Harley-Davidson will be unveiling its first-ever electric motorcycle, the Harley-Davidson LiveWire, in India on August 27. In addition to that, Harley-Davidson India will also showcase another all-new motorcycle on the same day. It was in January this year that the American motorcycle manufacturer announced the US pricing for the LiveWire, and now the bike is all set to reach our shores as well. While Harley-Davidson India is likely to reveal the official launch details at the unveiling event, we expect the new electric superbike to go on sale sometime in later 2019 or early 2020. In fact, the upcoming Harley-Davidson LiveWire is already listed on the company India’s website.
The production version of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire made its debut at the 2018 EICMA Motorcycle Show, and it has been in the making for more than five years now. The new Harley-Davidson LiveWire comes with a new electric powertrain, called the H-D Revelation, featuring a permanent magnet electric motor that is powered by a 15.5 kWh battery. The motor offers a power output of 78 kW or 104.6 bhp, along with a peak torque of 116 Nm, and this being an electric vehicle, all of that torque is available right from the word go.
Harley’s electric motorcycle is capable of doing a 0-100 kmph sprint is done in 3.5 seconds and more specifically, from 100 kmph to 128 kmph in less than 2 seconds. Thanks to the powerful 15.5 kWh battery, the LiveWire also offers a generous range of up to 235 kilometers, on a single charge. The LiveWire motorcycle is also equipped with a 12-volt lithium-ion accessory battery that provides power for start-up and key fob recognition.
Visually, the LiveWire does have that muscular stance associated with the brand, thanks to the massive battery pack and electric motor, trying to mimic an exposed engine. Also, the motorcycle is built around a cast aluminum frame which is lightweight and it gets Showa big-piston forks upfront along with a Showa monoshock at the rear, which is fully adjustable. For connectivity and instrumentation, the bike comes with a 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen infotainment display that is tilt-adjustable. The LiveWire has Bluetooth connectivity for use with a smartphone and a wireless headset through the touchscreen. The rider can listen to music, take calls, and hear turn-by-turn navigation instructions provided by the H-D app.
The bike also comes with a whole bunch of electronics under Harley’s Reflex Defensive Rider System or RDRS, such as ABS, cornering ABS, traction control, cornering traction control; front-wheel lift mitigation and drag-torque slip control system. Apart from the rider assistance systems, the LiveWire also gets 5 riding modes, which are Road, Rain, Range and Sport.