Harley-Davidson has revealed the near-production version of the all-electric LiveWire prototype at this year’s EICMA Show in Milan, Italy. The American motorcycle manufacturer said that the pre-order process will begin in January 2019.
While the full details are yet to be discovered, we do have few things to share. To begin with, the motorcycle gets fully adjustable suspension from Showa. The BFRC-lite (Balanced Free Rear Cushion-lite) mono-shock rear suspension is complimented by SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork-Big Piston) up front.
As for the braking duties, the Brembo Monoblock calipers are gripping dual 300 mm-diameter discs at front, while the rear disc specification is yet to be revealed. ABS and Traction Control System are fitted as standard. The motorcycle rides on 17-inch wheels shod with co-branded H-D/Michelin Scorcher tyres measuring 180 mm rear and 120 mm front.
The LCD display is tilt-adjustable and features Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, music and more. As we can see in one of the pictures, the “gas tank” cap neatly houses the charging port. Speaking of the battery, the 15.5 kWh pack is composed of lithium-ion cells surrounded by a cast-aluminum housing. There’s also another small 12-volt lithium-ion battery that powers the lights, controls, horn and instrument display.
As for the charging, the LiveWire is capable of DC fast charging too; 0-80% charge is claimed to happen in 40 minutes. The power cord is stored underneath the motorcycle seat.
Which then brings us to the electric motor. It produces 78 kW (106 metric hp) and 116 Nm (86 ft-lb) of torque, and is housed low in the motorcycle for a low center of gravity and help the motorcycle handle well at all speeds and easy to control when stopped. For legal reasons and safety of other road users, the motorcycle produces an artificial tone that increases in pitch and volume with speed.
The LiveWire comes with 7 selectable riding modes – 4 of which are set as standard from the factory and a further three modes that can be defined by the user.
Initially, the motorcycle will be available in select dealerships through North America and parts of Europe in 2019.
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