Project LiveWire is the codename that Harley Davidson have given to their first ever electric motorbike. To be frank, they could have called it “Project Badass Lead Guitarist with 3 Groupies Waiting Backstage for him” and it still would’ve left a sceptical taste in my mouth.
The reason? It’s Harley Davidson. How can the brand that stands for all-American, suck down a cheese burger, burn some oil, 4th of July-ness dare to kneel to the electric Gods and their promise of low emission and fuel efficiency?
Well they have, and if you’ll carry on reading you’ll feel your scepticism dissolve like Oscar’s chances of running in the next Olympics.
Project LiveWire keeps with Harley Davidsons’ customer-led product development approach of giving a few select customers (in the US and Europe during their Project LiveWire tour) the chance to ride the all new electric bike and then feed back to the Harley Davidson HQ on what they think works and what they think doesn’t. As with past petrol models, this feedback will shape the look, feel and spec of Harley-Davidson’s first-ever electric motorcycle.
The first issue (and most important in everyone’s opinion) to sort out is how are they going to deal with sound? Harley Davidson motorcycles are known for their sound in the way Lindsay Lohan is for her drug problems or Bill Nye is for his brain. You can’t make a Harley that doesn’t sound fantastic, but you also can’t fake the sound like some electric cars have taken to doing.
Harley Davidson have settled on a pretty decent compromise I think. They describe it as a “fighter jet on an aircraft carrier”. Watch this video and make up your mind for yourself.
I dunno if they nailed the description too well, but one thing they have accomplished is they’ve made the bike sound as bad ass as is possible on something with no exhaust (something they’ve managed to save weight with too). I like it. They’ve taken a 56k modem, and made it a 4G tower.
Reports coming back from journos who’ve been lucky enough to have their first ride is that the bike “doesn’t suck”, but they’re still questioning whether consumers will take to an electric Harley Davidson. I call it and say they will because a brand with the strength of Harley Davidson can poop in a hat and call it ice-cream and people will buy it.
Reports on performance of the bike are that it’s quick. Sure it won’t rumble like a traditional Harley Davidson, or piss off any neighbours, but it’s a smooth ride with an “exciting sound”.
The sound is thanks to the longitudinally-mounted, three-phase AC induction motor reverberating through the chassis, amplifying the sound, meaning it’s not fake.
Now the practical stuff. The LiveWire has 55kw and a top speed of 150km/h, that’s more torque and power than Harley’s Iron 883. The lithium-ion battery charges in just under 4 hours and has a range of 84km.
Specs like this make it clear that Harley Davidson has recognised the swift shift towards electric vehicles and is responding in turn. They’re one of the most recognisable and popular motorcycle brands (and brands in general for that matter) and they’ve going to need to have an affordable, short distance, cheap to run and maintain product to offer younger consumers in the coming years. The LiveWire fits the profile just right!
See more: www.projectlivewire.com
