Next year will be very significant for Harley-Davidson. That’s because the Livewire – its first production pure-electric motorcycle – is due to arrive at selected dealers across North America and Europe during 2019.

The bike features an aluminium frame which uses the powertrain as a stressed member for extra rigidity. A fully-adjustable Showa suspension set-up comprises an SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork-Big Piston) at the front and a BFRC-lite (Balanced Free Rear Cushion-lite) mono-shock at the rear.

Brembo brake components include Monoblock calipers for the dual front discs. Of course, an anti-lock system is fitted, plus traction control comes as standard too. To help make the most of such technologies, there’s a choice of four fixed and three customisable riding modes.

Energy is supplied from a lithium-ion battery (or Rechargeable Energy Storage System, in Harley-Davidson parlance) that’s contained within a cast aluminium housing. A permanent-magnet electric motor is joined to a single-speed transmission, so the LiveWire doesn’t have a clutch lever or a gear shifter.

All of the above sounds rather interesting but, as with any electric vehicle, prospective customers are likely to be most curious about output, range and recharge times. Unfortunately, those crucial details haven’t been announced yet.



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