LiveWire

All-electric Indian FTR 1200 might be called EFTR

General Posts / By

by Pradeep Shah from https://www.financialexpress.com Indian Motorcycle’s parent company Polaris used to own Victory Motorcycles and one interesting product under the collaboration was Empulse TT electric motorcycle. However, after the demise of the Victory in 2017, the Empulse saw the path to the graveyard too. As of now, it is not clear if the company would exploit the same platform as the Empulse for the EFTR. Yes, you read that absolutely right! Indian Motorcycle might be working on an all-electric version of its street tracker FTR 1200. The company has recently filed a trademark for the name ‘EFTR’ that suggests an electric motorcycle could well be under development. The trademark application doesn’t spill much information about the ‘silent’ FTR, however, it does mention ‘Electric motorcycles and structural parts.’ The FTR 1200 is a brawny and handsome looking motorcycle and hence, the EFTR is expected to follow the same philosophy as well. At present, it would be too early to comment on the specifications and performance of the upcoming Indian EFTR. Nonetheless, you can expect the bike to come with some mind-boggling numbers including astonishing acceleration time and a decent top speed too. Moreover, the bike should come with a fast-charging feature as well to offer better convenience to the buyers. In terms of features, one can expect bits like coloured TFT instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity along with multiple riding modes, dual-channel ABS and more. The Indian EFTR can be seen as a potential rival to the likes of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. Indian Motorcycle’s parent company Polaris used to own Victory Motorcycles and one product under the collaboration was Empulse TT electric motorcycle. However, after the demise of the Victory in the year 2017, the Empulse saw the road to the graveyard too. As of now, it is not clear […]

All-electric Indian FTR 1200 might be called EFTR Read More »

One-Off Carbon Fiber Harley-Davidson LiveWire Going Under the Hammer

General Posts / By

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com The LiveWire electric motorcycle is not proving to be the killer product Harley-Davidson was hoping for, at least for now. Introduced in 2019 as the first electric bike made by an established player in the industry, the LiveWire needs all the boost it can get to compete with similar products made by the countless start-ups trying to make a name for themselves. In a bid to increase the public’s awareness and to lend a helping hand in the ongoing crisis, Harley announced this week the first special rebuild of the LiveWire. Unfortunately, it is not a production run, but a one-off bike meant to be sold for charity. Wearing a special paint scheme and graphics all over, this LiveWire has been bestowed with carbon fiber parts – the speed screen blade, tail section cowl, and the tank trim sport this material. Also, the signatures of most of the members of the Harley-Davidson team are featured on the motorcycle’s body. The LiveWire is offered as part of an online auction handled by Bonhams on May 12. All the money raised from selling it will go to United Way Worldwide’s Community Response and Recovery Fund dedicated to the current health crisis. “We are all affected by the current situation, and the impact it has on the most at risk portions of society,” said in a statement Jon Bekefy, general manager of brand marketing at Harley-Davidson. “As a longtime partner of the United Way, and inspired by their continued resilience in this crisis, Harley-Davidson is honored to have a part to play in the relief effort and to inspire our community about the open road ahead.” Harley did not say how much it expects to fetch for the motorcycle, but promises the winning bidder not only the LiveWire

One-Off Carbon Fiber Harley-Davidson LiveWire Going Under the Hammer Read More »

Hubless Verge TS Electric Motorcycle Is Here to Finnish Off Harley’s LiveWire

General Posts / By

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Despite the increasing interest of the customers in electric motorcycles, established bike makers are still reluctant to jump on this new mobility train. Only one of them, arguably the world’s most famous, announced a mass-production electric motorcycle. That’s the LiveWire, shown by Harley-Davidson in 2019, should have been a game changer for this segment, but various issues and then a global health crisis have kind of put a dent into Harley’s plans. While the behemoth is still wrapping its head around how to move forward, start-ups are wasting no time in coming up with increasingly appealing designs. As one of the leaders when it comes to electric mobility in general, Finland is the perfect place to be for up and coming talents in the industry these days. And from Finland comes this bike here, called TS, and manufactured by a start-up called Verge. Shown for the first time last year, the TS comes to the world as a hubless rear-wheel electric bike with capabilities that should dwarf those of the LiveWire. Whereas the American machine is good for 98 miles city (158 km), the TS brings a range close to double that: 186 miles (300 km). The Finnish-build offers a 0-60 mph (97 kph) acceleration time of under four seconds (LiveWire does it in 3.5), 107 hp of power and 1,000 Nm of torque. The top speed is limited to 180 kph (112 mph). The Verge TS has a starting price of €24,990, which is the equivalent today of close to $27,000. That’s a tad cheaper than the LiveWire, which Harley sells for $29,799. For a number of reasons, the comparison between the TS and the LiveWire may not be fair game, but it goes to show that established bike makers are not really making

Hubless Verge TS Electric Motorcycle Is Here to Finnish Off Harley’s LiveWire Read More »

Watch Tesla Model 3 Performance Race Harley-Davidson Livewire

General Posts / By

by Eric Loveday from https://insideevs.com It’s the first time these two vehicles hit the drag strip. Does the winner roll on two wheels or four? Here’s the world’s first-ever video featuring a drag race between a Tesla Model 3 Performance and a Harley-Davidson Livewire. Which one wins? Let’s watch to find out. Or maybe not. We’ll be upfront in saying that the video quality here is less than desirable and the racing action is quite difficult to see. However, from the video description and some other social media mentions, we can confirm this to be a race between the Model 3 Performance and the Harley-Davidson Livewire. It’s believed to be the first-ever matchup between these two highly different forms of transport. Turning our attention back to the race at hand, it seems the Model 3 gets a very bad started off of the line. This isn’t typical for the 3, as usually, it jumps off the line to an immediate lead. However, it is matched up against a motorcycle here, an electric one at that, so maybe it’s just that the Livewire is incredibly quick off the line. The Livewire jumps out in front immediately and builds a commanding lead. However, close to the end, you can see the Model 3 is gaining big time. Then, right when you expect the times to be posted, the video cuts off. Was this on purpose? Had the Model 3 come back to take the win? It’s hard to say, but it sure does look close at the end. Take a look and please do excuse the poor quality, as the video is not nearly as crisp as we’d like it to be: So, which one wins? We don’t know. Do you? Let us know in comments if you can figure out the

Watch Tesla Model 3 Performance Race Harley-Davidson Livewire Read More »

Harley-Davidson LiveWire Breaks 24-Hour Distance Record

General Posts / By

by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com One of the main complaints lodged against the Harley-Davidson LiveWire is the short range offered on a single charge, of just 140 miles. That doesn’t mean it’s not made for touring, though. Swiss rider Michel von Tell has just set a new world record for the longest tour in under 24 hours for an electric motorcycle, covering over 1,000 miles on a LiveWire. The bad news is that the record won’t be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, as von Tell did not have Guinness officials present. Electroauto-news reports (via Electrek) that von Tell started in Zurich, Switzerland and covered four countries and a total of 1,723 km (1,070 miles) on the LiveWire, in 23 hours and 48 minutes. He reached Stuttgart, Germany and then traveled to Singen, before heading to Ruggell, Lichtenstein, the final stop on his journey. He used Level 3 DC Fast Charge for charging stops, which considerably cut down stop times. Level 1 on the LiveWire uses a regular wall outlet and takes an entire night for a full charge. Level 3 guarantees a faster charge: a nearly full battery in 40 minutes or so. According to the media outlet, von Tell would stop for charging on Level 3 for an average of 25 minutes whenever he needed to. The previous 24-hour record for an electric motorcycle was set in 2018 on a Zero S fitted with optional Charge Tank and using a team of riders, on a test track. Von Tell traveled in traffic, on the highway and was all alone. While he couldn’t afford the Guinness fee, which would have ensured officials were on hand to confirm the record, and didn’t have a method to do the electronic self-recording required for Guinness confirmation, von Tell did provide

Harley-Davidson LiveWire Breaks 24-Hour Distance Record Read More »

Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle LiveWire creating buzz at Daytona Bike Week

General Posts / By

The Harley-Davidson LiveWire’s cool factor seems undeniable among Daytona Bike Week testers, but if you have to buy cool it comes at a $30,000 price. This is one Harley-Davidson you won’t likely see around town during Bike Week. At least not yet. And it’s one you definitely won’t hear. Harley’s new LiveWire, just now winding its way into the market, is a mystery to many, as well as a culture shock — “A Harley without the rhythmic thumping?” This thing sounds more like a sewing machine. But so far, if first impressions mean anything, the LiveWire is also a hit. Test rides at Harley’s demo station — outside Daytona International Speedway — are producing one group after another of impressed bikers who, briefly, unsaddled from their traditional Hogs for a proverbial ride into the future. “As I was riding it, I was thinking this might be my next bike,” says 71-year-old James Lamoureux, a longtime biker from St. Johns County. “Harley, they took a long time, but they did a great job. This thing is cool.” The cool factor seems undeniable, based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews from testers. But if you have to buy cool, it comes at a price. The LiveWire sells for about $30,000, roughly $10,000 more than you’d pay for a traditional Harley Softail at Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson. “It’s very impressive. Everything about it,” says D.J. Richter, part of a group of Indiana visitors who tested the LiveWires as a group. But at $30,000? “Thirty?” Richter replied. “It’s not that impressive.” But the LiveWire, five years in the making after its 2014 conceptual introduction, wasn’t designed to flood the market. At that price, it has no chance to help Harley attract the much younger demographic the manufacturer — and industry as a whole — needs

Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle LiveWire creating buzz at Daytona Bike Week Read More »

Going electric could help revive the motorcycle industry

General Posts / By

by Peter Valdes-Dapena from https://edition.cnn.com/ Motorcycle sales, particularly in the United States, have been struggling ever since the Great Recession. As older riders lose interest, or simply become unable to ride any longer, the younger generation hasn’t been showing the same kind of enthusiasm. But the industry is hoping that electric motorcycles — with a quieter, simpler experience — might be the key to attracting new riders. For one thing, electric motorcycles are easier to ride. With an electric motor, there’s no need to shift gears. To experienced riders, that’s no big deal, but most Americans today have become accustomed to automatic transmissions and don’t know how to shift gears. “It’s just a lot easier learning curve,” said Susan Carpenter, a writer and radio host specializing in motorcycles. “You just hop on and twist the throttle. If you can balance, you can go.” Another benefit is that electric motorcycles are much less noisy than gasoline-powered motorcycles. To many veteran riders, the roar of the engine is part of the excitement. But a lot of other people would prefer to enjoy their surroundings much more peacefully. The bikes also don’t have hot engines and exhaust pipes that can become burn hazards, especially when parked around kids. Electric motorcycles also qualify for federal and state tax credits, similar to those for electric cars, although in smaller amounts. There are tradeoffs, of course. Electric motorcycles have the same disadvantages as electric cars, namely cost and range. Motorcycles can only accommodate small batteries so they have a lot less range than gas-powered bikes. And that range diminishes greatly during high-speed highway riding because the bike’s electric motor has to compensate for increased wind resistance pressing against the rider’s not-so-aerodynamic body. Hoping to get the attention of a new generation of riders, Harley-Davidson introduced the

Going electric could help revive the motorcycle industry Read More »

BMW’s naked all-electric bike inching towards reality: Here’s how the LiveWire rival might look!

General Posts / By

by Pradeep Shah from https://www.financialexpress.com BMW must be eyeing the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and the Zero SR/F territory with its upcoming all-electric offering. Considering the fact that these two generate power output in the 100hp region, BMW must also be eyeing a similar output on its electric bike. The buzz around high-performance electric motorcycles is just refusing to die. Harley-Davidson revealed the LiveWire a few days back followed by which Kawasaki dropped a major hint on how its upcoming electric bike would be like. Now, very recently, patent images of a BMW naked bike have been leaked on the web and this one points towards a pure electric motorcycle. However, this is not the first time that the company has attempted at making an electric motorcycle. Back in the year 2015, the company created an eco-friendly version of the S1000RR, naming it the eRR. However, the e-bike in the patent images that have been revealed recently seems to be based on the F800. The patent images suggest that the battery pack and the electric motor will be a structural member of the frame and this approach was earlier seen on the company’s C Evolution electric scooter. The patent images also show that the wheels, monoshock, brakes and the inverted forks up front seem to have been borrowed from the F800R. The swingarm and the rear wheel on the electric bike have been taken from the BMW F800GT. The engine on the aforementioned two bikes churn out 90hp and BMW would not want to compromise on this aspect on its electric offering. Looking at these elements, it can be safely assumed that the German automaker is working on a naked electric motorcycle that will be based on the company’s F800 range. All said and done, BMW must be eyeing the Harley-Davidson LiveWire

BMW’s naked all-electric bike inching towards reality: Here’s how the LiveWire rival might look! Read More »

Harley-Davidson Resumes LiveWire Production, Says Charging Problem Was Confined To Just One Bike

General Posts / By

by Bill Roberson from https://www.forbes.com Harley-Davidson has resumed production of the LiveWire electric motorcycle after assembly was stopped earlier this week when a charging issue cropped up and was spotted during quality checks. A Harley-Davidson Motor Company representative told Forbes Friday morning that production was temporarily suspended “to confirm that the non-standard condition identified on one motorcycle was a singular occurrence. We take pride in our rigorous quality assurance measures and our drive to deliver the world’s best motorcycles.” They added that customers who already had the bikes could resume charging “through all methods,” including using the 120-volt (Level 1) on-board chargers that essentially let users plug the bikes into a wall outlet. Following the production halt, Harley had advised riders to only use the high-speed Level III Fast DC chargers at dealerships until the issue with the 120-volt charger was resolved. “Our quality assurances are working as they were designed, and we’ve reaffirmed the strength of the LiveWire product design, no product changes are needed and we’re moving forward,” the spokesperson told Forbes. The issue marked a hiccup in Harley-Davidson’s rollout of the LiveWire motorcycles, which are a radical departure from the Motor Company’s usual slate of iconic gas-powered V-Twin machines. Harley is betting that the future of transportation – including motorcycles – will include more electric vehicles and they are the first major legacy motorcycle maker to put an all-electric bike into serial production. The LiveWire features a 105-horsepower electric motor, 15.5kWh battery pack and can go zero to 60mph in three seconds. Harley has said more electric models – including possibly electric bicycles – are on the way following the rollout of the $29,700 LiveWire. Indeed, there are Harley electric balance bikes for kids on sale at this time.

Harley-Davidson Resumes LiveWire Production, Says Charging Problem Was Confined To Just One Bike Read More »

Harley Davidson: The Road Only Goes Downhill

General Posts / By

Harley-Davidson delays its first $30,000 electric motorcycle after unexpected findings during final quality checks The company delayed the motorcycle after ‘non-standard conditions’ were discvoered during final quality checks Dealers had begun selling pre-orders of the bike in January Harley-Davidson had forecast shipping 1,600 bikes Harley-Davidson has delayed production on its first electric motorcycle, called LiveWire. In an email sent to dealers last week, the company announced it had found a ‘non-standard condition’ in its final quality checks but didn’t elaborate further. The LiveWire was officially announced for commercial release last fall with a planned price of $29,799. ‘We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped production and deliveries; and began additional testing and analysis, which is progressing well,’ the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision came after a problem with the vehicle’s battery charging was discovered. The manufacturer did not say when they planned to resume production. The company had already begun delivering models of LiveWire to dealers in September. The company had expected to ship around 1,600 bikes, or an estimated 1 percent of the company’s total big shipments. The LiveWire is said to go from 0-60 mph in three seconds and reach top speeds of 110 mph. Harley-Davidson recommends users go to dealers to charge the vehicle rather than trying to use standard electrical outlets in their homes. It is powered by a 15.5 kWh battery and has a 105 horsepower magnetic engine and a range of 146 miles city driving on a single charge. Harley-Davidson had told potential customers to charge the bike only at registered dealers and not in their homes. The bike was first shown in The Avengers: Age of Ultron as a sleek prototype ridden by Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character. The LiveWire

Harley Davidson: The Road Only Goes Downhill Read More »

Scroll to Top