Today I took some time out of the business (it happens occasionally!) and took a ride to sunny Guildford - to try out the H-D LiveWire - electric motorbike.
I was met by sales chap Darren, given the lowdown on this £30k beast & was soon introduced to the bike that I'd be riding. Seated the feeling is sportbike like: foot pegs back (no cruiser stuff here!) with a good reach for the bars. The seat has a padded section which is up into what would otherwise be the fuel tank - which makes for a really comfy perch. Quirky indicator switches - separate for left & right on the appropriate bars. The indicators are self-cancelling too! Build quality is fab - as you would expect on a machine with this price tag.
A quick play with the controls in the "car" park. The LiveWire has keyless start. It has a lovely TFT "mobile phone type" screen, which is angle-able for rider height & to help with sun glare - nice touch! I took the LiveWire out in rain mode - to get used to the power delivery. In under a mile I switched (on the fly) to Road mode - much better!
At low speed the bike sounds like a milk float, once you get on the throttle (twist & go - no clutch or gears!) - it sounds like a jet fighter! On the subject of slow speed - I found very slow speed control: unsettled. Might be the length of the bike, reach for the bars, lack of clutch - or all of the above. I guess you'd get used to it, but would make for tricky filtering until you do get used to it!
The power delivery on this bike is addictive! Roll on is great, but from zero-ish MPH - acceleration is significantly quicker than any other bike that I've ridden, but controlled at the same time. No clutch, gears, fuelling issues, or on-off jerkiness: just huge amounts of smooth power!
The riding experience is quiet! The only sound you can hear (apart from God's creation around you & other traffic) is the electric drive (which is actually pretty cool) & the suspension working - yes you did read that right!
Charging time is sensible when you get your head around it: Fast charge (if you have access to one of these charging stations) = 0-80% in 40 minutes. 0-100% in 60 minutes. Or you can plug it into a 13A home socket & the charge takes ~8 hours. You just need to plan your journey - hit fuel stations with fast charge points, grab a seat & a coffee.
I had the bike for an hour, and honestly thought that I'd think: OK but too quirky. Nope - I absolutely loved it! I'd love to own one (deffo one for the fantasy garage) but not sure £30k would work for me. OK - lots of expensive R&D here, lots of expensive kit too: the battery is ~£8k alone! Frankly I was really impressed with this bike. If it was £20k, I think it would be a viable alternative for my beloved CB.
If you get the opportunity - try the LiveWire. Forget it's a Harley, also forget that it's electric. Ride it as a motorbike & enjoy the experience - its a fantastic bike!
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