Harley-Davidson Releases Further Details on 2019 LiveWire

MILWAUKEE (November 6, 2018) Today the all-new electric Harley-Davidson® LiveWire™ made its European debut at the Milan press conference of the EICMA show. Today’s announcement reveals eagerly-awaited specification and details about LiveWire, which was unveiled in Milwaukee during the company’s 115th Anniversary this past Labor Day weekend.

Due for release in 2019 and being shown at the event as a production-ready motorcycle, LiveWire was first confirmed during the announcement of the company’s “More Roads to Harley-Davidson.” On July 30, 2018, Harley-Davidson shared plans to accelerate its strategy to build the next generation of riders globally. Leveraging core strengths in the business, brand and dealer network, the company intends to invest in opportunities that inspire increased ridership sooner and deliver sustainable growth for the future. As part this accelerated plan, Harley-Davidson intends to be the world leader in the electrification of motorcycles, and is aggressively, but wisely, investing in electric vehicle technology. Harley-Davidson is excited about the future of electric motorcycles and expects to deliver a full portfolio of electric motorcycles by 2022.

The vision behind the production LiveWire motorcycle began with Project LiveWire, revealed as a prototype in 2014 as an effort to gauge the potential of an electric-powered motorcycle as envisioned by Harley-Davidson. Drawing from the experiences of the Project LiveWire demo tour and following an intensive development program the Harley-Davidson LiveWire model offers the rider a new, high-performance motorcycling experience. Propelled by the immediate torque of an all-electric motor, the LiveWire motorcycle is capable of astounding acceleration with just a twist of the throttle – no clutching or gear shifting required. A low center of gravity, rigid aluminum frame and premium adjustable suspension components give the LiveWire dynamic handling. Performance and range are optimized for the urban street-rider.

The LiveWire motorcycle is powered by a permanent magnet electric motor that produces instant torque the moment that throttle is twisted– which results in incredible acceleration performance for a thrilling ride. The motor is located low in the motorcycle to lower the center of gravity and help the motorcycle handle well at all speeds and easy to control when stopped. The LiveWire model is designed to produce a tone that increases in pitch and volume with speed –a new sound that represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle.

Powertrain performance is maximized by a chassis designed to deliver nimble, agile handling for confident control on urban streets and a thrilling ride on curving backroads. Combining the powertrain as a stressed member within the aluminum frame to increase rigidity, the LiveWire features premium high-performance fully adjustable Showa^® suspension. The Showa^®BFRC-lite^® (Balanced Free Rear Cushion-lite) mono-shock rear suspension is complimented by Showa SFF-BP^{® (}Separate Function Fork-Big Piston^®) up front, balanced to match the performance and adjustability of the rear shock and deliver exceptional low-speed damping control – ideal for composed control in typical urban riding conditions.

To improve the control and performance of the motorcycle further LiveWire is fitted with Brembo Monoblock front brake calipers gripping dual 300 mm-diameter discs to deliver outstanding power with a crisp feel for confident braking performance. Confidence when riding is boosted with cornering-enhanced Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Traction Control System (TCS) – both of which are standard features on the LiveWire model – and co-branded H-D/Michelin Scorcher tires (180mm rear/120mm front). The rider can also tailor the performance of LiveWire with seven selectable riding modes – four of which are set as standard from the factory and a further three modes that can be defined by the user.