Future Meets Past in Pollution-Free Hog
Story by Jay LaRossa and Mike Seate
Photos by Mike Seate and Jose Gallina
We’d been eagerly awaiting the chance to plant our leathers on Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric streetbike since its 2021 premiere. Switching from the fabled pushrod-operated V-twin powertrain to a platform that’s powered only by batteries was the boldest move yet from America’s largest motorcycle maker. What would the chaps-and-beards crowd make of a Hog bereft of the beloved potato-potato exhaust note? Are there enough ecologically-conscious bikers on the roads to make this $23,000 machine (if you can refer to it in those terms) viable? While contemplating these and other questions about the LiveWire’s place and purpose, we had to admit it’s one damn fine-looking two-wheeler.
“It’s really sporty-looking and I like the way they made it narrow at the tank and seat junction so it doesn’t have that big, fat, bloated feel. It’s a neat-looking bike for how big it is. There’s a definite retro vibe going on with the cooling fins around the batteries where the engine should be,” Jay laughed.
