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Harley LiveWire

  • Production of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle has halted.

  • The company says that its due to a “non-standard condition.”

  • But a media report suggests that it could be to the charging mechanism.

Production of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle has halted.

Harley-Davidson did not provide the specifics of the decision, instead they mentioned only a “non-standard condition.” They also mentioned that investigations are underway to provide customers with products of the best quality.

However, according to The Wall Street Journal, the problem could well be the bike’s charging mechanism. The Motor Company recommended the use of professional DC fast-chargers instead of normal home chargers.

Units of LiveWire were already sent to select dealers in September this year but no sales number was released as yet. A recall has not been issued at this time also.

The LiveWire is supposed to kick start Harley’s flagging sales especially in the United States where millennials are shunning motorcycles. The design of the bike and being electric demonstrates the manufacturers keenest in harnessing this group. Its electric motor produces the equivalent of 105 hp and there is no clutch lever or gear shifter. It’s all twist and go. 

But many overseas media reported lately that the model is finding few buyers, what not given its USD 29,799 price tag.

But CEO Matt Levatich defends the company’s decision saying that, “We made a deliberate decision to launch a halo product to demonstrate what’s possible in electric — a no-excuses Harley-Davidson electric — and we feel very good that we’ve already done that.” Levatich produced that statement in July.

Harley-Davidson didn’t state when production of the LiveWire will continue.

  • Ewan McGregor and his ridding buddy Charley Borman may ride the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle in the documentary Long Way Up.

  • It seems like a compromise as the two are ambassadors to Moto Guzzi and Triumph, respectively.

  • The program will cover their trip from South America to Los Angeles, USA.

Ewan McGregor and his ridding buddy Charley Borman may just ride the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle in the upcoming documentary Long Way Up.

The trip will see the duo travel from South America to Los Angeles, California instead of all the way to Alaska as expected earlier. South American media spotted four of the electric bikes and support trucks being offloaded in Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina.

While we’re not criticizing the LiveWire, it has a highway range of up to only 150 km and 235 km in the city. However, it’s charging times that may drag the trip into a longer period of time. On the other hand, Harley announced that they’ve fast chargers that juice up the bike to 80% capacity in 40 minutes and 100% in an hour.

They may be supported by a pair of electric Rivian R1T trucks that have a range of up tp 650 km. These trucks will undoubted carry DC chargers for the bikes.

Riding Harleys seemed to solve the problem of representation. McGregor is the ambassador for the Moto Guzzi V85TT while Borman is the ambassador for Triumph Motorcycles. Many had expected to see the guys on two different bikes in this sequel. They rode the BMW R 1200 GS in Long Way Round in 2004 and Long Way Down in 2007.

The Long Way Down – Courtesy of BBC

It’ll be a high-profile branding exercise for the Motor Company, that’s for sure.

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