Harley-Davidson Livewire Unveiled In India: Details About Harley’s All-Electric Offering

The electric motorcycle was first unveiled at the 2018 EICMA and later at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that year. It later went on sale in the USA, Canada and other European countries as well.

The American motorcycle manufacturer hinted the arrival of the Livewire in India through a series of posts on their social media handles. The motorcycle has also made its way onto the company's Indian website as well. However, the official launch timeline of the Livewire in the Indian market is yet to be confirmed.

Design

The Harley-Davidson Livewire electric motorcycle borrows its design cues from the brand's Sportster range of offerings. It comes with LED lighting all around, this includes headlamps, tail lights, DRLs and turn indicators.

The Harley-Davidson comes with minimalistic design with an exposed frame and a dual-seat set-up at the rear. The headlamps are covered in a sporty cowl.

The Livewire also comes with a fake ‘fuel tank' which is in line with the design of the brand's Sportster offerings. The ‘fake fuel tank' hides the battery on the Livewire while the ‘fuel filler cap' houses the charging socket of the motorcycle.

Powertrain & Performance

The Harley-Davidson Livewire is equipped with a 15.5kWh battery pack, connected to an electric motor positioned in place of the conventional IC engine. The all-electric ‘Revelation' powertrain on the Livewire produces a maximum of 103bhp and 116Nm of peak torque.

Harley-Davidson claims impressive performance from the electric Livewire motorcycle. As per the company, the Livewire will be able to sprint from 0 - 100km/h in around 3 seconds. While the roll-on acceleration from 100 - 129km/h will come in 1.9 seconds.

The battery on the Harley-Davidson Livewire will offer a maximum range of 235km on a single charge. The American brand will also offer a level-1 charging system as standard, capable of charging the batteries completely in 12 hours.

They will also offer a level-3 DC fast-charging technology, capable of charging the batteries from 0 - 80 per cent in just 40 minutes and 0 - 100 per cent in 60 minutes.

Features

The Harley-Davidson Livewire will be offered with a host of features as well. This includes LED lighting all around, fully-digital instrument cluster with a 4.3-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. The Livewire will also come with features such as turn-by-turn navigation and geofencing features as well.

Other mechanical and rider aids on the Harley-Davidson Livewire include a six-axis IMU (Inertial Management Unit), Traction Control System, Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS), Cornering ABS and a Rear-Wheel Lift Mitigation system as well.

The electric motorcycle rides on 17-inch Michelin Scorcher tyres at both ends, with 120/70 and 180/55 profiles at the front and rear, respectively. The suspension is handled by Showa USD forks at the front and a fully-adjustable mono-shock at the rear; again by Showa.

Braking is handled by large dual-discs set up at the front and a single-disc at the rear. The Livewire also comes with regenerative braking system as standard. The Livewire will also come with a wide range of seven-riding modes: four pre-programmed and three custom.

The pre-programmed riding modes include Road, Sport, Rain & Range. The three customisable riding modes gives the rider the opportunity to set their preferred levels of power, throttle response, traction control and regeneration.

Colours

The Harley-Davidson Livewire will be offered in a range of three colour options: Lime Green, Orange & Black. These are the internationally available colours, although we do expect India to receive all the three paint schemes as well.

Prices

As mentioned before, the Harley-Davidson Livewire is already available in certain international markets. The electric motorcycle is priced at $29,799 USD, exclusive of taxes (approximately Rs 21.37 lakh). We expect the electric motorcycle to be priced slightly higher once it enters the Indian market.

Thoughts On The Harley-Davidson Livewire In India

India is an important market for Harley-Davidson. The company offers a wide range of products in the country, suiting a wide range of customers. The Livewire is the brand's first all-electric motorcycle and is expected to go on sale sometime either in late-2019 or early-2020.