MelodicMetalGod
Registered
Well, not quite complete. But I did have the privilege of riding one of the 40 Project LiveWire bikes this past Friday. And...
It was AWESOME!
Yeah, I know. That's what I was thinkin', but I double checked and, yep, sure 'nough...it really did say "Harley-Davidson" on it and I actually loved the ride!
My review follows below.
For those that might not know, Project LiveWire is HD's surprise foray into the world of electric motorcycles and their even more surprising choice of making this bike a standard/sport model. Wow!
Project LiveWire is being demoed throughout the US and Europe right now. A total of only 40 bikes have been made (11 for the west coast, 11 for the east coast and 11 for Europe, with 7 being used for various other purposes (some say an HD Exec or two might be riding sans petrol these days).
Having never ridden and electric bike, my expectation was wide open and here's my takeaway after the 6 mile test ride loop:
1) Simple to ride: No harder to ride than any other bike...that has serious power and acceleration!
2) Great power: There is no issue with power, acceleration or speed on this bike. I'd like to see one of you drag-racers against or on this bike. I really don't know how it would stack up, but you do have to hold on tight when you hit the throttle with any authority, so I wouldn't take it for granted.
3) Range needs improvement: My bike was 87% charged and offered a choice of Eco mode for an estimated 57 miles or Sport mode for 26 miles. Bear in mind, these bikes were hand-built SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of demo to the public on this tour. Therefore it is extremely likely that their batteries were tailored as such and that production models may not need be so limited on range.
4) Sound: Tron or Turbine? You be the judge, but there is no doubt it sounds nothing like an ICE bike. For me, the sound is fine, though without earplugs, just like ICE's, I'd be hard pressed to deal with the sound for long. I'd prefer a stealth version, but that's me...probably the only guy with stock cans on the Hayabusa.
5) Ride: Plenty nimble/agile. At under 500 lbs., with all that power it does what ya want it do when ya want it to do it. Now we didn't get to really put it through serious testing in terms of brakes, cornering, etc., but it handled as well or better than many ICE bikes that I've owned and/or ridden. Unlike typical HD's, in addition to real power, it also has real suspension and real brakes!
6) Brakes: THIS was really odd. NEVER had to hit the brakes during the test ride! What!?!?!? I know! They told us up front that we wouldn't need the brakes for routine stops. We didn't believe it, of course. We were wrong! Turns out that releasing the throttle activate a charging mode in which the real wheel energy is feed back to the system so as to charge up the batteries regeneratively. The effect is not exactly like but also not unlike engine braking. But you won't stall!
7) No Clutch, No Shifter: OMG! Reality has been skewed forever! I love shifting. For me it was the hardest skill to become somewhat proficient with in operating a bike and, therefore, it is forever something that I will identify with riding as well as something that separates riders/drivers from the average commuter. The funny thing is, on the LiveWire I only missed the clutch and the shifter until my feet got off the ground. I completely expected to be missing or looking for those missing elements, reaching for the lever at stops, trying to up shift when getting up to speed, etc. Instead, what I found is that I was never inspired to shift b/c the need wasn't there. Since the bike was always in the power band (one gear, just a matter of how much throttle you apply) and the engine never sounded or felt out of shape (over-revved or lugging), there was nothing telling me it was time to shift. So my instinct to shift simply never kicked in. And get this...I even slow-rode the thing! I was able to ride at 1-2 miles an hour with fine/finesse throttle inputs. Awesome!
8) Maintenance: Easier, simpler and less of it. It's just silly how much less there is to deal with compared to an ICE. Of course, that's part of the charm of an ICE, but it's also a pretty cool idea that there's more time for riding that might otherwise be spent adjusting valves, cleaning injectors or balancing carbs. One thing on this bike: Oil changes are still a thing. It actually uses oil for the gearbox and batteries. If it leaks a little, it might even get a few HD purists in the game!
9) Ergonomics: This is the only HD I've ever wanted to ride or that I've ridden. The main reason? I like to be in riding position of control and balance and for me that means standard or sport ergos. The LiveWire is great mix of the two. It's primarily a standard ergo with the foot pegs somewhat rear set. The ride was too short to really judge the seat itself for comfort, but the controls were are located well and I didn't have any gripes for comfort. It really felt to me like a great standard position with a slight lean to the sporting side.
10) Gripes: Not many, but here they are:
a) Mirrors: What mirrors? Of there they are, mounted on the end of the front turn signal stalks...BELOW the grips. I completely agree with MCN - if you're taller than 5' 8", anything behind you might as well be invisible. If I owned this bike, real, properly located mirrors would be the absolute #1 change. That said, the mirrors look great if you're not on the bike! lol
b) Turn Signals: Apparently HD uses two signal buttons to control the turn signals. One on the left and one on the right. And the work by pressing to turn it on and pressing a second time to turn off. HATED IT! Two things here.
i) First, I've never had a signal control on the right grip and I never want on there as I found it a PITA to maintain a refined throttle while futzing with the right turn signal button. I'm sure I'd get used to it after a while, but I see no reason to have something extra for the one hand that controls braking and throttle while the left hand is completely under-utilized with the lack of a clutch. I'll take my turn signals both on the left bar, thanks.
ii) Second, the whole press once for on and again for off can leave you wondering which state it's in and the buttons have no detents so there was no clear tactile feedback as to how hard the button needed to be pushed.
And that's what I thought of my Project LiveWire test ride. Overall, if this bike was in production and had an improved range at a price that compared with Japanese ICE models, I'd have one! Excellent power, decent handling, solid brakes, low maintenance and a comfortable ride. And all this from...Harley of all people! Wow!
BTW, if anyone is interested in test riding for yourself, check the Project LiveWire site (see link above/beginning) and sign up to be a candidate. No guarantees, but the event that I was invited to still had a lot of available spots.
Ride well and be well!
It was AWESOME!
Yeah, I know. That's what I was thinkin', but I double checked and, yep, sure 'nough...it really did say "Harley-Davidson" on it and I actually loved the ride! My review follows below.
For those that might not know, Project LiveWire is HD's surprise foray into the world of electric motorcycles and their even more surprising choice of making this bike a standard/sport model. Wow!
Project LiveWire is being demoed throughout the US and Europe right now. A total of only 40 bikes have been made (11 for the west coast, 11 for the east coast and 11 for Europe, with 7 being used for various other purposes (some say an HD Exec or two might be riding sans petrol these days).
Having never ridden and electric bike, my expectation was wide open and here's my takeaway after the 6 mile test ride loop:
1) Simple to ride: No harder to ride than any other bike...that has serious power and acceleration!
2) Great power: There is no issue with power, acceleration or speed on this bike. I'd like to see one of you drag-racers against or on this bike. I really don't know how it would stack up, but you do have to hold on tight when you hit the throttle with any authority, so I wouldn't take it for granted.
3) Range needs improvement: My bike was 87% charged and offered a choice of Eco mode for an estimated 57 miles or Sport mode for 26 miles. Bear in mind, these bikes were hand-built SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of demo to the public on this tour. Therefore it is extremely likely that their batteries were tailored as such and that production models may not need be so limited on range.
4) Sound: Tron or Turbine? You be the judge, but there is no doubt it sounds nothing like an ICE bike. For me, the sound is fine, though without earplugs, just like ICE's, I'd be hard pressed to deal with the sound for long. I'd prefer a stealth version, but that's me...probably the only guy with stock cans on the Hayabusa.
5) Ride: Plenty nimble/agile. At under 500 lbs., with all that power it does what ya want it do when ya want it to do it. Now we didn't get to really put it through serious testing in terms of brakes, cornering, etc., but it handled as well or better than many ICE bikes that I've owned and/or ridden. Unlike typical HD's, in addition to real power, it also has real suspension and real brakes!
6) Brakes: THIS was really odd. NEVER had to hit the brakes during the test ride! What!?!?!? I know! They told us up front that we wouldn't need the brakes for routine stops. We didn't believe it, of course. We were wrong! Turns out that releasing the throttle activate a charging mode in which the real wheel energy is feed back to the system so as to charge up the batteries regeneratively. The effect is not exactly like but also not unlike engine braking. But you won't stall!
7) No Clutch, No Shifter: OMG! Reality has been skewed forever! I love shifting. For me it was the hardest skill to become somewhat proficient with in operating a bike and, therefore, it is forever something that I will identify with riding as well as something that separates riders/drivers from the average commuter. The funny thing is, on the LiveWire I only missed the clutch and the shifter until my feet got off the ground. I completely expected to be missing or looking for those missing elements, reaching for the lever at stops, trying to up shift when getting up to speed, etc. Instead, what I found is that I was never inspired to shift b/c the need wasn't there. Since the bike was always in the power band (one gear, just a matter of how much throttle you apply) and the engine never sounded or felt out of shape (over-revved or lugging), there was nothing telling me it was time to shift. So my instinct to shift simply never kicked in. And get this...I even slow-rode the thing! I was able to ride at 1-2 miles an hour with fine/finesse throttle inputs. Awesome!
8) Maintenance: Easier, simpler and less of it. It's just silly how much less there is to deal with compared to an ICE. Of course, that's part of the charm of an ICE, but it's also a pretty cool idea that there's more time for riding that might otherwise be spent adjusting valves, cleaning injectors or balancing carbs. One thing on this bike: Oil changes are still a thing. It actually uses oil for the gearbox and batteries. If it leaks a little, it might even get a few HD purists in the game!
9) Ergonomics: This is the only HD I've ever wanted to ride or that I've ridden. The main reason? I like to be in riding position of control and balance and for me that means standard or sport ergos. The LiveWire is great mix of the two. It's primarily a standard ergo with the foot pegs somewhat rear set. The ride was too short to really judge the seat itself for comfort, but the controls were are located well and I didn't have any gripes for comfort. It really felt to me like a great standard position with a slight lean to the sporting side.
10) Gripes: Not many, but here they are:
a) Mirrors: What mirrors? Of there they are, mounted on the end of the front turn signal stalks...BELOW the grips. I completely agree with MCN - if you're taller than 5' 8", anything behind you might as well be invisible. If I owned this bike, real, properly located mirrors would be the absolute #1 change. That said, the mirrors look great if you're not on the bike! lol
b) Turn Signals: Apparently HD uses two signal buttons to control the turn signals. One on the left and one on the right. And the work by pressing to turn it on and pressing a second time to turn off. HATED IT! Two things here.
i) First, I've never had a signal control on the right grip and I never want on there as I found it a PITA to maintain a refined throttle while futzing with the right turn signal button. I'm sure I'd get used to it after a while, but I see no reason to have something extra for the one hand that controls braking and throttle while the left hand is completely under-utilized with the lack of a clutch. I'll take my turn signals both on the left bar, thanks.
ii) Second, the whole press once for on and again for off can leave you wondering which state it's in and the buttons have no detents so there was no clear tactile feedback as to how hard the button needed to be pushed.
And that's what I thought of my Project LiveWire test ride. Overall, if this bike was in production and had an improved range at a price that compared with Japanese ICE models, I'd have one! Excellent power, decent handling, solid brakes, low maintenance and a comfortable ride. And all this from...Harley of all people! Wow!
BTW, if anyone is interested in test riding for yourself, check the Project LiveWire site (see link above/beginning) and sign up to be a candidate. No guarantees, but the event that I was invited to still had a lot of available spots.
Ride well and be well!
Last edited:
Worked out great!
