Harley Davidson LiveWire | Photo credits: RevZilla
It’s been a long wait, but that wait it’s almost over! During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 in Las Vegas, American iconic motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson showed some LiveWire electric motorcycles and at the same time revealed its price and specs for the production version.
It’s not the first time we’ve talked about the LiveWire, but now we’ve got confirmation that it’s set to arrive to North American and Western European dealerships by Fall 2019, the LiveWire is being quoted in America to cost almost $28.000 American dollars, meaning that if Harley is able to maintain this value to other markets, specifically to Malaysia, this would put the LiveWire at a price range of around RM122.523, at current exchange rates.
We’ll need to wait from Harley-Davidson Malaysia to get confirmation of when the LiveWire will be available to Malaysian riders, and how much it’ll cost.
It’s been a long time since Harley-Davidson decided to enter the electric motorcycle segment, and the LiveWire we see in the photos now, the production version, is in fact the result of more than five years working with what was known at the time as the Project LioveWire.
But this electric bike is almost ready to launch itself on the road!
Photo credits: Chargepoint
And launch is the perfect word to describe what the LivewWire can do. Even though Harley-Davidson hasn’t given us all the details like weight or battery capacity, they did introduce some new specs during the CES event: We’ve now confirmed that the wheels will be 17-inch in size (early concept and prototype were 18-inch), the clutchless electric motor is able to launch the LiveWire from 0-100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, while maximum speed is rated at almost 180 km/h.
The electric engine has been baptized as the Revelation, great name, but even better considering that it doesn’t need any clutch or gear shift to work. Torque is instantly available at every little touch on the throttle, but a set of advanced riding aids, like traction control, will keep all under control.
This zero emissions Revelation electric engine will produce minimal vibrations, just enough so you still feel you’re riding a Harley-Davidson, and as usual, the American brand as developed the sound coming out of the engine. Saying it’s designed to produce a new signature Harley-Davidson sound as it accelerates and gains speed, this new futuristic sound represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle.
The Milwaukee factory is still keeping secret some details, but they’ve already confirmed that the estimated range of the LiveWire is around 180 km from a single charge, and depending on the charge method, the battery might get 80% charge in just 40 minutes.
Here are the three charging options available on the Harley-Davidson LiveWire:
– Level 1: Standard household outlet;
– Level 2: The LiveWire might be connected to a Level 2 charging unit, but charge will happen at the Level 1 rate;
– Level 3: Connect and charge through a DC Fast Charge unit.
Not only the electric engine will deliver strong performance, as we mentioned above, but riders will also be able to enjoy a great ride courtesy of a strong chassis. The battery case was created as a fully structural element to the frame, in aluminium, with bolted sections similar to tubular structure. Harley-Davidson understands how important it is to keep the electric engine cool, so the LiveWire features a liquid-cooling circuit for both the engine and electronics control unit, and the battery itself is air-cooled by what seem to be conventional fins like we see on a combustion engine.
Adding to this rigid frame and structure, Harley-Davidson also decided to cover up the 17-inch wheels with stickier Michelin tyres, meaning this electric bike will provide great grip around tight corners, perfect for those adrenaline junkies out there. Not forgetting that, as we already knew, suspension units will be provided by Showa, and braking power will come from Brembo high-end race-derived calipers and discs.
And to top it all out, the dash is a full-color TFT unit, which not only gives the rider all the details about the LiveWire in real time, but also allows the rider to connect the smartphone for added connection to the bike, and at the same time use the many different features included on the “Harley Connect Service”, a feature that, according to some sources, will be included from factory and free for the first year, with the rider having to pay a subscription after that to keep using it.
If you would like to know more about the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and be up to date with all the details, click here.
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