Harley-Davidson has showcased the Livewire electric motorcycle at the EICMA Show in Milan, Italy. While the motorcycle had made its first public appearance a couple of months ago at the Sturgis Rally in the US, this is the first time that the futuristic electric motorcycle has been showcased on European soil.
As opposed to the other traditional cruisers made by Harley-Davidson, the Livewire has been styled quite radically, which puts it in the league of other sports cruisers like the Ducati Diavel, Suzuki Intruder and the Yamaha VMax. The motorcycle is relatively modern and is built around a lightweight cast aluminium perimeter frame, which is spectacularly wrapped around the battery pack, giving the Livewire a compact look.
Powering the Livewire is a three-phase AC election induction motor that produces 74hp and 70Nm of torque, which can propel the motorcycle to a top speed of 148kmph. The main battery in the Livewire caters to the needs of the engine while a second 12 volt battery powers the instrument cluster.
The Livewire is still very much in its development phase and the company recently conducted a rally of 22 Livewire motorcycles around dealerships in the US, with the idea of gaining feedback from riders and to see whether they liked it. Earlier this year, the existence of the Livewire was first revealed when it was spotted on the sets of the next Avengers movie. It is quite obvious that the Livewire won’t suit the taste of Harley-Davidson’s purists, though it is quite impressive to see the iconic American manufacturer get out of its comfort zone and experiment with cutting edge technologies.
