Hello everyone, I'm OGA, a stunt rider. This will be the last article of the long-running HARLEY-DAVIDSON test ride series. On the morning of the second day, which was the final day of the test ride, I took a test ride of the Softail family's Heritage Classic and Sports Glide, and filmed it.
[Related Article]
◆ Heritage Classic & Sport Glide Test Ride Review (Japanese)
I finished taking photos used for the article and headed back to the hotel after a few hours from the shooting spot. Upon arriving at the hotel, there was an amazing motorcycle prepared for a test ride. The motorcycle has a finned battery held in a slim frame like a sports bike, and a motor that power its underbody.
Yes, I was able to take a test ride on the HARLEY-DAVIDSON's first electric motorcycle that attracts a great deal of attention from the world, the Livewire! In this article, I'll be sharing my reviews about the Livewire. Well then, please take a look at it in your spare time!
City riding section
The staff of HARLEY-DAVIDSON, who was leading the test ride touring, brought the Livewire with utter silence upon arriving at the hotel. The incongruity of appearing without a sound, even though it was a motorcycle, made me feel strongly that it was a next-generation state-of-the-art motorcycle.
I had to strap my camera, phone, etc. to the handlebar in order to capture the footage for my moto blog, but as I was doing that, the other members had left. I set off in a hurry.
Actually, I wanted to try the Road Mode for city riding and then switch to the Sport Mode, but I was too rushed, so I started riding in the Sport Mode. However, despite being in Sport Mode, which would have been the most awkward, I was able to ride in the city around the hotel without any problems. Rather, my first review was "It's easy to operate the accelerator!". If you are a rider who usually rides on a large sports bike, the feeling of operation is almost similar. You can firmly experience the comfort of accelerating linearly according to the accelerator operation because there is no engine vibration or noise.
And what surprised me was that the engine brake worked. The system is officially called the regenerative braking, and resistance is applied to generate electricity when the accelerator is turned off. It is a regenerative system that makes good use of turning the accelerator ON-OFF.
This regenerative brake can be handled in the same way as an engine brake, and the regenerative brake can be used to adjust the speed while decelerating when stopping at an intersection or entering a corner. I was amazed at how much it felt like a motorcycle with an engine.
Next is its positioning. It is not as tight as SS, but it has a sporty posture with a slight forward lean. It is close to the street fighter-like position that the stunt riders love. The foot grounding is about as firm as a toe can reach at 172cm. The foot pegs are also a bit backward, which makes the performance more sporty. What I felt after a little bit of riding was the weight of the motorcycle, which is 249kg in terms of specs, but I didn't feel the slightest bit of weight when I actually ride it. It was a very light motorycle with its fluttering handling and low center of gravity.
Winding section
After passing through the city, we moved on to the winding road. A mountain pass where the rocky mountains and plateaus of Spain appear and the superb scenery continues in front of me. The winding is comfortable at a well-paced environment. If you try to open the accelerator at full throttle in a straight line, it accelerates at once with overwhelming torque. It was the acceleration of a big sports bike. By the way, its horsepower is 78kw / 105hp, and its maximum torque is 116.6Nm.
It can be operated like a scooter since LiveWire has no shift and clutch. Furthermore, it is capable of generating maximum torque at any rotation speed due to the characteristics of the motor. In the case of the engine, it is not possible to accelerate firmly if you do not maintain the power band, but the LiveWire can deliver maximum acceleration at any speed range. I think this is also one of the factors that allowed us to enjoy the mountain pass.
I was surprised at how easy it was to open the accelerator, especially in low-speed corners. Furthermore, as I got accustomed to it, I noticed that I could perform a thorough acceleration through opening the accelerator while keeping the rear brake on. It does not interfere with the engine noise and vibration, accelerates linearly in conjunction with the accelerator, allowing you to focus 100% on the tire and road conditions. We made our way through the winding roads, enjoying a new sensation that I could never experience in a vehicle with an engine.
Low speed U-turn at the shooting point
We finally arrived at the shooting point. We started taking photos and videos for magazines and web articles. However, I was forced to make a U-turn on a tight road here. If you are a rider, you can understand that making a U-turn on the narrow mountain pass is a very unpleasant situation. However, I had one thing that inspired me.
"Could you make a U-turn with one hand?"
There is no engine stalling since it is an electric motorcycle. In other words, is it possible to make a U-turn with one hand by operating only the accelerator? As soon as I released my left hand from the handlebar, I tried to make a U-turn with one hand on a tight road where two vehicles could barely pass each other. While dragging the rear brake a little, I fully turned the handlebar with only the accelerator.
"I was able to make a solid turn!"
Moreover, it is quite stable without the slightest bit of anxiety. I think this is also the most stable feeling for an electric motorcycle. This electric motorcycle without gears has an overwhelming sense of stability at low speeds. The lack of clutch operation and the absence of an engine stall simplified the operation, making it very easy to operate. The charm of an electric motorcycle is that you can handle the motorcycle brilliantly even in the ultra-low rev range. This is the point that I would highly recommend for newbie riders.
About electronic control
The LiveWire is equipped with several electronic controls. It has the cornering ABS, slip control, traction control, etc. ABS and traction control were activated on the mountain pass. The road in Spain was very slippery and the tires were relentlessly slippery even with a bit of accelerator, so these electronic controls helped my rides on such road surfaces. In addition, the slip control functions prevent slippage caused by the regenerative braking (engine braking) and prevent the tire from wobbling at full acceleration.
Cruising range and charging time
Fast charging: 80% in 40 minutes, fully charged in 1 hour
Cruising range: City area: 235 km / High speed: 152 km
I think the value will differ from the actual usage since the above are theoretical values. I was also very concerned about how much the electricity bill would cost for a single full charge, but that information has not yet been released.
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Finally
I participated in the HARLEY-DAVIDSON International Test Ride event and was able to have various new experiences. Honestly, I haven't had much experience with HARLEY in my bike life, but I was able to notice the excellence of HARLEY at this test ride event, the warmth of the staff, and learning the charm of each motorcycle through a repeated test ride. This HARLEY touring was super fun in Spain, lol. It was my role to tell everyone about the charm of the motorcycle at this test ride event, but maybe I've become the biggest HARLEY-DAVIDSON fan of all.
And there's actually a lot more I want to tell you, but there was a limit in writing contents and photos. Please be sure to check out the video if you are interested in the LiveWire after reading this article!
*The LiveWire of this article is EU specification. Specifications may differ from those being sold in Japan.
[LiveWire International Test Ride] HARLEY-DAVIDSON's First Electric Motorcycle Test Ride Review
See HARLEY-DAVIDSON Moto Index Page
See Accessories for HARLEY-DAVIDSON SOFTAIL HERITAGE CLASSIC114
See Accessories for HARLEY-DAVIDSON FXRT SPORT GLIDE
