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Electric-Glide: A First Ride On Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire Prototype All Electric Motorcycle


Electric-Glide: A First Ride On Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire Prototype All Electric Motorcycle

The first thing you think of when you think “Harley-Davidson” isn’t a highly technical, zero-emissions, completely silent motorcycle. The faithful just won’t stand for it, right? When the Motor Company launched the V-Rod in 2001, the people who traditionally bought the brand nearly revolted. A water-cooled H-D with an engine designed by PORSCHE?! So it was a bit of a surprise to get the call to ride a new electric motorcycle when the company calling built not a whole lot more than bikes from the 1960s. But if they produce it? This thing is a game changer.

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Right out of the gate, I’m not a Harley guy. I ride sportbikes, dual sports, vintage Japanese and European bikes, and Vespa scooters. Basically anything that ISN’T a Harley, in other words. I like my bikes to not have a riding position that mimics a gynecological exam. I like them to turn and stop and not weigh 800 pounds. As of yesterday, Harley-Davidson had one bike I was interested in: the XR1200R, of which they’ve sold about 12. Now they have two bikes I want, if they ever decide to sell it on the open market.

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The specifics: Project LiveWire is a fully electric motorcycle based around what’s come to be known as a naked sportbike, meaning it’s got a fairly sporty riding position, but it’s also got a tubular handlebar mounted atop the triple-tree, rather than clip-ons that have you leaning on the fuel tank. Your feet are under your body with knees bent, as the Good Lord Almighty intended motorcyclists to ride, and you’re riding alone because the seat only accommodates the rider.

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Harley says Project LiveWire will fully charge in about three hours with a 220-volt charging setup. The bike is equipped with two modes: ECO, which maximizes mileage to about 53 miles, and a SPORT mode — which I used exclusively — that trims mileage to about 35 miles.

It’s got an electric power plant with a single battery which spools up a horsepower equivalent of about 75, with 54-pound feet of torque, which is ok for a middle of the road standard, but nothing to write home about for a sportbike. It tops out at  a limited 92 mph, which is at less than half what even a lousy sportbike will deliver. It tips the scales at around 460 pounds without the rider.

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So it certainly has some disadvantages when compared with other sportbikes. The major advantage is, it doesn’t run on petrochemicals, it emits almost no noise, and it gets t0 60 in 4.3 seconds without shifting or pulling in a clutch lever.

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The start sequence is unique. Instead of thumbing a button and hearing a massive V-Twin roar to live, you hit the start button and nothing much happens other than the screen lighting up to let you know that the bike is ready to roll.

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All the bike’s regenerative action happens when you let off the throttle. It’s very similar to letting the compression of the engine slow you down on an internal combustion machine. It’s a little tricky to grab the front brake when you’re trying to let off the throttle when you don’t have a clutch to pull in, but there’s enough engine braking there to get you started slowing down before you really have to grab the brake. The rear brake helps, too. It’s just something that takes a little getting used to.

I was very skeptical at first, but within a mile, I really, really enjoyed riding it. Unfortunately, the Boston leg of Harley-Davidson’s tour with this thing was at the dealership in Everett, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, which might possibly be the single worst place on the planet to test ride a bike on a Friday afternoon in the summer, but be that as it may, I had a blast re-learning how to ride a motorcycle that simply took off when you turned the throttle.

And I wasn’t the only one. I did my test ride with four other guys that had HOG Chapter vests with tassels and conchos and  ROAD CAPTAIN patches, who only seemed to wear helmets under great duress, and at the first stoplight, all four had wide grins and plenty of great things to say about the power, the handling and the experience.

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It’s a bizarre experience to be rocketed up to highway speed with hardly a sound. I’ll say this about riding this bike around Everett and Revere, Massachusetts: I’ve never been in the “Loud Pipes Save Lives” camp, but in heavy traffic, with SUVs loaded with blind spots inches from your left leg, it’s kind of disconcerting to not have some kind of sound letting them know you’re there. You don’t want to be spending any time at all in anybody’s blind spot, and you want to get yourself real familiar with the location of the horn button.

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Is it for sale? Not yet. Will it be for sale? Who knows. The reaction to this thing has been almost hostile at first, but judging by the grins on the guys I rode with, if the Motor Company does intend to sell it, they need to get people on them as early and often as possible. x

 


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5 thoughts on “Electric-Glide: A First Ride On Harley-Davidson’s Project LiveWire Prototype All Electric Motorcycle

  1. braktrcr

    I must say, I’m a Harley guy. My son calls it “a couch on wheels” I believe loud pipes save lives. When I heard about this bike, I was surprised and skeptical. Why would they want to do this? Do they know something that the rest of us don’t? Is Kawi, Honda, and Yamaha close behind? In a sense I support the concept, but don’t call it a Harley. Seems blasphemous to me. Looks more like a Buell, bring a model or two of those back and add to that line. I support R and D on electric vehicles of all types, just can’t look past it being a Harley Davidson.

  2. Wes Tarkington

    Disclaimer: I am neither an H-D purist nor even a motorcycle guy. Only owned one two-wheeled, motorized vehicle in my days that was legal for road use. I also have extensive experience in the electric vehicle field. I’ve looked into some of the electric bikes that Zero offers and have seriously considered owning one for a commuter machine hence to save wear/tear/petroleum usage on my hot rods that are pressed into daily driver status. However, the “loud pipes save lives” mantra could not be stated more clearly in a major metro area like Houston, where I (unfortunately) reside at present. This is why I have not pulled the trigger. My experience with battery-electric automobiles has also triggered this same question. How safe can these cars be at slow speeds for pedestrians and other motorists? Japan has taken the first step with this and required all hybrid or battery electric cars to emit a warning noise below 25 MPH. It is a simple beep-beep noise that alerts bystanders to the presence of the car in motion. So, if we can develop a simple warning system why not a simulated engine generator that follows vehicle speed? Why not make the item or application user intuitive and allow he/she/it to choose the track? Could you imagine the fun of owning a Tesla and making it sound like a Ferrari, a Mustang, or a 900+ CID Pro Mod? Which brings me back to the LiveWire. I love the look of this bike. I love the technology. H-D would need to fix three things for my taste. 1) Take this concept to market and price it competitively with a Zero; 2) Fix the range issue…100-mile range in ECO mode, 75-miles in performance trim; 3) Give the user a software-based sound generator and let me pick between a traditional V-Twin or the V-Rod. Do these three things and I’ll buy one!

  3. Jay

    Total non-starter. This is about as exciting as a golf cart. Vehicles that make no noise, smoke and vibration might as well be a …. Vespa scooter.

  4. GuitarSlinger

    Every time I read or think about this EV bike posing as a Harley Davidson …. those Aeramacchi Harley’s – XLCR’s – VRods – Buells – as well as the new Street 750 comes to mind . Losers each and every one of them . Simply stated … people buy Harley’s because they ARE Harley’s .. not Harley’s trying to be something other than a Harley .

    Full discloser by the way . I’ve had Harley’s in my family since 1926 . Have friends who own or have owned dealerships as well as custom builders etc

    FYI ; In light of the fact that there is currently NO EV manufacture of EV M/C’s or cars currently making a profit * I fail to see how H-D thinks they will nor why they”re bothering to pursue a technology ( EV’s ) who’s time is drawing to a rapid close **

    [ * Despite selling off Carbon Credits .. Government subsidies as well as contracts with Toyota and Daimler Benz which will not be renewed TESLA still manages to lose Millions each and every quarter ]

    [ ** Toyota , BMW , Nissan/Renault , Daimler Benz , Honda etc are all dropping their EV programs … with VW-Audi soon to follow in favor of Hydrogen … both ICE’s and Fuel Cell ]

  5. claymore

    So you have experienced a gynecological exam yourself LOL.

    Might as well have as this is just a giant vibrator on wheels.

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