Later this year, the Harley-Davidson Livewire electric cruiser will finally be available, and today the Bar & Shield brand dropped some details on what we can expect from the revolutionary machine (as well as two more fleshed-out electric concepts).
First up, the obvious. The 2020 Harley-Davidson Livewire will be priced at $29,799 – which is a princely sum for an electric motorcycle, but not an unreasonable figure for a motorcycle from Harley-Davidson.
In addition to having the all new “Revelation” electric drive train, the folks at Milwaukee have packed the Livewire with a number of cutting edge features.
This includes an LTE-equipped media center, as well as traction control and ABS that are assisted by an inertial measurement unit (IMU).
“We’re at a historic juncture in the evolution of mobility, and Harley-Davidson is at the forefront,” said Matt Levatich, Harley-Davidson’s President and CEO.
“Innovation that moves the body and soul has always been at the heart of our brand, and this next chapter in our history is about creating products and opportunities for existing and aspiring riders of all ages and walks of life.”
“Our vision for the future is all-encompassing,” continued Levatich. “For all ages, from urban professional to exurban retiree, and from commute-minded to thrill-seeking, we are creating the products and opportunities for existing and aspiring riders to feel the transformative power of the two-wheeled riding experience.”
“These two concepts are further statements towards that our commitment to lead in the electric mobility space that begins this fall with the production 2020 LiveWire.”
Harley-Davidson is quoting a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds, as well as an urban riding range of 110 miles.
While the figures don’t light up the scoreboard, they are a reasonable first effort from the American company, and should be adequate for the typical cruiser use-case scenario.
Today’s news means that the Harley-Davidson Livewire is available for pre-order online, with deliveries in the USA expected this autumn, while other global markets will have to wait a longer undetermined amount of time for availability.
Hoping not to lose the H-D faithful, Harley-Davidson is touting the sound of the new Livewire motorcycle, saying that the “LiveWire model is designed to produce a new signature Harley-Davidson sound as it accelerates and gains speed. This new futuristic sound represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle.”
We understand that the new sound comes from the cut on the teeth of the Livewire’s gears, and is not an artificial sound projected from a speaker – so that is some good news right there.
Of course, the real test for the 2020 Harley-Davidson Livewire will be how it performs on the road, and then how it performs on the showroom floor when diehard Harley riders and new riders to the brand come and check it out.
That will be an interesting day. Until then…
Source: Harley-Davidson
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