LiveWire, the electric division of Harley-Davidson, is finally releasing its new electric motorcycle in Europe, the LiveWire 2 Del Mar. It is clearly hot, nothing to complain about on that side, and its performance promises to be excellent. However, in terms of autonomy and price, two-wheeler enthusiasts have something to worry about.
This LiveWire 2 was eagerly awaited by fans of the brand, or at least by those who had digested the fact that Harley went electric. Its design is frankly enticing and takes up some key elements of the manufacturer’s old models such as the horizontal headlight. Its line is clearly oriented retrofuturist with a flat track side well assumed. The performances announced by the manufacturer are seductive, too. Despite this, the little news from Harley worries about the power of its battery and its price.
Hair-raising performance, but autonomy to pick up
The LiveWire 2 is equipped with a 63 kW (84 horsepower) motor, which will give it truly satisfying, supercar-like acceleration capabilities. Its torque is 250 Nm for a total weight of 195 kilos. The 0 to 100 km / h is therefore shot in 3.2 seconds, the same time as an Audi R8 II V10 Plus. Its maximum speed is around 166 km/h. The bike has enough to give good sensations… but not for too long, if we judge the capacities of the battery.
This motorcycle will be available with two different batteries named L1 and L2 by the manufacturer. Precise details are not yet communicated, but Harley promises a range of 177 kilometers in urban driving for the L2 version (the least powerful). This figure would rise to around 200 kilometers for the high-end version. Realistically, these numbers clearly need to be revised downwards. In highway driving, for the same battery configuration, the bike will reach 69 kilometers at around 113 km/h. Clearly a bad joke, especially at the advertised price.
Prohibitive prices in Europe
Bad luck for us in Europe, prices won’t be the same as in the US, where the bike will trade around $15,000 for its standard version. The LimeWire 2 sold out very quickly in Launch Edition in May 2022 for $17,700. In Europe, the price is significantly higher. It is possible to reserve the bike on the official website for 25,290 euros, excluding bonuses. A bad joke that therefore extends to the wallet.
With such a high price, it competes with other models such as the Zero SR/F (259 kilometers of autonomy in urban use, for around 22,000 euros) or the Energica Eva Ribelle (200 kilometers of autonomy for a entry price around 25,000 euros, but much more powerful). Two references in the category, which do better than the LiveWire 2 for a lower or equivalent price.
Clearly, one wonders what the LiveWire teams thought of for their new model. Its design is a real success, its performance is excellent, but for the rest, we will come back. Forget any attempt at a road trip, you will be condemned to accelerate very hard from one red light to another. Exclusive urban use, therefore. Not sure that for 25,000 euros, it interests many people.
Sources: Engadget, cleanrider
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