44Teeth I’ve got 26,000 miles on my evolution c now. I totally agree with you about the weight issues with the EV motorbikes (in regards to handling). However, I disagree with you on the break pads. It takes a while to get used to the regeneration breaking, I’ve only had two sets of break pads in 26k. I also just had my battery efficiency tested and they are 4 years old, with still 100% efficiency. At the moment I think EVs suit commuters mostly. I save roughly £2k a year as apposed to most 600cc motorbikes.... So with those savings I can now buy a Ducati 899 for weekends ;-)
Great review Al, I gotta say I'm no fan of Harleys but this is likely the first one I'd ever consider... ...You know, if it didn't cost more than my car did.
I’ve been riding for over forty years and reckon it’s been the golden era of motorbiking, thank fk I’ll miss out on the next era of soulless electric bikes .
Good riddance I say, we don't need you pretencious elitist lot in the community. Fact is, you put the soul and spirit into the bike by becoming part of it and driving it your way, without the rider the bike is a dead machine.
For $30k(28k euro) I could buy an MV agusta limited edition brutale, anything I want from Ducati, a limited edition Fireblade sp2 2020(it is coming out), anything from aprilia, anything from BMW. And have it made with better quality.
Which would be your prerogative and I'd see why you'd want to, not really like with like though is it, hats off to Harley for pushing the alternative even though I wouldn't buy one myself either.
@@mooiboyace gotten my money back how? I ride more than 200miles a day on average with my fireblade. Ive owned it for 3 rideable months as im now in a snowy winter where I live, and in those 3 months Ive put on well over 4900 miles and had ZERO issues. And when I want to ride more what do I do? I fill up in less than 5min and bam, im back on the road.
Michael Steven up until about 80mph then there’s no real advantage. After about 100mi you’ll be looking for an ev charging station which are still relatively rare.
28 Grand for an electric Harley is silly money when you can get a Zero for half that with a bigger range and more power and (arguably) better looks. Sub 100 mile range is also poor. I have no doubt it is fun to ride and I DO congratulate HD for going there and having the nads to make the Livewire but at the end of the day it's too expensive and not as good as its competition.
Thing is though, it'll hold its value much better than a Zero. Harley ownership has a big entry fee but once you're in, you're safe. Look after the bike and it'll barely drop in value.
Loved the review, I had the pleasure of testing one out up and down the coast of Galveston, Texas. Had a massive smile on my face when you roll back that throttle but no matter how sweet the ride was that price tag is a deal breaker.
This is one of the first Harleys I would actually consider owning, but as Jason and so many others have mentioned, it's just too damn expensive. And that's not a result of exchange rates or anything; they start a hair under $30k USD as well, and that's a serious dealbreaker for many people. I like the looks of the Livewire a bit better, but I'd rather get a Zero SR/F which has more range and costs $6k less. I know Harley is a "premium" brand, but it's not 6 grand premium.
While there are some things very appealing about electric bikes such as the instantaneous torque availability, there's other things ingrained in my motorcycle experience that I don't want to give up. Dropping a gear and sliding the back end into a corner, power wheelies in 3rd as a standard of measurement for how fun a bike is, the visceral sound of increasing speed, the modification of air and fuel ratios to squeeze out more power... There's a lot missing from the electric motorcycle experience, I look forward to the advances in technology and engineering, hopefully one day it'll be enough to make me a convert. Great review as always AL, cheers.
Awesome. Thanks for the glimpse, Fagan! I am a closet fan of electric bikes. Not because I believe they make trees smile, but because I am grinning ear to ear each time I ride one. All other opinions aside, my personal experience is very positive on these machines. I look forward to trying the Livewire. Thanks for the launch preview!😘😘
It’s perhaps only me, but most exciting moment was when I heard the KTM super duke. I went to watch the MotoGP round in Austria last year and fell asleep during the electric bike “race”. Great video as usual, thanks, I’ll keep my superduke, diavel and 1299s panigale!
agreed... I like it.. but the price + low range. (+ no idea how much it would cost to eventually replace the battery)... that's almost Tesla car money + some spare left to get a nice bike on the side..
Great video. I'm a Londoner living in Paris. I've owned loads of ICEs in both cities. I switched last year to the Zero FXE to be able to continue to park free! The FXE is an incredible urban commuter with everything in the sweet spot, and weighs just 135kg with 106nm of torque. It definitely smokes the Super Duke and almost anything out there up to 50km/h! For a while I've been considering the Livewires, and was eagerly awaiting the forthcoming Del Mar. I test rode the One last Saturday and got a chance to sit on the Del Mar but unfortunately it wasn't available for testing. I prefer the look of the One and found it incredibly stable in all situations and despite its weight and size, felt fine for filtering in dense traffic. The price is now 25k euros, which is still the same as a GS or other top-end ICEs but I reckon that it's a keeper and would satisfy my commuting and fun needs.
Last test drove a Energica, a little bit more power and a little bit less expensive. Drove very nice with about the same view on electric riding as this Harley. But the sound and gear changes on the way back gave me a little bit more of a smile on my face. But for every day use, this will be awesome.
If you want noise, put a playing card in the spokes like you do as a kid 👍 On my Raleigh Grifter, I used to turn the mud flap under the mud guards to get the ‘motor bike sound’.
I know the price is crazy but you have to give H-D some kudos for coming up with something really different from an H-D perspective. They have to reinvent themselves to some degree to survive. First time we have seen anything different from them in many years other than engine and suspension changes on standard models.
In my eyes electric bikes are missing a massively important safety aspect. The rev bomb. Several times a week I use it to alert cars that they are about to cut across me or punish via making them jump, general shitty driving. I had one on the way home last night, some old boy drifted across lanes after not even seeing the Range Rover in front of me. Clutch in, shriek, he got back in lane. On an electric bike, he’d have probably taken out my front wheel.
I've experienced a few 2 wheeled EVs and TBH they're all fun, even the Segway balance & kick scooters for rent from Lime/ Jump/ Flamingo etc in certain countries. That said, electric bikes need a new trick that petrol bikes don't have - they need to be able to boost their regen braking power at will. They need to be able to rotate the throttle forward into the negative or past zero throttle position to give proportionally more regenerative braking. This would give the dual benefits of more regeneration and, negating the need for actual light to moderate braking, in order to reduce pad wear. The logic behind this is very evident if you spend any time on Segway ES kick scooters. They have a right thumb button throttle and a left thumb button for braking, it's only regenerative, no mechanical braking on the handle bars at all. There is also regenerative braking while freewheeling which is adjustable via the Segway app, but my point is that there's also a manual regen braking control. E-Bikes need this, it'll dramatically increase their brake pad life, probably to beyond that of petrol bikes - another selling point right... Incidentally the Segway ES range do have a mechanical brake, it's the same as unpowered kick scoots, you step on the hinged rear mudguard which presses down on the tyre, but you only need that on a super steep downhill or in dire emergencies for quick direction changes. Personally I can't wait to get myself an E-Bike, I'll still have my Triumph Speed Triple R, Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, 100cc 2Stroke Yamaha BWS race Scooter, and my mountainbikes. Electric is just the new sibling in an ever growing fun family 👌🏽🇿🇦
I want this to be successful for Harley. I'm glad they're trying something new and modern. If the price was lower I'd take one for a test ride. Thanks for the review.
Great review Al. This really got me interested in taking one out for a test ride, it must be a weird feeling at first. Would I buy one, probably not, but that said, electric vehicles are the future like it or not.. It is kinda sad to, damn I'd miss the sound of dropping down two gears, opening up the throttle up to the red line, going up the gears and listening to that beautiful howl from the exhaust... The future sound seems to just be a quiet "humming" or "whining"....
Riding around the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, I'd love an electric motorbike - if there were more charging options here. I have enjoyed a loud bike in the past, but the idea of a weekend ride in near silence through forest and mountains (without having to peddle) is so appealing.
Nice review Nige! I really hated the thing when it was 1st released. The general EV wave of the future AND that Harley had built it. After watching your video, I've really changed my outlook. Looks like it would be fun to ride. 👊😎 And a pat on the back to HD.
Why wouldn't it be fun to ride? Why do absolute weapons like you have to slag shit like this when you've never sat on one, or anything like it? The perfect armchair pundit *slow claps*
Great first person review. Very insightful. Well produced video. Seriously considering getting this bike. I probably will now. Cheers from Kentucky, USA
Just came over from watching Ricky Martins review of his Indian Scout Bobber, with a Freedom Performance 2 into 1 Combat Exhaust. It sounds fantastic. And this is at least 50% of what motorbikes are all about - the sound. Some may say that % is even higher, and I wouldn't argue. So how on earth can any serious biker be drawn to a bike that sounds like a milk float? I seriously doubt electric bikes will attract old school bikers like me. They may attract the kids of tomorrow who've never ridden a twin, triple, or 4 cylinder bike before. Electric bikes? Not for me.
I wish Harley would offer a kit to give all their models a normal left hand control indicator switch, nearly bought a 2018 Fat Bob but the indicators honestly did my head in that much I didn’t! You can’t just push the lever down to make sure you’ve cancelled them like on every other bike, you actually have to look down because there’s no specific cancel button! I know they’re ‘self cancelling’ but it didn’t work 100% of them time.
Great vid and review, personally I think Harley have done a pretty good job. Unfortunately I’m in love with the internal combustion engine and I will still be when it’s out performed by EV’s. Plus EV’s really need to come up with a battery tech other Lithium as they take way more resources to manufacture than ICE
What is point? What is point? Travel 100 miles. Find a charge point. if you can find a fast charge point. Wait an HOUR! Travel another 100 miles, etc. Petrol bike (a 1/3 of the price btw) Travel 150 miles. Find a petrol station, fill tank, in and out in 5 minutes. Travel another 150 miles, etc
I Bought my Yamaha XSR900 for $9000 this bike are beyond insane in price. 30 sec to fill the tank with $15 of gas and your good for 150 miles is hard to beat. Let face it Fuel cost never was a issue with bikes like cars.
28k... It better come with two spare battery assemblies! The only positive is if you did low side it, insurance will be trashing it. That's a lot of potential in that cell and I wouldn't want to hear the first and last sound made by that bike.
I have one. Everything he said is true. To me, it’s worth the price for the uniqueness and exclusivity. They don’t build many and it’s not for everybody.
I just bought a new Chevy Bolt Premier (Opel Ampera E for my Euro friends) for the same price of the Livewire, and can get double the range. The Livewire is a good demo of tech, but only a small percent will be willing to fork out the money for it.
Interesting comment on the lifespan of the brake pads. As someone that owns both a petrol bike and an electric car, the concept of braking is different for an EV than a conventional car or bike. A change of habit is required for any EV,. You're utilising the regen to do your initial braking with the bonus of it putting the excess energy back into the battery. You could have a whole load of fun whacking the regen up, finding the sweet spot and using it to do most of your braking before hitting the brake lever. The net result is an adrenalin rush and next to no wear on the brake pads. It's what Harley designed it for I would imagine. Hope that makes sense!
A regen lever where the clutch leaver usually is might help? You could then use a combination of varying degrees of braking or regen depending on your situation.
I would love to have one to just buzz around town and short trips around here would be perfect. Saying that no way I could afford one but Harleys have always been more expensive. I mean there are electric bikes, not motorcycles bikes, that cost as much as my FJ1100 new now. Still to move along only hearing the wind for some of us is a nice dream.
I guess what Fagan says is our inevitable fate, "...the time is going to come sooner or later..." Also Fagan, "...oh you can't beat the sound of a Super Duke, can you..."
It looks fun but costs nearly 3 times what I paid for my MT10. It maybe juvenile but part of the fun of a powerful naked bike is wheelies, didn't see any of those from the Livewire. I see that it's the future but I don't much like it. At the weekend I went to the Classic bike show, watched 100s of folks crowding around 20- 50 year old bikes, to see them start, hear their engines and smell the two stroke. Will these bikes be held in such affection in 30 years time?
80% from nothing in 40 minutes 😂, imagine all your mates filling up their petrol bikes and being on their way in 3 minutes “Hang on lads, I’ll be with ya in 40 minutes” 🤣🤣.
Sam Kent I live in a more rural part of the US and if you take the twisties to the nearest city and back your looking at 170mi round trip. That’s a deal killer for me even without the crazy price.
@@sv650nyc7 All while simultaneously dropping about 80kg from the current bike weight. IMO, the weight and toxicity/volitility of the batteries are the two biggest issue with these vehicles. Range are charge time are a smaller problem.
If anybody takes an EV bike on a ride with friends riding gasoline bikes is a moron to begin with, this bike is like my Buell Lightning after an hour of hard riding youll be glad to get the hell off it & ride your softail ,road king or fatboy for the rest of the day,i own a 1999 Lightening,a 2003 Road King 103 and a 2015 Fatboy 117 and id be proud as hell to own this bike,i have a 55 Panhead ill be selling to get this bike.
The why wouldn't you is the 90 mile range then find a place to charge and wait around for it to charge.the battery is still the problem,and when it goes bad how much to replace it?
If they can get that charge time down to like 15mins for 100miles highway that'd be Perfect. It'll help with the regen, maybe have a variable regen for a left lever to replace the clutch.
@Sam Yaza yeah, when it was that cold here, as a low, the high on Mars was -25c. Our high that day was -29. Still, colder north of us, -48. But to answer your question, Calgary.
Yes but when you needed to refuel to refresh your old Vmax range and give yourself another 100 miles it took you about 5 minutes and you could do it anywhere you were. On this you get to go 100 miles and then stop for an hour to recharge and go another 100 miles and then stop for an hour. All of that is assuming that you will find a suitable place every 100 miles to recharge. This bike is next to useless with the exception of people who will be using it with 40 miles of their home.
SuburbanHobbyist, there is that yes, but it’s not Harley Davidsons fault the infrastructure is not in place, or at least to point where it’s as accessible as petrol stations. The infrastructure needs to catch up with the manufacturers.
absolutely loved riding the LiveWire. I love riding Zeros as well, but the LiveWire did just feel "better". Not sure if it's worth the extra. Waiting to see what other e-bikes HD releases.
A number of years ago I saw a livewire concept bike and it was startlingly good looking. The production one, not so much. it wont get me to climb off my Ducati or Honda but HD has mad a darn good argument for the EV bike. I also have a lot of respect for HD for actually producing a new product and not the same re-hashed 30 year old product like they always do.
"I also have a lot of respect for HD for actually producing a new product " Harley Davidson made the chassis, but Missions Motors (defunct 2015) developed the powertrain
I want one so bad I don't gaf about the price tag. I'll buy one now, put it in a garage for 25 years, and it'll be worth 50 times as much as one of the OG EVs.
After watching the whole video I understand the laughs at the beginning: I can imagine it’s not the first test bike that you would have crashed as you drive too fast for the roads and the limitations there are. As for the bike, it seems an excellent one but the range is still a bit limiting and the price, as expected high. The dc fast charging looks a great addition.
An amazing design and craftsmanship no doubt. But the feeling in my gut tells me, there is something missing about electric bikes:) Btw keep these videos coming, cheers :)
I really like it. Most of my riding is under 80 mile round trips so range would be around perfect for 80% of the time. Love the looks. If I had a shed load of cash (which I definitely don't) I'd buy one. I'm very keen to see what the Japanese and European will do with e-bikes though. Hope they go all out fun and not glorified scooters!
Im looking forward to see how reliable these things are with real everyday use, if they actually manage to sell 1, that would be a surprise in itself to be fair haha.
Does look pretty good and braking aside seems to ride well. Didn't realise Harley were working on this and it's a pretty interesting brand direction for them to have taken considering what's gone before. Must have taken a huge amount of investment, but I guess it's potentially going to bring in a lot of non-typical Harley customers.
Haters will say: "That driver wouldn't have merged into your lane if you were on an old smoker" something about loud pipes blah blah.. bring on the electric revolution 🤙
@@whatsstefon I don't put fuel in my bike when it's raining without a forecourt cover overhead to be honest - but most public electric charging sockets don't have a forecourt cover. Furthermore I'm not going to get electrocuted when I put petrol in my tank. BUZZZ CRACKLE.
You guys should try the Energica Ego/Eva bikes.. perhaps a bit boutique (so that could mean crap), but I hear good things about them, yet don't see them tested a whole lot.
Full charge in about an hour is great...although with all of the development going into battery tech, two years from now, the market will be much different. I wonder if there will ever be a secondary energy storage bank (possibly out of a different chemistry like super caps with a high discharge/charge rate) that will charge on regen, then can be used at wot?
Don’t hate the player, hate the game. Or something...
44Teeth Why don’t they have gears on electric bikes?
Brammo experimented with gears a few years ago but it’s pointless. All the power is available at 1rpm
44Teeth Aha, it looked like fun
@@alexpage7292 Low voltage systems do have some hears, proper high voltage ones do not need one.
44Teeth I’ve got 26,000 miles on my evolution c now. I totally agree with you about the weight issues with the EV motorbikes (in regards to handling). However, I disagree with you on the break pads. It takes a while to get used to the regeneration breaking, I’ve only had two sets of break pads in 26k. I also just had my battery efficiency tested and they are 4 years old, with still 100% efficiency. At the moment I think EVs suit commuters mostly. I save roughly £2k a year as apposed to most 600cc motorbikes.... So with those savings I can now buy a Ducati 899 for weekends ;-)
Great review Al, I gotta say I'm no fan of Harleys but this is likely the first one I'd ever consider...
...You know, if it didn't cost more than my car did.
I’ve been riding for over forty years and reckon it’s been the golden era of motorbiking, thank fk I’ll miss out on the next era of soulless electric bikes .
Good riddance I say, we don't need you pretencious elitist lot in the community. Fact is, you put the soul and spirit into the bike by becoming part of it and driving it your way, without the rider the bike is a dead machine.
just coming into the golden age right now
For $30k(28k euro) I could buy an MV agusta limited edition brutale, anything I want from Ducati, a limited edition Fireblade sp2 2020(it is coming out), anything from aprilia, anything from BMW. And have it made with better quality.
Which would be your prerogative and I'd see why you'd want to, not really like with like though is it, hats off to Harley for pushing the alternative even though I wouldn't buy one myself either.
You would've gotten your money back with the Harley because it is electric .. You'd have to ride it everyday for 20 years though lol
@@mooiboyace gotten my money back how? I ride more than 200miles a day on average with my fireblade. Ive owned it for 3 rideable months as im now in a snowy winter where I live, and in those 3 months Ive put on well over 4900 miles and had ZERO issues. And when I want to ride more what do I do? I fill up in less than 5min and bam, im back on the road.
and the HD will STILL smoke you..
Michael Steven up until about 80mph then there’s no real advantage. After about 100mi you’ll be looking for an ev charging station which are still relatively rare.
28 Grand for an electric Harley is silly money when you can get a Zero for half that with a bigger range and more power and (arguably) better looks. Sub 100 mile range is also poor. I have no doubt it is fun to ride and I DO congratulate HD for going there and having the nads to make the Livewire but at the end of the day it's too expensive and not as good as its competition.
That could be said for any Harley Davidson really, All very over priced for what you get.
Thing is though, it'll hold its value much better than a Zero. Harley ownership has a big entry fee but once you're in, you're safe. Look after the bike and it'll barely drop in value.
I don't have 28G to drop on a bike. Not that I'd want to spend that much anyway.
The nads? It's classic Harley Davidson: build a different kind of motorcycle, make it worst than its competition and charge more money for it.
Al904cc No Zero bike offers DC fast charging.
"Why would you not?, Oh! it's 28K" hehehe
For city electric motorcycle are awesome. I own 11kW electric bike, it's cheap to ride, quick and silent. What do you want more? :P
Loved the review, I had the pleasure of testing one out up and down the coast of Galveston, Texas. Had a massive smile on my face when you roll back that throttle but no matter how sweet the ride was that price tag is a deal breaker.
This is one of the first Harleys I would actually consider owning, but as Jason and so many others have mentioned, it's just too damn expensive. And that's not a result of exchange rates or anything; they start a hair under $30k USD as well, and that's a serious dealbreaker for many people. I like the looks of the Livewire a bit better, but I'd rather get a Zero SR/F which has more range and costs $6k less. I know Harley is a "premium" brand, but it's not 6 grand premium.
The SR/F costs $10k less.
While there are some things very appealing about electric bikes such as the instantaneous torque availability, there's other things ingrained in my motorcycle experience that I don't want to give up. Dropping a gear and sliding the back end into a corner, power wheelies in 3rd as a standard of measurement for how fun a bike is, the visceral sound of increasing speed, the modification of air and fuel ratios to squeeze out more power...
There's a lot missing from the electric motorcycle experience, I look forward to the advances in technology and engineering, hopefully one day it'll be enough to make me a convert. Great review as always AL, cheers.
Awesome. Thanks for the glimpse, Fagan! I am a closet fan of electric bikes. Not because I believe they make trees smile, but because I am grinning ear to ear each time I ride one. All other opinions aside, my personal experience is very positive on these machines. I look forward to trying the Livewire. Thanks for the launch preview!😘😘
It’s perhaps only me, but most exciting moment was when I heard the KTM super duke. I went to watch the MotoGP round in Austria last year and fell asleep during the electric bike “race”. Great video as usual, thanks, I’ll keep my superduke, diavel and 1299s panigale!
no range, 30k price tag, no thanks.
38k in Sweden 😢
agreed... I like it.. but the price + low range. (+ no idea how much it would cost to eventually replace the battery)... that's almost Tesla car money + some spare left to get a nice bike on the side..
They used them on Long Way Up recently on all sorts of roads and conditions, think its the future.
That is pretty daring from HD... the company known so strongly for never changing.. to be the first to adopt e-bikes? The future truly is now!
it's called desperation ;)
Great video. I'm a Londoner living in Paris. I've owned loads of ICEs in both cities. I switched last year to the Zero FXE to be able to continue to park free! The FXE is an incredible urban commuter with everything in the sweet spot, and weighs just 135kg with 106nm of torque. It definitely smokes the Super Duke and almost anything out there up to 50km/h! For a while I've been considering the Livewires, and was eagerly awaiting the forthcoming Del Mar. I test rode the One last Saturday and got a chance to sit on the Del Mar but unfortunately it wasn't available for testing. I prefer the look of the One and found it incredibly stable in all situations and despite its weight and size, felt fine for filtering in dense traffic. The price is now 25k euros, which is still the same as a GS or other top-end ICEs but I reckon that it's a keeper and would satisfy my commuting and fun needs.
Pretty sure we did those roads in the Hire Car Grand Prix after Alcarras. Used as part of the Spanish rally stages from memory. They’re mega!!
Damn i would love to have a go on one of these, just damn that price! hopefully we can get them under 20k in the years to come.
Zero already figured it out years ago.
its expensive alright
@@wudntulike2no32 You probably didnt ride one then
just got a huge discount near 21k now, time always does the trick!
Had a go on one at the NEC on the rolling road.
I loved it
Last test drove a Energica, a little bit more power and a little bit less expensive. Drove very nice with about the same view on electric riding as this Harley. But the sound and gear changes on the way back gave me a little bit more of a smile on my face. But for every day use, this will be awesome.
Al loves getting a mention of BMX in the videos. I'm all for it.
benmpearson1 DK sixpack
Sounds better than a normal Harley.
If you want noise, put a playing card in the spokes like you do as a kid 👍 On my Raleigh Grifter, I used to turn the mud flap under the mud guards to get the ‘motor bike sound’.
I know the price is crazy but you have to give H-D some kudos for coming up with something really different from an H-D perspective. They have to reinvent themselves to some degree to survive. First time we have seen anything different from them in many years other than engine and suspension changes on standard models.
"If you crash it, don't touch it" haha
Every time you get excited and say ‘Nige’, I want to be like ‘you’re welcome!’ 😂
Did you just pass the police with a speed gun at 6:29 ?
Looks like it.
Well I guess the future has actually arrived... 44teeth doing electric bike reviews😁
In my eyes electric bikes are missing a massively important safety aspect. The rev bomb. Several times a week I use it to alert cars that they are about to cut across me or punish via making them jump, general shitty driving. I had one on the way home last night, some old boy drifted across lanes after not even seeing the Range Rover in front of me. Clutch in, shriek, he got back in lane. On an electric bike, he’d have probably taken out my front wheel.
xyber81 horn normally does the trick for me
I've experienced a few 2 wheeled EVs and TBH they're all fun, even the Segway balance & kick scooters for rent from Lime/ Jump/ Flamingo etc in certain countries.
That said, electric bikes need a new trick that petrol bikes don't have - they need to be able to boost their regen braking power at will. They need to be able to rotate the throttle forward into the negative or past zero throttle position to give proportionally more regenerative braking.
This would give the dual benefits of more regeneration and, negating the need for actual light to moderate braking, in order to reduce pad wear.
The logic behind this is very evident if you spend any time on Segway ES kick scooters. They have a right thumb button throttle and a left thumb button for braking, it's only regenerative, no mechanical braking on the handle bars at all. There is also regenerative braking while freewheeling which is adjustable via the Segway app, but my point is that there's also a manual regen braking control.
E-Bikes need this, it'll dramatically increase their brake pad life, probably to beyond that of petrol bikes - another selling point right...
Incidentally the Segway ES range do have a mechanical brake, it's the same as unpowered kick scoots, you step on the hinged rear mudguard which presses down on the tyre, but you only need that on a super steep downhill or in dire emergencies for quick direction changes.
Personally I can't wait to get myself an E-Bike, I'll still have my Triumph Speed Triple R, Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, 100cc 2Stroke Yamaha BWS race Scooter, and my mountainbikes. Electric is just the new sibling in an ever growing fun family 👌🏽🇿🇦
I want this to be successful for Harley. I'm glad they're trying something new and modern. If the price was lower I'd take one for a test ride. Thanks for the review.
Great review Al. This really got me interested in taking one out for a test ride, it must be a weird feeling at first. Would I buy one, probably not, but that said, electric vehicles are the future like it or not.. It is kinda sad to, damn I'd miss the sound of dropping down two gears, opening up the throttle up to the red line, going up the gears and listening to that beautiful howl from the exhaust... The future sound seems to just be a quiet "humming" or "whining"....
Reminds me of being pissed in the 90s and nicking milk off electric milk floats.
TRISTANorTRIS often pissed in the morning? Or just through the whole of the 90’s? 😂
If HD can do that, imagine what's to come...Bravo!
Riding around the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, I'd love an electric motorbike - if there were more charging options here. I have enjoyed a loud bike in the past, but the idea of a weekend ride in near silence through forest and mountains (without having to peddle) is so appealing.
Nice review Nige! I really hated the thing when it was 1st released. The general EV wave of the future AND that Harley had built it. After watching your video, I've really changed my outlook. Looks like it would be fun to ride. 👊😎 And a pat on the back to HD.
Why wouldn't it be fun to ride? Why do absolute weapons like you have to slag shit like this when you've never sat on one, or anything like it? The perfect armchair pundit *slow claps*
Harley adds 10k for the name.
So?
@@Eidrian111 So save money and buy a different brand...which is what people have been doing. That's why Harley is doing poorly at this time.
@@DenvarShay if someone is stupid enough to buy an overpriced Harley it’s their own stupidity. That’s what I meant.
YUP! And that's why they're failing as a brand :)
@@Eidrian111 so you're getting ripped off just for a name...
Looks cool. I rode the SR and loved it. Hoping to get my hands on the SR/F soon. BTW HD number plates from Offenbach, Germany 🇩🇪
Somehow love the look. The Harley to ride to the spaceship dock.
awesome, but how'd they get it to leak?
Great first person review. Very insightful. Well produced video. Seriously considering getting this bike. I probably will now. Cheers from Kentucky, USA
The Streets homage was glorious!!!
Just came over from watching Ricky Martins review of his Indian Scout Bobber, with a Freedom Performance 2 into 1 Combat Exhaust. It sounds fantastic. And this is at least 50% of what motorbikes are all about - the sound. Some may say that % is even higher, and I wouldn't argue. So how on earth can any serious biker be drawn to a bike that sounds like a milk float? I seriously doubt electric bikes will attract old school bikers like me. They may attract the kids of tomorrow who've never ridden a twin, triple, or 4 cylinder bike before. Electric bikes? Not for me.
I wish Harley would offer a kit to give all their models a normal left hand control indicator switch, nearly bought a 2018 Fat Bob but the indicators honestly did my head in that much I didn’t!
You can’t just push the lever down to make sure you’ve cancelled them like on every other bike, you actually have to look down because there’s no specific cancel button! I know they’re ‘self cancelling’ but it didn’t work 100% of them time.
Guy with the black Bell helmet was certainly on it 😀At £28k I think it will struggle to find buyers
You had me at 28k... where do I sign up, oh wait I can get 2 super bikes for that price... never mind. Cheers Al
I really like the way it looks and the fit and finish seems really good. Might possibly be cheaper here than the UK as well.
Nope it's nearly £30k that's an absolute rip-off would rather buy a brand new supersport for half of that
Great vid and review, personally I think Harley have done a pretty good job.
Unfortunately I’m in love with the internal combustion engine and I will still be when it’s out performed by EV’s.
Plus EV’s really need to come up with a battery tech other Lithium as they take way more resources to manufacture than ICE
Best vocab of any reviewer.
Man this thing is rad. Hope this ignites a tech war with other manufacturers. Wish I could afford it.
Plenty in the tank. That bike is simply lovely
What is point? What is point? Travel 100 miles. Find a charge point. if you can find a fast charge point. Wait an HOUR! Travel another 100 miles, etc.
Petrol bike (a 1/3 of the price btw) Travel 150 miles. Find a petrol station, fill tank, in and out in 5 minutes. Travel another 150 miles, etc
a good part of enjoying riding is the soundtrack, imo. this would really be last choice for me, bike wise.
Get yourself a clothes peg and a piece of card and you'll be fine!
2:43, you should be fine as long as you stay mainly out of the plains. From what I hear that's where the rain stays.
Amazing road for a bike ride! Lucky boys. 🇨🇦
Small correction. DC fast and level 2 are different. Level 2 is 240 volt ac. Also check out energica, they pioneered the tech in that harley.
The Livewire charges at the same rate at level 2 chargers as it does on level 1 chargers according to Harley's own website.
@@robertp457 you're not wrong...
I Bought my Yamaha XSR900 for $9000 this bike are beyond insane in price.
30 sec to fill the tank with $15 of gas and your good for 150 miles is hard to beat.
Let face it Fuel cost never was a issue with bikes like cars.
28k... It better come with two spare battery assemblies! The only positive is if you did low side it, insurance will be trashing it. That's a lot of potential in that cell and I wouldn't want to hear the first and last sound made by that bike.
The Silence in traffic is bloody Deadly mate. Nuff said
I have one. Everything he said is true. To me, it’s worth the price for the uniqueness and exclusivity. They don’t build many and it’s not for everybody.
I just bought a new Chevy Bolt Premier (Opel Ampera E for my Euro friends) for the same price of the Livewire, and can get double the range. The Livewire is a good demo of tech, but only a small percent will be willing to fork out the money for it.
Soz, it's a harley!!!..... i can't see the patch brigade taking to it🤣🤣..... mind you, a future hells angels rally will be very different 🤔
you think thats bad wait till they ban leather all those freaks will be crying in they.r shandy,s lol
Interesting comment on the lifespan of the brake pads.
As someone that owns both a petrol bike and an electric car, the concept of braking is different for an EV than a conventional car or bike.
A change of habit is required for any EV,. You're utilising the regen to do your initial braking with the bonus of it putting the excess energy back into the battery. You could have a whole load of fun whacking the regen up, finding the sweet spot and using it to do most of your braking before hitting the brake lever.
The net result is an adrenalin rush and next to no wear on the brake pads. It's what Harley designed it for I would imagine. Hope that makes sense!
A regen lever where the clutch leaver usually is might help? You could then use a combination of varying degrees of braking or regen depending on your situation.
I would love to have one to just buzz around town and short trips around here would be perfect. Saying that no way I could afford one but Harleys have always been more expensive. I mean there are electric bikes, not motorcycles bikes, that cost as much as my FJ1100 new now. Still to move along only hearing the wind for some of us is a nice dream.
I guess what Fagan says is our inevitable fate, "...the time is going to come sooner or later..." Also Fagan, "...oh you can't beat the sound of a Super Duke, can you..."
Watching these cruiser guys attempting to corner is my favorite part of the video lol
It looks fun but costs nearly 3 times what I paid for my MT10. It maybe juvenile but part of the fun of a powerful naked bike is wheelies, didn't see any of those from the Livewire. I see that it's the future but I don't much like it.
At the weekend I went to the Classic bike show, watched 100s of folks crowding around 20- 50 year old bikes, to see them start, hear their engines and smell the two stroke. Will these bikes be held in such affection in 30 years time?
80% from nothing in 40 minutes 😂, imagine all your mates filling up their petrol bikes and being on their way in 3 minutes
“Hang on lads, I’ll be with ya in 40 minutes” 🤣🤣.
Sam Kent I live in a more rural part of the US and if you take the twisties to the nearest city and back your looking at 170mi round trip. That’s a deal killer for me even without the crazy price.
And after 45 miles I'll be with you in ANOTHER 40 minutes 😆
Once they can get to a 200 mile range and have 50kW chargers (charge to 80% in 15mins or less), the end of ICE bikes will have come.
@@sv650nyc7 All while simultaneously dropping about 80kg from the current bike weight.
IMO, the weight and toxicity/volitility of the batteries are the two biggest issue with these vehicles.
Range are charge time are a smaller problem.
If anybody takes an EV bike on a ride with friends riding gasoline bikes is a moron to begin with, this bike is like my Buell Lightning after an hour of hard riding youll be glad to get the hell off it & ride your softail ,road king or fatboy for the rest of the day,i own a 1999 Lightening,a 2003 Road King 103 and a 2015 Fatboy 117 and id be proud as hell to own this bike,i have a 55 Panhead ill be selling to get this bike.
Still cant get past that RC car sound these electric bikes make, sounds really really chinsey.
The why wouldn't you is the 90 mile range then find a place to charge and wait around for it to charge.the battery is still the problem,and when it goes bad how much to replace it?
Maybe you guys will take a look at the Bronx once Harley gets them ready for press release
If they can get that charge time down to like 15mins for 100miles highway that'd be Perfect. It'll help with the regen, maybe have a variable regen for a left lever to replace the clutch.
I'd kill to live in that weather. Currently -41c here, snow will be here til May at the earliest.
@Sam Yaza yeah, when it was that cold here, as a low, the high on Mars was -25c. Our high that day was -29. Still, colder north of us, -48. But to answer your question, Calgary.
What's this "mile" of which you speak?
For a good motor sound, try putting a piece of cardboard in the spokes.
It's guaranteed to turn heads.
Same range as my old vmax. Gotta give credit to harley, its a brave move by them.
Yes but when you needed to refuel to refresh your old Vmax range and give yourself another 100 miles it took you about 5 minutes and you could do it anywhere you were. On this you get to go 100 miles and then stop for an hour to recharge and go another 100 miles and then stop for an hour. All of that is assuming that you will find a suitable place every 100 miles to recharge. This bike is next to useless with the exception of people who will be using it with 40 miles of their home.
SuburbanHobbyist, there is that yes, but it’s not Harley Davidsons fault the infrastructure is not in place, or at least to point where it’s as accessible as petrol stations. The infrastructure needs to catch up with the manufacturers.
absolutely loved riding the LiveWire. I love riding Zeros as well, but the LiveWire did just feel "better". Not sure if it's worth the extra. Waiting to see what other e-bikes HD releases.
I like that electronic turbine Whine of a howl.
You immediately know it's a 44Teeth review as soon as you hear the words fart or ball sacks.
A number of years ago I saw a livewire concept bike and it was startlingly good looking. The production one, not so much. it wont get me to climb off my Ducati or Honda but HD has mad a darn good argument for the EV bike. I also have a lot of respect for HD for actually producing a new product and not the same re-hashed 30 year old product like they always do.
"I also have a lot of respect for HD for actually producing a new product " Harley Davidson made the chassis, but Missions Motors (defunct 2015) developed the powertrain
I want one so bad I don't gaf about the price tag. I'll buy one now, put it in a garage for 25 years, and it'll be worth 50 times as much as one of the OG EVs.
Good honest riders review. Thank you!
After watching the whole video I understand the laughs at the beginning: I can imagine it’s not the first test bike that you would have crashed as you drive too fast for the roads and the limitations there are. As for the bike, it seems an excellent one but the range is still a bit limiting and the price, as expected high. The dc fast charging looks a great addition.
Like the look of it. Makes me think HD should get into the naked game!
An amazing design and craftsmanship no doubt. But the feeling in my gut tells me, there is something missing about electric bikes:) Btw keep these videos coming, cheers :)
Very good video! Can't wait to have an electric bike when the price becomes competitive!
I really like it. Most of my riding is under 80 mile round trips so range would be around perfect for 80% of the time. Love the looks. If I had a shed load of cash (which I definitely don't) I'd buy one. I'm very keen to see what the Japanese and European will do with e-bikes though. Hope they go all out fun and not glorified scooters!
As you say you open the throttle and puts a smile on your face! We call that #torquegrin
I’m not ready to give up my Akrapovic yet!
Amen, Brother.
Dennis M oh yes 👍
🤟🤟🤟🤟
@@dale-fi1fi yyyeeesss
Yep you'd be a real loser to give away the akra!
BMW is a major motorcycle manufacturer and they produced multiple EVs like the C Evolution 🍄
That's a scooter
Can't wait for electric sports bikes
I assume you mean affordable as well. Lightning has had one for awhile, but it makes this thing look like a bargain.
Im looking forward to see how reliable these things are with real everyday use, if they actually manage to sell 1, that would be a surprise in itself to be fair haha.
The long way up, they just rode some live qores from from south America to the USA
I bet the Harley crowd is loving this bike :p
I am, I absolutely am!
No. It doesn't have tech from the 1950s on it.
Does look pretty good and braking aside seems to ride well. Didn't realise Harley were working on this and it's a pretty interesting brand direction for them to have taken considering what's gone before. Must have taken a huge amount of investment, but I guess it's potentially going to bring in a lot of non-typical Harley customers.
Absolutely beautiful bike
Haters will say: "That driver wouldn't have merged into your lane if you were on an old smoker" something about loud pipes blah blah.. bring on the electric revolution 🤙
The placement of the charging socket would make me scared to charge it in the rain!
Thankfully those connectors are tested to be safe in extreme weather situations. It preforms a safety check before sending power through the cable
Why? Do you get scared to get water in your petrol tank when you ride your ICE bike in the rain?
@@whatsstefon I don't put fuel in my bike when it's raining without a forecourt cover overhead to be honest - but most public electric charging sockets don't have a forecourt cover. Furthermore I'm not going to get electrocuted when I put petrol in my tank. BUZZZ CRACKLE.
@Sam Yaza Thank you for your comprehensive reply! I don't doubt that it's all very safe but to my uneducated mind I'd expect a crackle!
@@Neils400 well. Consider yourself learning something new. You won't get electrocuted.
"You've got to wind your neck in on the brakes." - Good advice. Thanks!
There goes the loud pipes save lives motto Harley guys love
You guys should try the Energica Ego/Eva bikes.. perhaps a bit boutique (so that could mean crap), but I hear good things about them, yet don't see them tested a whole lot.
You can really see how that thing jumps forward
Full charge in about an hour is great...although with all of the development going into battery tech, two years from now, the market will be much different.
I wonder if there will ever be a secondary energy storage bank (possibly out of a different chemistry like super caps with a high discharge/charge rate) that will charge on regen, then can be used at wot?