2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire Demo Ride

By: Linco

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have to preface this article with the fact that I was,

when Project LiveWire® first hit the scene around 2014, totally against the idea of Harley-Davidson producing an EV motorcycle. You couldn’t pay me to take a demo ride. I had the same reservations that most riders have: The EV doesn’t match my riding style, the LiveWire® doesn’t look like a Harley, the “Motor Company” has lost their mind, and so on. I think for the most part, it was a kneejerk reaction to change and to anything that didn’t resemble the Harley-Davidson motorcycles I grew up coveting. I watched the development of the LiveWire® as the years went by and the more that I read and the more reviews that came out the more my interest grew. The performance specs alone should turn any motorcycle rider’s head. I mean, no one wants to ride a slow motorcycle, everyone I know makes performance mods to their bike to get better response or more horsepower. The LiveWire® packs a punch that any adrenaline-fueled biker is looking for. By the time the LiveWire® was projected for delivery in 2019, I was more than interested.

In March of 2020 I got the call that I was waiting for, Rick Johnson from Riding High Harley-Davidson gave me the green light for a LiveWire® demo ride! Riding High HarleyDavidson had had LiveWire® floor models that were available for purchase for months but had recently got in a demo model! I got over to Riding High with my riding gear and a lot of anticipation. While cruising the showroom floor I ran into RHHD Mechanic David “Greasy” Garrison who is a LiveWire® enthusiast and went through the EV training in Milwaukee. Greasy was telling me that the maintenance on the LiveWire® is relatively nil. There is a real time battery monitor that you can view on the LiveWire®’s 4.3” color touchscreen display, leaving only brakes and tires on the LiveWire® that require

regular maintenance.

After a little paperwork, Josh Roberts, brought out the LiveWire® that would be my ride for the demo. We went out back of the dealership to the Riding Academy range so that I could get a feel for the LiveWire® before we went out on the street. A few quick notes here. The LiveWire® is an automatic so as soon as you pull back on the throttle, your movin! There is no clutch, no neutral, that is tough for us riders who are accustomed to revving the engine at stop lights. Josh took me through the many different settings and features on the touchscreen display. The LiveWire® has different riding modes that you can toggle through while riding to match your riding style, distance goals or weather. The modes include: Road, Sport, Rain, Range and even Custom settings. The display will tell you the different power settings for each, like the Range Mode specifies, 40% power, 80% regenerative braking (I’ll hit on this later), 55% Throttle and Medium Traction Control. Compare that to the Sport Mode that runs 100% power, 80% Regenerative Braking, 80% Throttle and High Traction Control. Naturally the sport mode will get you lower mileage per charge, but man, it’s fun!

So, I took a few laps around the Academy range and get used to the controls and the regenerative braking. I was very

impressed with my first impression of the LiveWire®. I really expected the LiveWire® to be torquey with it being direct power from the throttle. I was way off, the LiveWire® acceleration from a stop was extremely smooth and as I headed down to the end of the course and let off the throttle, I got my first taste of the regenerative braking. Basically, as soon as you let off the throttle the regenerative braking kicks in, gently applies the brakes and illuminates the brake lights to give you an amazing amount of control. Again, I didn’t think I would like the Regenerative Braking, but by the end of the ride, I was totally digging it. For those that are still shaking your head, you can choose the amount of braking either through the different default modes or a custom mode to match your riding style and comfort. Speaking of comfort, as you have probably noticed, the LiveWire® is not a typical Harley-Davidson cruiser style bike. It is, for sure, a more compact riding position than I am used to, but I was very comfortable, and I made the transition with ease.

Once I had a handle on the bike and the features, it was time to take it to the streets. Josh led me on a loop of right hand turns that ranged from two lane city to 4 lane hwy. I started out in Range Mode with only 40% power delegated to the throttle. The LiveWire® was incredibly responsive and fun at 40%. I’d lay off the throttle and slow down then give it a twist and think, 40% is great, wonder what it’s like on Sport Mode at 100%! I finished our first “lap” in Range Mode though just to give it a chance. I found that the LiveWire® weighing in

at 549lbs was extremely nimble and REALLY wants to take you through curves. The LiveWire® boasts a 45˚ lean angle (compare that to 28.5˚ lean angle of a softail standard or Iron 883), which I didn’t quite need for the demo ride, but I can see it getting used burning up twisty mountain or county roads.

On my second lap, Josh let me take the lead and push the limits a little more. The toggle switch for the ride modes is conveniently located just off the throttle and is easily accessible by the right thumb, like a turn signal button. While rolling I switched into Sport Mode and immediately felt the difference between 40% power and 100% power. Folks, this is where the 0-60mph in 3 seconds comes in and it is no joke. I gave the throttle a slight twist and the full glory of the 86 ft-lb, 105 hp Electric Motor came to life. The permanent magnet electric motor can produce 100% of its rated torque instantly – it’s the reason for LiveWire®™ motorcycle’s incredible acceleration. It’s located below the battery to lower the center of gravity for easier handling. I have to say I made it well above 60mph in what felt like a lot less than 3 seconds. The digital speedo on the display was ticking off like the DeLorean in “Back To The Future”. What a thrill! It wasn’t a long straight away, so I let off the throttle, the Regen braking kicked in as I coasted up to the stop line and I only had to tap the Dual 4-piston monoblock radial mount front, dual-piston rear brakes to make the LiveWire® come to a complete stop.

Now it was time to get a few curves in. We headed up a road that had some sweeping curves, I was still in sport mode and

the 100% power to the throttle was amazing. The LiveWire® smoothly (and quietly) got me up to speed and as I let off the throttle approaching a curve the regen braking puts you in a position to throttle through the curve. I felt completely in control and comfortable. I was able to carry more speed into the curve, let off the throttle later than usual and hold the line I was riding with less effort than usual. Again, it was awesome.

A topic that is first to our minds is riding range of the LiveWire®. Naturally, using the Range Mode that only gives 40% power to the throttle is going to give you a longer battery life between charges. Riding style also changes your battery life, if you are jamming on it, naturally you will get less out of a charge. With that said, the LiveWire®’s high-voltage battery provides 146 miles of city range or 95 miles of combined stop-and-go and highway range, per the H-D Website. That’s really not bad considering the LiveWire® is set up to be an urban commuter. I do think that as the EV vehicles grow in popularity that charging stations will pop up more places and make touring on EV bikes easier. There is a current network of charging stations at H-D dealers and other locations across the nation, but make sure you plan in advance before you head out!

The LiveWire® can recharge in an hour or less using the DC Fast Charge system at participating H-D dealers. We all know you can blow an hour hanging out at the dealership, so this shouldn’t be a hardship at all. If you are at home you can plug your LiveWire® motorcycle up to any standard 120v wall outlet, but you will need to live it plugged in for a bit longer. If you put in some miles and plug in overnight, you can expect a full charge by the next morning. How much does it cost to recharge your bike? Well, as of now you can use the DC Fast Charging stations at participating dealerships for FREE for the first 2 years after you purchase the LiveWire®, after that I heard that charging your LiveWire® at one of the DC Fast Charging stations would only cost pocket change. Charging at home for just the cost of the AC current used is always an option.

My recommendation is that you head over to Riding High Harley-Davidson and take the LiveWire® for a test ride. If you are curious or a skeptic of the LiveWire® a test ride will help you make up your mind. My bet is that it’s gonna blow your mind, that’s what happened to me! The only disappointment of the day was when I had to leave it at the dealership. I’m ready to take it around the block a few more times and I’d love to have one in my garage.

LIVEWIRE SPECS

DIMENSIONS LENGTH: 84.1 in. SEAT HEIGHT, LADEN: 30 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: 5.1 in. RAKE: 24.5 TRAIL: 4.3 in. WHEELBASE: 58.7 in. TIRES, FRONT: 120/70 ZR17 58W TIRES, REAR: 180/55 ZR17 73W TIRE: H-D®/Michelin® Scorcher® “Sport” WEIGHT, IN RUNNING ORDER: 549 lb. ELECTRIC MOTOR MOTOR: Revelation ®

POWER SYSTEM & CHARGING HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY: 15.5 kWh Rechargeable Energy Storage System (RESS) LEVEL 1 COMPATIBLE: 13 miles for each hour of charging LEVEL 2 COMPATIBLE: same rate as level 1 DC FAST CHARGE (DCFC): 0-80% in 40 minutes. 0-100% in 60 minutes. RANGE RANGE, CITY: 146 miles RANGE, COMBINED STOP-AND-GO: 95 miles PERFORMANCE ELECTRIC MOTOR TORQUE: 86 ft-lb HORSEPOWER: 105 HP / x78 kW LEAN ANGLE (DEG.): 45 CHASSIS FRONT FORK: SHOWA® SFF-BP® (Separate Function front Fork-Big Piston) REAR SHOCKS: SHOWA® BFRC™ (Balanced Free Rear Cushion-lite) mono-shock rear suspension WHEELS: Black, Split 5-Spoke Cast Aluminum BRAKES: Brembo ® Monoblock Front Brakes Dual 4-piston monoblock radial mount front, dual-piston rear. INFOTAINMENT H-D™ CONNECT SERVICE: Supported TYPE: WQVGA TFT Color Display SCREEN SIZE: 4.3 in (109 mm) Touchscreen HANDS-FREE MOBILE PHONE VOICE RECOGNITION LANGUAGES: Tuner/Media/ Navigation - Via paired iOS or Android device USB: USB Type-C BLUETOOTH & LTE CONNECTIVITY: Phone/media supported