargers that plugs into a standard household outlet with a power cord that stores below the motorcycle seat. If a consumer desires faster charging, it can also be charged via Level 2 and Level 3, or DC Fast Charge (DCFC), through a SAE J1772 connector in the U.S., or CCS2 – IEC type 2 charging connector in international markets.
There will be seven riding modes featured on the LiveWire, in which three are rider-defined. The models will also be tuned with djustable high-specification Showa suspension. Some rather cool features include an adjustable color touchscreen display located above the handlebar, in which the screen provides riders access to the interface for Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, music and other features.
The bike will not contain that trademark gas-powered sound, so instead, Harley gave it a tone that will increase in pitch and volume with speed. The company says the new sound “represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle.”
The company reports it will be revealing more product information on LiveWire, including details regarding the pre-ordering process, come January 2019.
