Harley-Davidson’s boardroom troubles are there for everyone to see. Its all-electric spinoff, LiveWire, has been enduring losses for a while now, too. But that hasn’t stopped the brand from coming up with an all-new low-powered electric motorcycle platform.
It was at Harley-Davidson’s Homecoming festival in Milwaukee that LiveWire unveiled two new concept motorcycles. The idea is simple – to make electric motorcycles more accessible to new riders.
The two models – a street-bike and a trail-bike – are described as motorcycles equivalent to the 125cc category. “The trail model is intended for riding backyards, pump tracks, or even out on the ranch or campgrounds,” said LiveWire. “The street model is perfect for urban errands, new riders, mini-moto fans, and anyone looking for a new hobby in the form of a readily customizable, approachable electric moto experience.”
At first glance, these might come across as your regular city commute mopeds. But per LiveWire, preliminary testing indicates that the bikes can go as fast as 53 mph (85 km/h), offer a range of about 100 miles (160 km), and boast a 0-60 speed of… 3 seconds. Wowza!
That's thanks to two detachable batteries, which, contrary to the LiveWire's existing S2 Arrow platform, give you the ability to swap out low-charge batteries if you already have extras topped-up. And although these batteries and powertrain layout are comparable to the S2 Arrow platform, the individual parts seem to be entirely distinct.
There’s no official mention of it by LiveWire, so I can’t say for sure, but many, including Motorcycle.com, suspect that this might just be the S3 version of the Arrow platform.
Many of the components are shared in the prototypes. A trellis frame with the motor acting as a stressed member, inverted forks, and a single rear shock that is attached to the swingarm are all common.
The bikes seem to be smaller and more maneuverable than anything I've seen from LiveWire before. They have what appear to be small 12-inch tires and a seat height of only 30 inches (76 cm).
Mitas MC 19 tires, measuring 120/80-12 up front and 130/80-12 down back, are mounted to the street bike. Meanwhile, Shinko Mobber off-road tires, measuring 120/70-12 up front and 130/70-12 down back, are utilized on the trail bike. I can also spot Kymco brake calipers and LED lighting at the rear, but that’s about it.
“We wanted to show you what we’ve been working on, while also giving you a chance to contribute feedback in terms of colors, accessories, or other options you’d like to see from this range,” read LiveWire’s Instagram post.
So, it’s safe to say the two versions are still at the development stage, but given the advanced stages of the designs, we probably won't have to wait too long. For what and who they're aimed at, these electric motos will likely cost less than half of LiveWire's current models.
So it's very likely we'll see a sub-$10,000 e-moto from Harley-Davidson, after all. Now, that’s still relatively steep for near-50-mph bikes considering how far along the likes of Zero and others have come. But let’s not forget, it’s LiveWire we’re talking about. Its $17,000 electric motorcycles haven't exactly been flying off the shelves. So, if anything, this might be a step in the right direction. And if that's what happens, these new mini e-bikes could be exactly what new riders have been yearning for a while.
Source: LiveWire via Motorcycle.com