We're now counting about four years after Harley-Davidson first showed off a concept electric motorcycle.
This time around we're talking about the production-ready bike. The Bike is called the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. Most bike enthusiast can't believe that the bike is here. It's actually almost here. Harley unveiled the production-ready electric motorcycle Tuesday at the EICMA motorcycle show in Italy.
However, the bike will not be available until sometime next year. Harley is placing the big bet on electrification in hopes that it will revive the brand, which has struggled in recent years. The bike is supposed to be the first in what will be a portfolio of electric Harley-Davidson motorcycles that will be available by 2022.
The company is encouraging the switch to electric. It is installing Level 2 public chargers at dealer locations that sell the electric bike.
However, the company is yet to announce the bike's pricing or range and performance information. There were some new details on the specs of the bike though.
It turns out that the bike will be powered by a permanent magnet electric motor that is located low in the motorcycle to lower the center of gravity and improve handling at different speeds and make it easier to control when stopped.
Techcrunch reported that the bike will also have two batteries: the main battery, composed of 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.
However, the bike can be charged with a Level 1 charger that plugs into a standard household outlet with a power cord that stores below the motorcycle seat.
If you're interested in fast charging the bike, you can use the Level 2 and Level 3, or DC Fast Charge (DCFC), through an SAE J1772 connector in the U.S., or CCS2 - IEC type 2 charging connector in international markets.
The LiveWire bike will have a range of seven riding modes, three of which are rider-defined. The modes will be tuned with adjustable high-specification Showa suspension. The bike will also have an adjustable color touchscreen display located above the handlebar. The screen gives riders access to the interface for Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, music, and other features.
The only thing that you need to keep in mind is the fact that the bike will not have the trademark gas-powered sound. On the other hand, Harley will give the bike a tone that will increase in pitch and volume with speed. The new sound "represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle."
The new bike will be fitted with the Brembo Monoblock front-brake calipers gripping dual 300 mm-diameter discs. It also has an anti-lock braking system and traction control system, which will come standard.
