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Daniele Carrozza
![The LiveWire is the first electric Harley-Davidson ...]()
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The LiveWire is the first electric Harley-Davidson …
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Daniele Carrozza
![... and starts here for the first test drive in Switzerland.]()
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… and starts here for the first test drive in Switzerland.
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Daniele Carrozza
![In terms of driving dynamics, LiveWire plays in a new Harley league.]()
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In terms of driving dynamics, LiveWire plays in a new Harley league.
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Daniele Carrozza
![What we lack are reverse gear and parking brake.]()
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What we lack are reverse gear and parking brake.
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Daniele Carrozza
![Conclusion: A cool Harley, almost silent and extremely dynamic.]()
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Conclusion: A cool Harley, almost silent and extremely dynamic.
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Our goal is unusual: empty the battery of the first electric Harley-Davidson – and then push it to the socket. Because the LiveWire is one of the lightest machines from Milwaukee (USA) with a battery of 249 kg.
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Let’s go! At the start of the test, the easy-to-read TFT touchscreen for the fully charged LiveWire shows a range of 163 kilometers. Well, that sounds very promising.
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Traffic light green – it’s gone
The combination of excellent balance and minimal human intervention – just one gear, no shifting – makes the LiveWire ultra-handy and uncomplicated, especially in stop-and-go. Shines in the city, especially over land! From the start and over the entire speed range, there is 117 Nm of torque. LiveWire is always ready for sprints: traffic light green, it’s gone. Anyone who pulls the 78 kW (106 E-PS) to the max must really hold on.
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That is why there is an assistance package: Reflex Defensive Rider Systems (RDRS), i.e. cornering ABS with rollover protection, curve-optimized traction control (can be deactivated) with wheelie detection and traction control. In addition, everything and the engine are regulated by three individual and four fixed modes.
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Classic look, new feeling
Adjustable Showa suspension elements keep the Harley on the ground. The tight set-up allows us to glide through fast bends and makes agile curves nimble. The inclinations are similar to other naked bikes. The feet rest as far back as on no other Harley, the ergonomics are good. With a slightly bent upper body, it feels like a roadster instead of a cruiser or even a chopper, as much as the optics seek the proximity of conventional Harleys.
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The Brembo brakes are soulful yet snappy. And the “motor brake” often makes it superfluous: like all electric drives, it gains energy when the vehicle is in push mode. This is very effective in city operations, where kilometers can be extracted. On the other hand, we never roll long downhill on the road.
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Electricity trust building
The range display creates trust due to the lack of large jumps. We only ask ourselves questions when we have 50 kilometers left. So close to home for the extra round. At 13 kilometers: «Low Charge». One more round. Zero percent, speed 50. Now the power decreases, a turtle symbol in the display. 30 km / h, 20 km / h – off. Almost: the juice is enough to help push the last 200 meters. Connect the cable of the household socket (under the saddle), the 15.5 kWh battery now charges eleven and a half hours (on the quick charger 80 percent in 40 minutes).
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Drives a lot and costs a lot
177 test kilometers were in it (WMTC standard 158 km). A hot ride, even without the Harley Bollern. The e-sound is authentic, which is also why you become one with the street here. Does LiveWire replace previous Harleys? No, it complements it with a model for the silent, sporty lap, for commuting – and for a whole new world of driving dynamics. Criticism? No parking brake, no reverse gear. But the only real disadvantage is the price: from CHF 36,500. But LiveWire does not want to electrify the world of motorbikes. Rather say: Harley can even do that.
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Moto.ch: up-to-date everything about motorbikes![]()
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You can find more detailed reports on Töffs treated in the SonntagsBlick and Blick.ch in the Swiss magazines «Töff» and «Moto Sport Schweiz» or online at Moto.ch. The professionals of the specialist magazines “Töff” and “Moto Sport Schweiz” publish up-to-the-minute news, background and travel reports and tests – also in videos – on the new Swiss online portal all about motorcycles.
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