It seems dwelling within the South is a good way to discover a fairly candy deal on an costly electrical Harley-Davidson motorbike, particularly when H-D spins off LiveWire as its personal EV model. I’ve learn and watched Micah’s excellent and thorough LiveWire review numerous occasions since studying to trip, and I’m optimistic it and Long Way Up are the rationale I’m a LiveWire proprietor now.
I began using as an escape at the start of lockdown within the US final spring, and I’ve been writing about Apple and know-how at 9to5Mac since 2013. At all times dwelling with the most recent iPhones and Macs (earlier than you should purchase them generally) has turned me right into a know-how critic. Naturally, that’s a serious a part of how I consider Harley’s electrical motorbike.
A curler coaster you should purchase
I’ll begin with the entire EV factor. It’s completely addictive … like proudly owning your personal private curler coaster. It’s sharp. It’s attractive. It’s something however discreet regardless of being quieter than gasoline bikes. Acceleration is the magic right here, with 0-60 mph in 3 seconds and reaching interstate speeds a couple of seconds later.
I used to be 29 once I purchased my first bike, a 2018 Honda Insurgent 300, and it blew me away for the primary a number of months. My very first motorbike expertise was getting the one I’d simply purchased house safely, and I wasn’t even positive tips on how to begin it. 8,500 miles later, I used to be greater than able to improve to one thing with extra oomph and a high pace over 85.
And improve I did … to a Harley-Davidson Softail Fats Bob. I owned it for all of 4 days earlier than take a look at driving a LiveWire for what I believed can be the one time ever. I took supply of an Orange Fuse LiveWire the very subsequent day.
My guess is the Harley seller in south Louisiana knew it may promote a gasoline bike, but it surely hadn’t managed to promote its EV stock. At first, the trade-in provide was inconceivable to just accept; then, it was inconceivable to move up.
My first EV
And thus begins my EV journey (apart from renting a Tesla Mannequin 3 a couple of occasions).
It solely took a couple of days of using the LiveWire to develop into well-versed in charging lingo like J1772 and CCS, and apps like PlugShare, ChargePoint, and Electrify America are as important as A Better Routeplanner.
Earlier than proudly owning the LiveWire, I truly had no plan for the way I might cost it. Fortuitously, the figure-it-out-later method was simply fantastic. The bike is tremendous simple to cost from any three-prong outlet, and I’ve found a dozen public charging stations (together with three DC chargers that take the convey from 0% to 100% in beneath an hour) round the place I dwell in Biloxi, Mississippi.
I’m averaging round 130 miles per cost up to now, and I can reliably refill in a single day from 0 to 100% battery. In follow, I’m solely charging as soon as every week or so since all of the locations I commute to are inside 15 miles of my house. Battery life can be fantastic for simply having fun with a leisure trip for a couple of hours. I used to be nervous about this earlier than shopping for, however fortuitously, the battery helps my favourite pastime.
For an intensive electrical motorbike evaluate of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire, I’ll level you as soon as extra to Micah Toll’s unbelievable write-up and video review from final spring.
A tech perspective
I can’t communicate extremely sufficient concerning the motorbike and EV expertise a part of the LiveWire. Severely, I simply love that turbine sound when using and by no means having to shift gears when commuting round city.
The know-how that makes the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and all-electric bikes attainable is simply astonishing to me. It seems like driving a bike from the long run, which could be very acceptable for a forward-thinking tech individual like me.
What’s much less spectacular is the smartness of the LiveWire. Don’t get me flawed. It’s a teched-out bike in comparison with most gasoline bikes on the road, but it surely feels years behind iPhones and iPads of current years.
H-D Join
Panasonic powers the onboard mobile connection that drives the H-D Connect expertise. Harley-Davidson launched this linked function to pick touring bikes and its EV, however H-D Join now solely exists on the LiveWire.
I’ve been working with my seller to truly activate H-D Join on my LiveWire, so I haven’t been ready to make use of it, however I can consider the options it guarantees.
Just like Tesla’s app, H-D Join enables you to remotely monitor charging standing/vary and obtain alerts if charging is interrupted. LiveWire house owners are vocal about how restricted this function is, nevertheless, with function requests like pausing charging at 80% or having charging modes for day by day commutes versus longer rides.
The app additionally options motorbike navigation from Harley-Davidson. Instructions can seem on the bike’s show when paired over Bluetooth whereas utilizing the app for routes.
Being restricted to the H-D Join app for on-screen navigation is a big restrict in comparison with infotainment techniques like CarPlay and Android Auto, which might be discovered on some legacy bikes. I might a lot favor to see instructions mirrored from my iPhone utilizing Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, and even motorcycle-specific apps like Rever that work with CarPlay.
H-D Join will also be used to remotely find a stolen LiveWire. Nevertheless, the function is simply to help authorities and Harley-Davidson in monitoring down a stolen machine and never discovering the place you parked.
Smartphone connectivity
As required by H-D Join, you may pair your iPhone or Android telephone to the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. You gained’t get on-screen navigation out of your smartphone’s maps app, however you may see and management media playback. There’s a helpful audio toggle on the left aspect of the handlebar that lets you play/pause, skip/rewind, and improve/lower quantity.
You may as well optionally see media playback data on the LiveWire display screen when your telephone is paired with the bike. The typography selection and system structure make artist names and tune titles somewhat cramped on the arguably small 4.3-inch touchscreen, but it surely works.
After a month of using, nevertheless, I’ve discovered that the bike and telephone hardly ever join over Bluetooth routinely, and the payoff isn’t value manually pairing every time. That’s additionally as a result of, regardless of having a devoted voice management button, you may’t immediate Siri on the iPhone from the bike. If not for the useful LiveWire person boards, I might have thought mine was borked.
What I, and different LiveWire riders, do is handle audio playback from a Bluetooth-connected Sena headset. The connection works each time, and Siri might be activated with Sena’s button.
Semi-modern show
Frankly, the show itself doesn’t really feel very fashionable regardless of the bike being the nicest electrical motorbike available on the market. I’ve seen extra fashionable screens and techniques on cheaper gasoline bikes. Briefly, a bike priced just like the LiveWire falls a bit quick within the onboard tech division for me. Right here’s to hoping for an upgraded expertise on future LiveWire-branded machines.
However the fact is that you just don’t purchase the LiveWire for the know-how expertise. You purchase it as a result of it’s a freakin’ unbelievable electrical motorbike. Severely, it’s a dream for EV lovers who’re into two-wheeled modes of transportation.
Regardless of the lackluster show and on-screen system of the LiveWire, I’m greater than content material with the bike general. My earlier bikes didn’t function connectivity that mirrored what’s present in automobiles lately, and I’m a lot glad with mounting my iPhone to the handlebars and charging it from the LiveWire’s built-in USB-C port.
What’s to return
I do want the long run holds a extra strong onboard system for the LiveWire. An electrical motorbike is simply begging to have a modern app component extra like what Zero gives and demos for its electrical bikes.
And whereas the USB-C port is a contemporary contact over USB-A ports, the lack to verify for software program updates from the bike’s display screen additionally feels dated. Staying up to date on new working system releases with a bodily linked laborious drive simply ain’t the long run.
My greatest hope for LiveWire as its personal EV model spun out from Harley-Davidson is that the LiveWire mannequin and future EV bikes beneath it would embrace client know-how in a a lot greater approach. For now, LiveWire is a superb preview of the way forward for bikes with onboard tech that leaves a lot to be desired. Subsequent on my checklist? I’m very a lot eyeing the Ford F-150 Lightning for transferring the LiveWire between states.
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