Harley-Davidson's all-electric LiveWire division is collaborating with Taiwanese scooter giant KYMCO on high-performance electric maxi-scooters. Anticipated to hit the market in 2026, these scooters will make use of LiveWire’s S2 Arrow powertrain.
People were a bit surprised to see the Harley-Davidson sub-brand making an appearance at this year's EICMA on KYMCO's stall, where the announcement was made. For those who don't know, KYMCO was an early investor in the LiveWire brand and the pair have had a long-standing collaboration ever since.
Following the news, LiveWire released a series of concept drawings and renders that show two contemporary-themed electric scooters. One features aggressive off-road tires and luggage racks, while the second is a simpler, road-going variant – albeit with a sharply angled front fairing that nudges it toward Akira-bike territory.
The S2 Arrow platform that serves as the foundation for these scooters was initially introduced with the LiveWire S2 Del Mar, a flat track-inspired streetbike. It consists of the electric motor, structural battery, and related control hardware, and as well as the Del Mar, it's also been used for the more cruiser-adjacent S2 Mulholland.
The new KYMCO maxi-scoots are said to match the S2 Arrow platform's "benchmark performance" and "range capabilities" – so we can assume a combined-cycle riding range of about 86 miles (138 km) and the capacity to charge the bike from 20% to 80% in less than 80 minutes where level-2 fast-chargers are available.
The current S2 Arrow system delivers a fairly zesty 84 hp (63 kW) of peak power in short bursts, or 40 hp (30 kW) of continuous power without overheating. With a maximum torque of 194 lb.ft (263 Nm) and a maximum speed of 101 mph (163 km/h), it accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3 seconds.
Those power and torque specs look pretty decent on LiveWire's streetbikes, but they'll be an outrageously spicy addition to the maxi-scoot market, where the current market leader is Honda's Forza 750, making a comparatively anemic 58 hp (43 kW) and 51 lb.ft (69 Nm). These upcoming KYMCOs are going to embarrass some expensive cars and bikes at the traffic-light drags. Bring it on!
"The belief and recognition that we could create a class-leading maxi-scooter using our S2 Arrow powertrain has been a constant, KYMCO sharing their expertise has changed belief into reality, and we are excited to commence on this journey with such a globally recognized leader in the category," remarked LiveWire CEO Karim Donnez. The two companies plan to start an employee exchange program to extend, integrate and streamline the partnership.
Maxi-scooters are great for longer, faster commutes compared to lower-capacity 50-175cc scooters. Their higher-capacity, higher-powered engines, better onboard electronics, comfort features, and increased weather protection make them much more usable and comfy at highway speeds.
Electrics, of course, struggle with battery range on the highway, but we're not talking about touring here, more like outer-suburban commuting. The range should work out fine for most daily use cases.
KYMCO likes the the S2 Arrow platform enough that it's also used it for a complete overhaul of its RevoNEX electric motorcycle, also revealed at EICMA. This handsome retro-futuristic streetbike is expected to hit the market around 2026.
It's no secret that LiveWire never exactly won over the hearts and minds of Harley-Davidson's core customer base, many of whom seemed personally offended by the company's move into quiet electrics. Splitting the brands apart was a wise move, if perhaps a little late coming, because if a certain segment of the Harley faithful found out that the same bar 'n' shield logo they had tattooed across their chests was going on a pair of maxi-scooters? Maxi-scooters painted in gentle pastel blue and beige colors? Well, there may well have been blood in the streets of Milwaukee.
But now that Livewire's a totally separate thing, adding these scoots to its portfolio is a sign the young motorcycle manufacturer is ready to move out of H-D's shadow and explore its own interests, catering to a different kind of user with unique needs and preferences. It calls for a focus on a younger, largely urban audience.
At this point in time, there are no details on model names or pricing. The company plans to start shipping the scoots in the first half of 2026, though, with the objective of worldwide distribution.
Source: LiveWire