Harley-Davidson LiveWire
| Manufacturer | Harley-Davidson |
|---|---|
| Production | 2014 |
| Class | Electric motorcycle |
| Engine | 55 kW, oil-cooled, longitudinally-mounted three-phase induction electric motor |
| Power | 74 hp (55 kW) |
| Torque | 52 lb·ft (71 N·m) |
| Transmission | Direct drive (single speed), belt drive via bevel gear |
| Frame type | Cast aluminum trellis frame |
| Tires | 17-inch rear, 18-inch front |
| Weight | 460 lb (210 kg) (dry) |
The Harley-Davidson LiveWire is an electric motorcycle prototype and Harley-Davidson's first electric vehicle. It was displayed to the media in June, 2014. Prototypes will be made available for public test rides at United States Harley dealerships in 2014, then Europe and Canada in 2015. Harley CEO Keith Wandell said the model was part of an effort to reach a more diverse group of riders including "18 to 35-year-olds, women, African-Americans and Hispanic riders".
The new electric motorcycle was called "the most radical departure in the 111-year history of the brand" by a Fox Sports commentator. Other industry observers see the development of the LiveWire, and the potential development of an electric product or product line, as part of a shift towards "people who might not ordinarily be drawn to Harley's traditional loud, heavy, expensive motorcycles" and "the product of a painful corporate revolution long in the making" as Harley brings out new technology and reaches out for a wider customer base.
Styling was compared to that of former Harley sport bike subsidiary, Buell Motorcycles.
The Hollywood Reporter said that an electric Harley-Davidson could become a status symbol like the Tesla Model S, and noted that the new Harley had been placed in Avengers: Age of Ultron.Road & Track posted spy shots from the set, and reported that Harley would gauge the reception by the film's audience as a sort of global market test of the product concept.
Powersports Business reported that initial customer reactions to test rides in New York in late June, 2014 were "overwhelmingly positive" but also noted some negative reactions to the tuning of the regenerative braking system.
Unusually for an electric motorcycle (and perhaps uniquely), the motor is mounted longitudinally, under the frame. A bevel gear changes the direction of rotation 90° to drive a gilmer belt that turns the rear wheel. The same bevel gear gives the drivetrain a unique whirring sound, compared to the sound of a jet turbine, or as a writer for The Verge said, "like an oversized vacuum".
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