Harley Davidson is not waiting around to introduce its revolutionary electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, in India. The electric sportsbike has been teased ahead of its scheduled launch in the country on 27th of August. The introduction will also mark the famed American cruiser specialists 10-year anniversary in India.
The LiveWire which has been showcased to the world as a prototype roughly five years ago finally made its world sales debut last month. Unlike the traditional HD cruisers, the LiveWire adopts a power cruiser body style with an all-new frame.
Everything about the motorcycle is thoroughly modern by Milwaukee standards. If it is not for the headlamp fairing, logos and badges, it would be pretty difficult to peg the LiveWire as a Harley. The electric motorcycle is underpinned by a stylish looking aluminium trellis frame and is suspended by Showa inverted telescopic front fork and rear monoshock (both are fully adjustable).
Sitting in the space of an IC engine is a giant battery pack with finned housing for enhanced cooling. Sitting beneath it is a water-cooled PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) which puts out a healthy 103.5 bhp and 116.6 Nm of torque. The electric motor is connected directly to the wheel by means of a belt drive.
The 15.5 kWh battery pack is claimed to offer a range of 146 miles (235 km) in urban environment and 70 miles (113 km) on highways. Though the output figures suggest the motorcycle can reach some serious speeds, HD has restricted the top-speed to 185 kmph. On a 25W stage 3 fast charger, the battery can be charged up fully in under 1 hour.
The Harley Davidson LiveWire sits on 17-inch alloy wheels which are equipped with 120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear tyres. Braking system comprises dual 300 mm discs at the front with 4-piston Brembo radial calipers and a single 260 mm unit at the rear with two-piston caliper. The electric Harley benefits from cornering ABS.
Harley Davidson’s head start in the promising electric motorcycle segment is expected to give the brand valuable learning. Almost all other mainstream premium motorcycle brands are working intensely on electric motorcycles.
The Harley Davidson LiveWire will be imported into India as a CBU. The pricing is expected to be on the premium side. In the US, the Livewire is priced from $29,799. As per today’s conversion rate, that is about Rs 21.3 lakhs. But considering import duties and local taxes, expect the on-road price of Livewire to be about Rs 50 lakhs in India.
