Fast charging draws from batteries in the chargers that are charged off the grid at night when sparks are cheap and there’s an ebb in demand. So no lights-off peeks 😊
Like light itself, you have encompassed not only the known color spectrum but even shown wavelengths we didn't know existed. You are the Sir David Attenborough of electric motorcycles. From the major players to that little bike with the beer hole. There is something for everyone. And as always, they only get better from here. Great job ol chap, carry on.
HAHAHA thanks so much man 😂 You are the king of comments. The master of meaningful messages. So poetic of posts 😁 I really appreciate it! This video was pretty goofy so I'm glad ya liked it.
In the "Wrong Way Up", the riders and drivers did everything wrong but there is something positive that came out of it. The Rivian electric truck and Livewire engineers probably gained a lot of real world use information that helped them with the development of the products.
Excellent point! Even if it was done comically wrong it was a great wear test, with a Harley and tech going with and tons of video documentation it was perfect for testing. Most companies couldn’t afford to do that kind of test and document it properly on their own. In that trip the more that went wrong the more bugs Harley and Rivian would find and take care of for production models after then.
The only issue for me is that it was done in the public arena. Real world testing takes place all of the time, but not generally shared with the public through mainstream media. The damage done to the brand was significant I believe. Case in point is that it is still talked about it to this day and is the back-bone of many ICE riders distorted views on EV's.
Hi Sam, I loved the fit and finish on the livewire when I test rode one a while back, however the price point was not justifiable by any means, now with the price reduction that puts in the same price point of the Zero it kind of makes it a no brainer if compared to the sr/f, Energica still on his own league, as the Ribelle and Ego are definitely more sporty, and, at least to me, give a more exclusive and "elite" kind of vibe (like riding an Mv Augusta, kind of vibe)
Yeah, well said! It was wild to find out the (properly) spec'd Zero is now more expensive than any of them haha. If Energicas weren't so ahead of anyone else, and the company wasn't as cool as it is, I'd totally get a Livewire 😎
I’ve been binging on your videos for a couple of days now and simply wanted to say “Cheers!” I really enjoy your humble, good-natured personalities. On a side note, would it be possible to ask Dan where he acquired his Livewire “tank” decal? Can’t find it on Amazon. Cheers again!!
I like all that Jen's personal feelings and sensations over the motorcycle. That give us a better idea about the driving experience. Nice video, thanks a lot ✌✌✌
Loving my LiveWire. I've had it 1.5 months and I've already got 3300 miles on it. Such a premium riding experience and I love all the tech that's behind it. You're absolutely right about having 118 years of experience behind the design - I can certainly feel the years of hard work and design that went into the bike. For the first iteration of this model, they nailed it. Had they come out the gate with that $22k price point, I think you'd still see the LiveWire with the H-D logo. I'm glad that I was able to snag up the last H-D LiveWire in Virginia still brand new (and with that lower price point). Glad ya'll got to take one for a spin, helps to have that comparison experience. When are ya'll getting the energicas?
Wow, that's serious riding! And that's the best reply to people who say "I like to ride a lot of miles"... so how many miles have you ridden?? 😂 We really liked this bike, and if Energica hadn't knocked it out of the park with the new bikes, we might be on Livewires. Not sure when they'll get here but hopefully before Christmas!
@@NewZeroland Yep! Can't keep me off this bike! Looking forward to more videos and trips. Energica definitely stepped it up with the new motor. Literally the one thing that pushed me towards the LiveWire was the fit and finish - just wasn't attracted energica's look. I adore the LiveWire. I especially like that it has everything I've wanted on it. With my DSR, I continuously felt like I had to keep updating it or modding it to perform the way I wanted (charge tank, quiq chargers, etc). Plus with CCS, one cable to rule them all. I no longer have to worry about whether additional charging cables are available to take advantage of additional chargers. I'm really waiting for the day when any of these bikes will be capable of drawing 60-70kW - that would be bonkers. Looking forward to the next video!
@@AdventuresonZero that's exactly it! The extra money spent to turn a Zero into something road-trippable could go to a Livewire. DC charging is such a game changer!
These motorbikes remind me of the first bulky, clunky camera phones of the early noughties that used to cost 300 quid -- which was a lot of money at the time. Somebody had to buy them, or else we wouldn't have the cheap, light, and amazing smartphones of today. Without the buyers of last year's $30,000 LiveWire, we wouldn't have the $22,000 LiveWire of today. I think I'll still wait a little bit more, but I want to send my thanks to all the early adopters for making the electric motorbikes of tomorrow possible.
Well said! That's exactly how I feel. Buying one now means we're putting money into the development of bikes that will have better range, faster charging, and hopefully be cheaper. I look at it like, yeah it's still expensive and new, but we can ride electric motorcycles while we wait for better ones 😁
@@NewZeroland And also we don't live forever. The bikes are more expensive today than they'll be tomorrow -- we all know that -- but you also enjoy things more when you're younger. I'll hopefully join the club very soon.
The SR is really similar, as crazy as that sounds. The Livewire is heavier but doesn't feel that different. Similar throttle feel and sound. Build quality is miles ahead of the Zero though. There's no comparison there. I think the Energica is the most different.. way louder but with a throttle like a Tesla pedal haha. If that makes sense.
@@NewZeroland It does make sense. I hear you on the build quality and I'll bet that the HD is actually made to be worked on. The SR feels like a non-bike company designed it. I love it, but even pulling all the body work is a pain. I am surprised that the two feel close being that the SR is such a small bike. I would love the SR even more if it just had dual front disks. Thanks man.
That's a whole lotta bike! And I'm jealous that you got to try it out. Another great video with commentary. And I love that Livewire is now a seperate entity from HD! Can't wait to see what the other big name companies come out with too.
It is an awesome bike. And it should be for the price. Yes, the regen will take you to almost a complete stop. Where can I find this lower cost livewire I keep hearing about?
@@usmcsaxoki eeee not sure if it's on the Harley site or if it has it's own, but this is the model, the Livewire One: www.cycleworld.com/story/bikes/livewire-one-is-26-percent-cheaper-than-the-h-d-branded-ev/
Lightning is advertising?? I feel like they've disappeared completely over the past year. I had to pull out because of covid, sadly. I couldn't travel back to the US to ride the one I wanted to buy, so I went with an Energica instead.
Thanks for the wonderful vid. Very pleased to see that it felt much lighter by how they placed the components. What is the big silver thing on the bottom? Is the motor mounted in the swing arm pivot point like a Zero?
The big silver thing under the battery is the motor! It's mounted long-ways instead of sideways like the Zero's motor. I guess that was their unique form of Tetris'ing all the bits together.
Great that you both got to ride the LiveWire. Nice of Dan to offer. 👍 The price reduction is a good thing and no doubt it's a nicely assembled machine and is solid. And it's perfect in its element (on the road rather than riding up through South and Central America without a DC charging infrastructure to speak of). Great work on the comparison! Yes, the Energica definitely has the edge on that basis, and I must admit, I prefer the look of the Eva Ribelle to the LiveWire. Sorry about the Zero getting jealous at the end. More intrigue!
Thanks man! That's a great point that I didn't even think about.. Rivian installed all those charging stations along the way, but what were they? I'm assuming they were 6kW AC stations.. but then that would mean the Livewires were charging at 1.5kW the entire way up. WOW! 😵😲 Now it REALLY doesn't make sense why they didn't take DSRs. And yep, agreed about the Eva Ribelle. Our hearts are set on those 😁 Thanks so much for sharing your ride on the new one!
@@NewZeroland They were 6 kW ACs. I remember when they plugged in at the first one and it reckoned 6 hours or so to charge. I laughed in disbelief, knowing that they could've been up and running again in around 90 minutes with a DSR + Charge Tank. You're right about the damage it did to the reputation of electric bikes in the wider community. I hear it quite a lot. "Those bikes took hours to charge, John!" 😞
Out of curiosity how tall is Jen / what is her inseam measurement? I'm on the shorter side and I'm trying to get an idea of what someone around my height looks like on the bike, and what their experience is.
@@NewZeroland Thanks for the quick reply! So I'm actually 1 inch shorter. I suppose the low seatheight option would benefit me. Does Jen also wear any boots that raise her overall height? She seemed to be able to almost flat-foot it, which is confidence-inspiring for me.
@@trackingtim she wears normal motorcycle boots but actually finds that the boots don't allow her to rotate her feet to be on the tip-toes. I guess that wasn't an issue with the Livewire because it was so short already.
I like the LW very much too. Price tag is "affordable" now but not available outside USA within the next year. CCS should do 20kW though. Not 11. And do notice AC is just 1,5 kW. So on stretches that you'll get stuck on AC it will be longer stuck than the Energica. The want one factor is very high though.
Yeah, great point. We really liked it and we're excited about the future Livewire models, but Energica is so far ahead already 😁 That's our only option now!
I figure if you're spending that kinda money, the bigger battery and better charging of the Energica is the way to go, even if it is a little more. I'm not sure if the new 2021 livewire was updated but last I checked level 2 220v charging went at the same speed as level 1 110v. (In the US). That's a 1.8kw peak charge speed unless you're at a DCFC. And since DCFC is pretty rare here in America the livewire starts to not look so great. Maybe if I rode it I'd change my mind.
Yeah the charging thing is where people get divided on the Livewire. I see why Harley did it though. At home most people charge slowly overnight, and out on road trips you wanna charge as fast as possible, so DC is the best. Level 2 is more common, but too slow. I think Harley was banking on the infrastructure improving, and it sounds like Electrify America is doing it!
More Jenn is great, but I want more of the cat 😸. I think the SS9+ is a better comparison than the Ribelle. It exceeds the other two and is the cheapest
I actually felt like I could sense what Jenn was talking about through her view, it really felt super smooth through the camera, not much noise, very little wobble or shake, just a solid ride on a cloud type of feel. Shame the service would be ridiculous, speaking of service hope the zero isn't following the old Triumph's example.😰
Haha yeah, the Livewire is so much nicer than we thought it would be. So refined. And man.. you're the first person to comment on my Zero dying. Yep, Triumph-level problems 😐
Haha it was pretty frustrating just about the whole way through. I wonder if those charging stations Rivian set up are still there. That could mean we're all able to do the same trip!
I really want to see what Honda and Kawasaki do for the “Golden Age”. It’s all super exciting especially with Harley dropping their price. That really kicks other companies that have been dragging their feet in the pants. You know they are going to start selling like mad at 20K USD. 😁
Yeah I was wondering if you had a live wire in New Zealand and I’m glad Jen got a chance to ride it. I have a nice DSR but the lack of DC fast charging and the lower price on the Livewire are tipping my choices to the Livewire.
They're for sale now in the US (I saw someone test riding one, so they must be available somewhere) but limited to certain dealers at the moment. For anywhere else in the world the charging port would have to be swapped. Could be a fun project!
The only thing that I like about the Harley is that DC fast charger. The one reason I haven’t switched is because I haven’t seen any extra storage options for it. And I’m not gonna lie I like my Givi case haha
Yeah I'm not sure what storage solutions people have found for this bike. Now I'm curious, because lots of people have done crazy long trips on Livewires.
@@NewZeroland yeah I’ve seen people taking it across the US but they strap everything to them lol. I don’t think this bike is designed like the SR/F. Where is a your motorcycle.
@@MrSokkermasta yeah weird that Harley wouldn't sell luggage mounts, especially after Long Way Up. Our next bikes will hopefully get here before Christmas, but it'll be a while.
I completely agree that more companies getting into electric means better bikes overall. I heard that the brand change was because of the Harley Dealer network, they didn’t want to sell those bikes unless they got a much bigger cut (because they sell less parts and maintenance). So that might bite them in the long run. But I agree with the brand change, they are not selling these to their existing riders, they are mostly targeted at a different generation of rider. The dealer network should be careful though, their current demographic is aging out. They need to embrace the future.
Another downside I heard was that Harley required dealers to set up super expensive machines / tools / training to even sell Livewires. Over here it was a $250k investment, to hopefully sell a $54k bike.. of which they've sold under 10 in the whole country. Now that the price of the bikes have dropped, more people want to buy them but there's even less return on investment for dealers. I wish the money side of it wasn't such a huge factor and we could just buy electric motorcycles.
@@NewZeroland That would make a lot of sense. They would need to add chargers at a minimum, and probably special tools. You have to sell a certain number to justify that investment in your facilities.
I had no idea Livewire split off that's awesome news. Super nice that its $10k USD cheaper than it used to be... Gatta love brand names I guess. Added to the list of possibilities now, thank you!
Great vid as always. I haven't heard of many people who have actually ridden this bike and not been impressed. It seems like an amazing bike. The price was just really hard to justify, even if the bike is really good. No matter which way you cut it, 30K for a bike you can only ride 100 miles at a time is a hard pill to swallow for most. This new price drop is HUGE and extremely exciting. Especially because maybe they'll offer more midrange bikes under this new brand. Or, a bigger long range cruiser to get back up to that high end 30k price. The other big deterrent for me is charging. It essentially doesn't have lvl 2 charging, so if I can't find a DC fast charger (none near my work) I have to wait the same 9 hours I had to wait for my zero. I really want DC fast charging, but not at the expense of the regular level 2 charging that makes up the majority of the infrastructure here. And the big one, that I want more info on is just luggage. I've never seen a livewire with a top case, rear rack, or even saddle bags and I haven't found any info on the options available. Having at the very least a rear rack is a necessity for me, since I lug my tools to work on my bike.
Yeah great point.. even a 3kW charger would be better than what they have now. I wonder if the new Livewire will have a bigger one. Charging infrastructure definitely determines which bike to buy. It's a bummer that the bikes are improving faster than the charging stations, but hopefully soon DC won't be so rare. I'm hoping the Tesla superchargers opening up to all CCS vehicles will change things. And yeah! More range of bikes! A smaller / lighter / cheaper bike would be sweet if it still has fast charging.
@@NewZeroland My feeling is that in the states DC will likely be less common for another decade at least. Installing a J-plug level 2 charger is cheap and easy, instealling a DC fast charger is complex and expensive. Electrify america is installing DC stations at a pretty rapid pace, but it's still a drop in the bucket compared to the # of level 2 stations we already have and more are still being installed. Plus the other important reason to have level 2 charging on the bike is simply home charging. Nobody is going to have DC at home, but lots of people have level 2, myself included. My electric car shouldn't get a full charge faster than my electric bike, but that's the case right now. But yeah I'm excited about this new livewire brand and this price drop, really looking forward to what they do in the future.
@@DOberhaus Thanks for your reply! That's pretty much what I had figured. No official or even purpose built third party, just lots of homemade or generic solutions. Personally that's a no-go for me. I need a rated back-plate I can mount my pelican case to, or side racks I can mount other hard cases to. Hopefully future livewire bikes will have more luggage considerations. I would love to see a livewire reimagining of the pan-america.
Awesome video as usual. Cool bike shame about the price will take it out of reach for the majority. Hope we can all get back out there on two wheels, in NZ, soon.
True enough puts it in the same$ league as the 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-SP. in NZ @ $55k, wonder how many years until we start seeing a decent second hand market for the premium EV bikes.
Hey just wanted to say, solidarity to you and yours through this latest lockdown. Hopefully the vaccine rollout over there can be accelerated so the country can get back to normal. Makes me so grateful I had access to the jab so early.
Cheers man! It sucks being stuck at home, but bettet than being infected for sure. Hopefully they can get the whole country vaccinated before letting more people in again.
@@NewZeroland i caught the thing in february 2020, before the government in my country was even admitting there was community transmission. i have asthma, and i lived alone, so i had a horrible month of suffering. i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. every country's had to face different trade-offs, and ordinary people just have to get on with it, we haven't any choice. we all just have to keep morale as high as possible, and have faith that our scientists and medics will see us through to the other side. every little helps, including content like yours keeping the boredom at bay, so thanks for your contribution.
@@gallaghergibson8024 That sounds horrible, man. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad my videos have helped keep you sane during this crazy time! 😁
Hi Sam this video really showed off the Livewire. The build quality looks awesome. Expensive yes but man a whole lot of bike for your bucks. I recognised a lot of the places you rode to. The Hutt Motorway is awesome on a nice day. Let's hope of these EV bikes come down in price. I could hear the wishful thinking in Jen's voice. Thanks for posting this 😊.
Haha cheers Gary! Glad ya liked it. Jenn was so excited the whole time. I don't think she wanted to give it back 😂 Sadly we're in lockdown now so even a trip up the highway is off limits, but hopefully I can get back out there soon.
I was looking forward to the day you rode the Livewire and gave your input. Since the price drop, I've been thinking of scheduling a test ride. For me, the Livewire is a better choice as a dealer is not that far away, and its in stock. Haven't read much of the comments, but I really hope the zero didn't Trimuph on you. I love the dynamic of you both in the videos.
Haha thanks man! Only you and one other person asked about the Zero. Unfortunately it's pretty bad, but I guess that gives me a reason to make more videos.
Was waiting on your opinion of the Livewire. Its torque sits at 86ft/lbs, which makes it comparable to Zero’s 78ft/lbs on the FX, S, and DS models. To me, thar makes the Livewire a better choice as a first electric motorcycle purchase than jumping on a torque monster like the Eva or SR/F. Plus, they’re five H-D dealerships within 125 miles of my locale that specialize in electric motorcycles. Unfortunately, the closest Energica or Zero dealerships are nearly 150 miles away.
Haha I wouldn't trust those numbers. The Livewire can wheelie, while most Zeros can't 😂 It has a LOT of torque. That said, my wife actually thought it would be an awesome bike to learn on. It's so easy to ride and so planted.
I have been thinking,I should sell my Energica Ego. Reasons Its value is quiet good at the moment,it may loose more value in next year. I don't use it that much Cheaper electric bikes that rival it may be out soon, especially when Chinese export. The Live wire already is good rival,but not available in UK yet(non HD version). Not sure it's making sense for me to keep it.
That's a bummer but I understand. I was in the same boat earlier this year, and I decided to sell my Ego for something more comfortable (I'll share that soon). What kind of riding do you do? That could determine which bike is the best fit.
Great video. Not a bad bike to do just before the lockdown. So many good comments. I am really looking forward the “Golden Age” of E bikes. What did Harley do to drop the cost? Was it just taking off their branding? Or does that mean it was made largely in China? Either way it still seems like a great big boy bike for us shorter riders.
Not sure, actually.. because some specs will actually be improved on the new one! Maybe manufacturing overseas is the secret. We'll have to see how it goes, but I'm super excited to see what they do next.
Me too. Even if I don’t get one the potential peer pressure on the other big companies is exciting. Honda never was going to care how well Zero or Energica did. That was an affordable niche market but Harley may bring it more mainstream. And considering the price of most Harley bikes, 20K is probably one of the cheaper bikes they are selling. I’m sure they have some cheaper ones but how many of their customers have had 3 or 4 40K bikes from them?
@@stevenb7319 yeah true that. We need cheaper options that aren't crap! I was reeeeally hoping Lightning could do it. That $13k usd sportbike with DC charging was a dream come true, but they've become ghosts. I have no idea if they're still making bikes. Hopefully Honda can pull off something similar. They have the resources and experience with electric motorcycles (Mugen Isle of Man TT winners)!
@@NewZeroland I’m hoping for the best with Honda as well. Hopefully they don’t play it safe and just make a hybrid bike. Honestly I’d be excited for that if they did. Disappointed, but excited. They could even play it safe and make a new NM4 that was electric. It already looks like it’s from the future without any mods.
@@stevenb7319 dude yeah! Ghost in the Shell style haha. A hybrid could solve a lot of emissions problems if you could cruise at 30mph through cities on electric-only mode, then kick in the gas engine for long trips.. but the complexity and space needed for that kinda thing would be insane.
@@NewZeroland Here is a compromise: Step 1: Out of your 12 keep your fafourite and sell the other 11. Then buy the electric. Next: Watch the layers of dust grow on what used to be your fafourite. And finally: Sell the last stink bike. This way your brain gets more time to adjust to the change. I used to absolutely love the sounds of engines. Now it is just annoying unnecessary noise and I love to just listen to the wind. You will arrive much less fatigued too.
@@moestrei hahaha that's exactly what happened to me. The electric bike is way more exciting so you ride it more.. and forget about the gas bike. Then one day you go to ride the gas bike but the battery is dead haha. I'm with you about loud exhaust.. I used to love it, but now it draws too much attention.
The new Zeros are cool, but they're more expensive than both the Livewire AND two of the Energica models, with cheaper build quality. I'm not sure how Zero is still in the game with those prices.
@@NewZeroland Strange, when I last checked earlier this year the SR/S starts around £20k, Esse Esse 9 comes in at £19.5k, whilst the Livewire comes in at a staggering £29k. I'll have to check to see if prices have shifted, cheers. d=(^_^)z
@@NewZeroland I see! I'm behind the times, looks like the 2022 LiveWire One is projected to be £15k-ish. Proof once again that H-D pricegouges their customers for the badge alone. >=( I need something that comfortably does 120m (193km), with about 90% of that at 70mph (113kmh). :s
@@_Meriwether oh yeah Harleys were too expensive, but from what I heard they only made around 1000 of them. The new brand should be way more attainable. I'd still suggest an Energica though 😎 The quality, power, range, and charging speed is unmatched!
Now that they dropped the price (and name) I wonder if people will consider it. I mean I would but it’s still very pricey. Thank you for the stats! I was wondering how they stacked up against each other. It’s such a beautiful looking bike…
Thanks man! I wonder too. I hope they do well, because that price makes it super competitive. Sad to say, I'm not sure why anyone would buy a Zero SR/F now 😂
@@ronaldb479 dude yeah! That's nutso money. It's an amazing bike, but as another dude said, an electric motorcycle shouldn't cost more than an electric car.
Glad you had a chance to experience the Live Wire finally. If there's a single word description of them "solid" is the one you'll hear everyone use. I couldn't justify the original price point but it feels like a more quality bike than anything Zero has come out with. I'm still looking forward to a future iteration with a windshield as that's still the main thing that I don't understand about all these naked electric manufacturers, it's the single easiest thing to increase the range by as much as 10% and makes if feel so much better so why is only Energica and a bunch of potential vaporware manufacturers the only ones to figure out that fairings plus windshield are always going to be better? (Yeah I know Zero has a kind of faired sort of windshield thing going on with their SR/S which is a pretty halfhearted attempt at something)
Yeah great point, Spike. I agree. We need more aero on these bikes! I reeeally wish Lightning was still a thing. Their fairings looked so good. As far as I know, Harley doesn't offer a windscreen OR saddle bags, so I'm not sure who they're marketing this bike for. More excuse to customize I guess 😁
@@NewZeroland Your journey to put fairings on the SR is actually the reason why I subscribed to the channel in the first place. I'm probably not going to do it for the same reasons you opted not to but I still think someone should.
@@spike_spencer haha aw man.. I wish I had kept going, or found someone with more experience to help out. My lack of fabricating skills really killed that one.. but riding the Strike and the Ego did too. Putting fairings on my Zero would have made it look cooler and helped a bit with the range, but it still couldn't charge in 30 min or ride over 100mph.. so it was time to move on.
@@CRPerformance1 I love the style.. just gotta get back to the US to ride one when they come out. No chance of getting one in NZ any time soon. Unless they come with ABS, then maybe!
The downside of a EV is the batteries, they have multiple problems, time charging, miles per charge, get affected for temperatures cold or hot, life of the battery itself and price is around 80% of the value of the motorcycle. If you are willing to pay $17.000 in five years for a new battery go for a $22K motorcycle for most people the battery going to die before pay off the loan. Electric motorcycles are extremely simple compared with a full mechanical ones, have many less parts and are more cheaper to manufacture, yes they have a lot of electronic technology but still simple and easy to produce all they have is a engine a battery and ECU, this simple machines dont justify the price of over $20K, batteries dont evolve the faster as the other industries, they still way behind and ridiculously pricey.
Ewen and Charlie must dislike this episode :( The Livewire is a nice machine though. But an Electric Motorcycle should not be worth more than a electric car EVER !!
Sorry to diss your Zero but it looks like some cheap chinese bike compared to the Livewire. Haven't ridden the Livewire but just looking at it at the dealer you can tell it oozes with quality. I can't wait until the day that it is nothing for an electric bike to get 300 actual miles to a charge.
To be fair, the Zero SR design hasn't really changed drastically in 8 years. Hell, that bike existed before the first concept LiveWires. Also some parts have been taken off and/or modified, so his SR isn't meant to be a head-turner.
Yeah a lot has changed in the 5+ years I've owned my Zero. It's already super easy to do 400 mile days on electric motorcycles. I'm excited to see if Honda and Yamaha can get the prices down through mass-production.
@@mvetter Years ago my wife and I rode our bikes down to Kansas City, Missouri to demo ride the first Livewires that were made and were touring the country by semi to give demo's and get responses from folks about likes and dislikes. Those bikes only went about 50 miles per charge which was a no sell proposition but they were fun as heck to ride and were well made but ultimately changed quite a bit to get to the awesome Livewire of today. Those first Livewires were much smaller because my wife found them a perfect size and today's are too tall for her. I might buy a Livewire once those less expensive ones hit the market.
This channel started off great but now its clearly aimed at 10 year olds with stupid meme's popping up ruining the experience. If you make it a "bit more grown up" you will appeal to a wider range of rider.
@@NewZerolandthis channel has always been great. Just lose the meme's and concentrate on the content and you will be pulling a lot of older experienced riders onto electric bikes. Hope you can see this as constructive criticism.
Better range than a Zero, and DC charging means you can do 700km days pretty easily! I think we were mostly surprised that the new ones are cheaper than Zeros 😂
@@NewZeroland the livewire branded ones yes they're cheaper. But....big caveat...in the US there are only going to be 4 dealers opened this year. And our DC3 fast charging infrastructure sucks here. And with the extra 6kw charging block the zero has better charging unless you want to pay 20 bucks for an hour of DC3
There are enough Electrify America stations now to do cross-country rides (someone did it on a Livewire and then on an Energica). I know charging for free is awesome, but waiting 2 hours at each stop is just too long.
😊 You had me at " low center of - ohh PUPPY! - , low center of gravity" LoL.. Jen is funny😊😊 and when the video is nice I much watch twice
HAHA thanks so much! Yeah she's hilarious. I never know what will happen with I give her the GoPro.
You gotta love Jen's enthousiasm! Made me smile from the start. The bike should have better AC charging though.
Yep, absolutely haha! I need more Jenn in my videos.
Can you do a clip on the new electric ferries.
Oh yeah good idea! Hopefully we go out of lockdown soon and I can ride one.
I heard they cant do fast charging cos all the lights in central Wellington would dim.
@@brianboys9015 oh wow 😂
Fast charging draws from batteries in the chargers that are charged off the grid at night when sparks are cheap and there’s an ebb in demand. So no lights-off peeks 😊
Like light itself, you have encompassed not only the known color spectrum but even shown wavelengths we didn't know existed. You are the Sir David Attenborough of electric motorcycles. From the major players to that little bike with the beer hole. There is something for everyone. And as always, they only get better from here. Great job ol chap, carry on.
HAHAHA thanks so much man 😂 You are the king of comments. The master of meaningful messages. So poetic of posts 😁 I really appreciate it! This video was pretty goofy so I'm glad ya liked it.
In the "Wrong Way Up", the riders and drivers did everything wrong but there is something positive that came out of it.
The Rivian electric truck and Livewire engineers probably gained a lot of real world use information that helped them with the development of the products.
True! Great point. Whatever they learned from that trip really paid off in the production models.
Excellent point! Even if it was done comically wrong it was a great wear test, with a Harley and tech going with and tons of video documentation it was perfect for testing. Most companies couldn’t afford to do that kind of test and document it properly on their own. In that trip the more that went wrong the more bugs Harley and Rivian would find and take care of for production models after then.
The only issue for me is that it was done in the public arena. Real world testing takes place all of the time, but not generally shared with the public through mainstream media. The damage done to the brand was significant I believe. Case in point is that it is still talked about it to this day and is the back-bone of many ICE riders distorted views on EV's.
Hi Sam, I loved the fit and finish on the livewire when I test rode one a while back, however the price point was not justifiable by any means, now with the price reduction that puts in the same price point of the Zero it kind of makes it a no brainer if compared to the sr/f, Energica still on his own league, as the Ribelle and Ego are definitely more sporty, and, at least to me, give a more exclusive and "elite" kind of vibe (like riding an Mv Augusta, kind of vibe)
Yeah, well said! It was wild to find out the (properly) spec'd Zero is now more expensive than any of them haha. If Energicas weren't so ahead of anyone else, and the company wasn't as cool as it is, I'd totally get a Livewire 😎
Jen enjoying the re-Jen. It is pretty strong on the LW.
Bwahaha she loves it! She's still never ridden an Energica, so she's in for a surprise :D
The best looking electric bike !
@5:00 I’ve never made noises like that riding. lol
HAHA yeah Jenn is special XD
I’ve been binging on your videos for a couple of days now and simply wanted to say “Cheers!” I really enjoy your humble, good-natured personalities. On a side note, would it be possible to ask Dan where he acquired his Livewire “tank” decal? Can’t find it on Amazon. Cheers again!!
Thanks Julian! I appreciate it. Dan made his own tank decal actually 😂 I think he cut a sticker by hand.
Makes sense. Cheers, Sam.
I like all that Jen's personal feelings and sensations over the motorcycle. That give us a better idea about the driving experience. Nice video, thanks a lot ✌✌✌
Haha cheers 😁 Glad ya liked it!
Loving my LiveWire. I've had it 1.5 months and I've already got 3300 miles on it. Such a premium riding experience and I love all the tech that's behind it. You're absolutely right about having 118 years of experience behind the design - I can certainly feel the years of hard work and design that went into the bike. For the first iteration of this model, they nailed it. Had they come out the gate with that $22k price point, I think you'd still see the LiveWire with the H-D logo. I'm glad that I was able to snag up the last H-D LiveWire in Virginia still brand new (and with that lower price point).
Glad ya'll got to take one for a spin, helps to have that comparison experience. When are ya'll getting the energicas?
Wow, that's serious riding! And that's the best reply to people who say "I like to ride a lot of miles"... so how many miles have you ridden?? 😂 We really liked this bike, and if Energica hadn't knocked it out of the park with the new bikes, we might be on Livewires. Not sure when they'll get here but hopefully before Christmas!
@@NewZeroland Yep! Can't keep me off this bike! Looking forward to more videos and trips. Energica definitely stepped it up with the new motor. Literally the one thing that pushed me towards the LiveWire was the fit and finish - just wasn't attracted energica's look. I adore the LiveWire. I especially like that it has everything I've wanted on it. With my DSR, I continuously felt like I had to keep updating it or modding it to perform the way I wanted (charge tank, quiq chargers, etc). Plus with CCS, one cable to rule them all. I no longer have to worry about whether additional charging cables are available to take advantage of additional chargers.
I'm really waiting for the day when any of these bikes will be capable of drawing 60-70kW - that would be bonkers. Looking forward to the next video!
@@AdventuresonZero that's exactly it! The extra money spent to turn a Zero into something road-trippable could go to a Livewire. DC charging is such a game changer!
@@NewZeroland so it's on the way ? 2 Ribelle or you choose a SS9?
@@LeGriffon1453 two red ones 😂 that's all I'm gonna say.
Thanks Sam and Jen. Cheered me up. These sunny days up here are begging for a FX pie and hot chocolate trip but lock down, sigh.
I feel ya man 😪 I'm not sure how much longer we'll be in lockdown either. This delta thing is a mess. Hopefully they'll let us out for a ride soon!
Curious about that heartbeat. Did they put a little vibrator in the live wire to make it feel like a HD?
Yep hahaha.. I should have talked about that more. That and the individual turn signals on each side of the handle bar.
Kia ora bro. I glad I found this channel, its good to see road tests on our side of the road. Hope the zero is OK. Subscriber now....
Hey cheers! Thanks for following 😁 I can't wait to do more road trips around NZ.
These motorbikes remind me of the first bulky, clunky camera phones of the early noughties that used to cost 300 quid -- which was a lot of money at the time. Somebody had to buy them, or else we wouldn't have the cheap, light, and amazing smartphones of today. Without the buyers of last year's $30,000 LiveWire, we wouldn't have the $22,000 LiveWire of today. I think I'll still wait a little bit more, but I want to send my thanks to all the early adopters for making the electric motorbikes of tomorrow possible.
Well said! That's exactly how I feel. Buying one now means we're putting money into the development of bikes that will have better range, faster charging, and hopefully be cheaper. I look at it like, yeah it's still expensive and new, but we can ride electric motorcycles while we wait for better ones 😁
@@NewZeroland And also we don't live forever. The bikes are more expensive today than they'll be tomorrow -- we all know that -- but you also enjoy things more when you're younger. I'll hopefully join the club very soon.
I plan to test ride one.
Definitely do!!
Very nice!
I'm so glad that you compared all three. How did you like it between the SR and the HD?
The SR is really similar, as crazy as that sounds. The Livewire is heavier but doesn't feel that different. Similar throttle feel and sound. Build quality is miles ahead of the Zero though. There's no comparison there. I think the Energica is the most different.. way louder but with a throttle like a Tesla pedal haha. If that makes sense.
@@NewZeroland It does make sense. I hear you on the build quality and I'll bet that the HD is actually made to be worked on. The SR feels like a non-bike company designed it. I love it, but even pulling all the body work is a pain. I am surprised that the two feel close being that the SR is such a small bike. I would love the SR even more if it just had dual front disks.
Thanks man.
That's a whole lotta bike! And I'm jealous that you got to try it out. Another great video with commentary. And I love that Livewire is now a seperate entity from HD! Can't wait to see what the other big name companies come out with too.
Thanks man! I'm excited too. Super excited to have cheaper DC fast charging bikes with this level of build quality! Here's hoping NZ gets them soon.
It is an awesome bike. And it should be for the price. Yes, the regen will take you to almost a complete stop.
Where can I find this lower cost livewire I keep hearing about?
Man unfortunately they're only selling them in a few states, at a few dealers. Not sure what that's about 😪
@@NewZeroland No, I mean where can I find the official website for these or other information online?
@@usmcsaxoki eeee not sure if it's on the Harley site or if it has it's own, but this is the model, the Livewire One:
www.cycleworld.com/story/bikes/livewire-one-is-26-percent-cheaper-than-the-h-d-branded-ev/
@@NewZeroland Thanks. No, it's on the Harley website so I've been wondering what people have been talking about or if its an official thing.
Any word on your Lightning motorcycle? I see they're advertising a new model the "Strike". All I see are promises and swag. Have they delivered any?
Lightning is advertising?? I feel like they've disappeared completely over the past year. I had to pull out because of covid, sadly. I couldn't travel back to the US to ride the one I wanted to buy, so I went with an Energica instead.
Thanks for the wonderful vid. Very pleased to see that it felt much lighter by how they placed the components. What is the big silver thing on the bottom? Is the motor mounted in the swing arm pivot point like a Zero?
The big silver thing under the battery is the motor! It's mounted long-ways instead of sideways like the Zero's motor. I guess that was their unique form of Tetris'ing all the bits together.
Great that you both got to ride the LiveWire. Nice of Dan to offer. 👍
The price reduction is a good thing and no doubt it's a nicely assembled machine and is solid.
And it's perfect in its element (on the road rather than riding up through South and Central America without a DC charging infrastructure to speak of).
Great work on the comparison! Yes, the Energica definitely has the edge on that basis, and I must admit, I prefer the look of the Eva Ribelle to the LiveWire.
Sorry about the Zero getting jealous at the end. More intrigue!
Thanks man! That's a great point that I didn't even think about.. Rivian installed all those charging stations along the way, but what were they? I'm assuming they were 6kW AC stations.. but then that would mean the Livewires were charging at 1.5kW the entire way up. WOW! 😵😲 Now it REALLY doesn't make sense why they didn't take DSRs.
And yep, agreed about the Eva Ribelle. Our hearts are set on those 😁 Thanks so much for sharing your ride on the new one!
@@NewZeroland They were 6 kW ACs. I remember when they plugged in at the first one and it reckoned 6 hours or so to charge. I laughed in disbelief, knowing that they could've been up and running again in around 90 minutes with a DSR + Charge Tank.
You're right about the damage it did to the reputation of electric bikes in the wider community. I hear it quite a lot.
"Those bikes took hours to charge, John!"
😞
@@jtchivers yep, people STILL think electric motorcycles don't charge faster than 9 hours 😂 At least all the cool ones are around an hour now.
Oof I’ve been debating the livewire or a ribelle, just wish the livewire had more range, it’s a pretty bike!
You know I'm biased, but the Ribelle is unbeatable in every aspect haha.
Out of curiosity how tall is Jen / what is her inseam measurement? I'm on the shorter side and I'm trying to get an idea of what someone around my height looks like on the bike, and what their experience is.
She's 5'5.. not sure what her inseam is but she's super short, and the Livewire is the shortest electric motorcycle available right now.
@@NewZeroland Thanks for the quick reply! So I'm actually 1 inch shorter. I suppose the low seatheight option would benefit me. Does Jen also wear any boots that raise her overall height? She seemed to be able to almost flat-foot it, which is confidence-inspiring for me.
@@trackingtim she wears normal motorcycle boots but actually finds that the boots don't allow her to rotate her feet to be on the tip-toes. I guess that wasn't an issue with the Livewire because it was so short already.
@@NewZeroland Awesome. Really great to know. Much appreciated!
I like the LW very much too.
Price tag is "affordable" now but not available outside USA within the next year.
CCS should do 20kW though. Not 11. And do notice AC is just 1,5 kW.
So on stretches that you'll get stuck on AC it will be longer stuck than the Energica.
The want one factor is very high though.
Yeah, great point. We really liked it and we're excited about the future Livewire models, but Energica is so far ahead already 😁 That's our only option now!
I wonder how much Alta is in that
Oh snap O_O
I figure if you're spending that kinda money, the bigger battery and better charging of the Energica is the way to go, even if it is a little more. I'm not sure if the new 2021 livewire was updated but last I checked level 2 220v charging went at the same speed as level 1 110v. (In the US). That's a 1.8kw peak charge speed unless you're at a DCFC. And since DCFC is pretty rare here in America the livewire starts to not look so great.
Maybe if I rode it I'd change my mind.
Yeah the charging thing is where people get divided on the Livewire. I see why Harley did it though. At home most people charge slowly overnight, and out on road trips you wanna charge as fast as possible, so DC is the best. Level 2 is more common, but too slow. I think Harley was banking on the infrastructure improving, and it sounds like Electrify America is doing it!
More Jenn is great, but I want more of the cat 😸. I think the SS9+ is a better comparison than the Ribelle. It exceeds the other two and is the cheapest
Haha true.. it is the cheapest for sure. That's a great point. And ok more cat soon :D
I actually felt like I could sense what Jenn was talking about through her view, it really felt super smooth through the camera, not much noise, very little wobble or shake, just a solid ride on a cloud type of feel. Shame the service would be ridiculous, speaking of service hope the zero isn't following the old Triumph's example.😰
Haha yeah, the Livewire is so much nicer than we thought it would be. So refined. And man.. you're the first person to comment on my Zero dying. Yep, Triumph-level problems 😐
I haven't watched LWU and don't plan to. I will literally do that.
Haha it was pretty frustrating just about the whole way through. I wonder if those charging stations Rivian set up are still there. That could mean we're all able to do the same trip!
Jenn loves it. Looks like you'll have to buy her a Harley.
Yes she looked so good and comfortable on it. Always remember: Happy wife, happy life!!!
And a leather vest with patches so people know she means business!
We're on cusp of a 'Golden Age' once the 'big boys' start competing in the 'E' space in earnest.
Hell yeah, Seafox! You're right. It's about to get crazy.
I really want to see what Honda and Kawasaki do for the “Golden Age”. It’s all super exciting especially with Harley dropping their price. That really kicks other companies that have been dragging their feet in the pants. You know they are going to start selling like mad at 20K USD. 😁
@@stevenb7319 yeah man!! I agree. It's about to get really exciting. 200 mile ranges and 30 min charging times here we come!
Yeah I was wondering if you had a live wire in New Zealand and I’m glad Jen got a chance to ride it. I have a nice DSR but the lack of DC fast charging and the lower price on the Livewire are tipping my choices to the Livewire.
Dude nice!! The Livewire is seriously one of the most well-made electric bikes ever. Great choice 😎
Is it better than the energica
Nope.. less range, slower charging, and not as fast.. but still REALLY good.
@@NewZeroland only thing turning me away is its 5k more
Hey NZL, the Harley has the street cred & presence, but the cheaper version will be better. Do you know when it’s due?
They're for sale now in the US (I saw someone test riding one, so they must be available somewhere) but limited to certain dealers at the moment. For anywhere else in the world the charging port would have to be swapped. Could be a fun project!
@@NewZeroland the bike charging point? Sorry, I’m not knowledgeable on electric vehicles 🤦♂️
Main difference is we can buy Harleys in New Zealand but not the Zero or Energica's.
Wonder what the NZ price will be for the LiveWire
True that, and Zero has no interest in selling here. I'm hoping for $35-40k for the new Livewire.
A 1977 Kawasaki z1000 was 240 kg , 78 Suzuki GS 1000 238 kg, I think that was dry.
That's crazy heavy!
The only thing that I like about the Harley is that DC fast charger. The one reason I haven’t switched is because I haven’t seen any extra storage options for it. And I’m not gonna lie I like my Givi case haha
Yeah I'm not sure what storage solutions people have found for this bike. Now I'm curious, because lots of people have done crazy long trips on Livewires.
@@NewZeroland yeah I’ve seen people taking it across the US but they strap everything to them lol. I don’t think this bike is designed like the SR/F. Where is a your motorcycle.
@@MrSokkermasta yeah weird that Harley wouldn't sell luggage mounts, especially after Long Way Up. Our next bikes will hopefully get here before Christmas, but it'll be a while.
torque comparison would have also been nice in the list.
It's hard to find realistic torque figures for the Livewire. None of their motor specs make sense, because it feels way more powerful.
@@NewZeroland how does torque feel compared to ribelle though?
@@miniscribbler7638 the Ribelle has way more haha. The acceleration is scary :D
@@NewZeroland yes. the answer i wanted :P
@@miniscribbler7638 😂😁
I completely agree that more companies getting into electric means better bikes overall.
I heard that the brand change was because of the Harley Dealer network, they didn’t want to sell those bikes unless they got a much bigger cut (because they sell less parts and maintenance). So that might bite them in the long run. But I agree with the brand change, they are not selling these to their existing riders, they are mostly targeted at a different generation of rider. The dealer network should be careful though, their current demographic is aging out. They need to embrace the future.
Another downside I heard was that Harley required dealers to set up super expensive machines / tools / training to even sell Livewires. Over here it was a $250k investment, to hopefully sell a $54k bike.. of which they've sold under 10 in the whole country. Now that the price of the bikes have dropped, more people want to buy them but there's even less return on investment for dealers. I wish the money side of it wasn't such a huge factor and we could just buy electric motorcycles.
@@NewZeroland That would make a lot of sense. They would need to add chargers at a minimum, and probably special tools. You have to sell a certain number to justify that investment in your facilities.
I had no idea Livewire split off that's awesome news.
Super nice that its $10k USD cheaper than it used to be... Gatta love brand names I guess.
Added to the list of possibilities now, thank you!
Nice! Thanks for watching. It seems like every year electric motorcycles get better AND cheaper.
Nice!!!
Great vid as always. I haven't heard of many people who have actually ridden this bike and not been impressed. It seems like an amazing bike.
The price was just really hard to justify, even if the bike is really good. No matter which way you cut it, 30K for a bike you can only ride 100 miles at a time is a hard pill to swallow for most. This new price drop is HUGE and extremely exciting. Especially because maybe they'll offer more midrange bikes under this new brand. Or, a bigger long range cruiser to get back up to that high end 30k price.
The other big deterrent for me is charging. It essentially doesn't have lvl 2 charging, so if I can't find a DC fast charger (none near my work) I have to wait the same 9 hours I had to wait for my zero. I really want DC fast charging, but not at the expense of the regular level 2 charging that makes up the majority of the infrastructure here.
And the big one, that I want more info on is just luggage. I've never seen a livewire with a top case, rear rack, or even saddle bags and I haven't found any info on the options available. Having at the very least a rear rack is a necessity for me, since I lug my tools to work on my bike.
Yeah great point.. even a 3kW charger would be better than what they have now. I wonder if the new Livewire will have a bigger one. Charging infrastructure definitely determines which bike to buy. It's a bummer that the bikes are improving faster than the charging stations, but hopefully soon DC won't be so rare. I'm hoping the Tesla superchargers opening up to all CCS vehicles will change things. And yeah! More range of bikes! A smaller / lighter / cheaper bike would be sweet if it still has fast charging.
@@NewZeroland My feeling is that in the states DC will likely be less common for another decade at least. Installing a J-plug level 2 charger is cheap and easy, instealling a DC fast charger is complex and expensive. Electrify america is installing DC stations at a pretty rapid pace, but it's still a drop in the bucket compared to the # of level 2 stations we already have and more are still being installed.
Plus the other important reason to have level 2 charging on the bike is simply home charging. Nobody is going to have DC at home, but lots of people have level 2, myself included. My electric car shouldn't get a full charge faster than my electric bike, but that's the case right now.
But yeah I'm excited about this new livewire brand and this price drop, really looking forward to what they do in the future.
@@DOberhaus Thanks for your reply!
That's pretty much what I had figured. No official or even purpose built third party, just lots of homemade or generic solutions. Personally that's a no-go for me. I need a rated back-plate I can mount my pelican case to, or side racks I can mount other hard cases to. Hopefully future livewire bikes will have more luggage considerations. I would love to see a livewire reimagining of the pan-america.
Awesome video as usual. Cool bike shame about the price will take it out of reach for the majority.
Hope we can all get back out there on two wheels, in NZ, soon.
Yeah I'm excited about the new price. That should make them way more attainable. C'mon lockdown! We want to ride!!
Looking at the price of other premium bikes and TCO (total cost of ownership) it is priced realistic enough.
True enough puts it in the same$ league as the 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-SP. in NZ @ $55k, wonder how many years until we start seeing a decent second hand market for the premium EV bikes.
Hey just wanted to say, solidarity to you and yours through this latest lockdown. Hopefully the vaccine rollout over there can be accelerated so the country can get back to normal. Makes me so grateful I had access to the jab so early.
Cheers man! It sucks being stuck at home, but bettet than being infected for sure. Hopefully they can get the whole country vaccinated before letting more people in again.
@@NewZeroland i caught the thing in february 2020, before the government in my country was even admitting there was community transmission. i have asthma, and i lived alone, so i had a horrible month of suffering. i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. every country's had to face different trade-offs, and ordinary people just have to get on with it, we haven't any choice. we all just have to keep morale as high as possible, and have faith that our scientists and medics will see us through to the other side. every little helps, including content like yours keeping the boredom at bay, so thanks for your contribution.
@@gallaghergibson8024 That sounds horrible, man. I'm sorry you had to go through that. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad my videos have helped keep you sane during this crazy time! 😁
So cool
Cheers man!
Hi Sam this video really showed off the Livewire. The build quality looks awesome. Expensive yes but man a whole lot of bike for your bucks. I recognised a lot of the places you rode to. The Hutt Motorway is awesome on a nice day. Let's hope of these EV bikes come down in price. I could hear the wishful thinking in Jen's voice. Thanks for posting this 😊.
Haha cheers Gary! Glad ya liked it. Jenn was so excited the whole time. I don't think she wanted to give it back 😂 Sadly we're in lockdown now so even a trip up the highway is off limits, but hopefully I can get back out there soon.
buy it buy it buy it
Hahahaha nah. Maybe. Nah XD
I was looking forward to the day you rode the Livewire and gave your input. Since the price drop, I've been thinking of scheduling a test ride. For me, the Livewire is a better choice as a dealer is not that far away, and its in stock. Haven't read much of the comments, but I really hope the zero didn't Trimuph on you. I love the dynamic of you both in the videos.
Haha thanks man! Only you and one other person asked about the Zero. Unfortunately it's pretty bad, but I guess that gives me a reason to make more videos.
Was waiting on your opinion of the Livewire. Its torque sits at 86ft/lbs, which makes it comparable to Zero’s 78ft/lbs on the FX, S, and DS models. To me, thar makes the Livewire a better choice as a first electric motorcycle purchase than jumping on a torque monster like the Eva or SR/F. Plus, they’re five H-D dealerships within 125 miles of my locale that specialize in electric motorcycles. Unfortunately, the closest Energica or Zero dealerships are nearly 150 miles away.
Haha I wouldn't trust those numbers. The Livewire can wheelie, while most Zeros can't 😂 It has a LOT of torque. That said, my wife actually thought it would be an awesome bike to learn on. It's so easy to ride and so planted.
I have been thinking,I should sell my Energica Ego.
Reasons
Its value is quiet good at the moment,it may loose more value in next year.
I don't use it that much
Cheaper electric bikes that rival it may be out soon, especially when Chinese export.
The Live wire already is good rival,but not available in UK yet(non HD version).
Not sure it's making sense for me to keep it.
That's a bummer but I understand. I was in the same boat earlier this year, and I decided to sell my Ego for something more comfortable (I'll share that soon). What kind of riding do you do? That could determine which bike is the best fit.
@@NewZeroland I have been doing short,extremely fast rides,ermmm...
Great video. Not a bad bike to do just before the lockdown.
So many good comments. I am really looking forward the “Golden Age” of E bikes.
What did Harley do to drop the cost? Was it just taking off their branding? Or does that mean it was made largely in China? Either way it still seems like a great big boy bike for us shorter riders.
Not sure, actually.. because some specs will actually be improved on the new one! Maybe manufacturing overseas is the secret. We'll have to see how it goes, but I'm super excited to see what they do next.
Me too. Even if I don’t get one the potential peer pressure on the other big companies is exciting. Honda never was going to care how well Zero or Energica did. That was an affordable niche market but Harley may bring it more mainstream. And considering the price of most Harley bikes, 20K is probably one of the cheaper bikes they are selling. I’m sure they have some cheaper ones but how many of their customers have had 3 or 4 40K bikes from them?
@@stevenb7319 yeah true that. We need cheaper options that aren't crap! I was reeeeally hoping Lightning could do it. That $13k usd sportbike with DC charging was a dream come true, but they've become ghosts. I have no idea if they're still making bikes. Hopefully Honda can pull off something similar. They have the resources and experience with electric motorcycles (Mugen Isle of Man TT winners)!
@@NewZeroland I’m hoping for the best with Honda as well. Hopefully they don’t play it safe and just make a hybrid bike. Honestly I’d be excited for that if they did. Disappointed, but excited. They could even play it safe and make a new NM4 that was electric. It already looks like it’s from the future without any mods.
@@stevenb7319 dude yeah! Ghost in the Shell style haha. A hybrid could solve a lot of emissions problems if you could cruise at 30mph through cities on electric-only mode, then kick in the gas engine for long trips.. but the complexity and space needed for that kinda thing would be insane.
Hmm... 12 of my bikes, or one of these. Tough call. :P :P
You can ride only one at a time. Once electric you never look back (own experience). Problem solved.
Yeah that's how I feel too :D Sell all the gas stuff and ride electric!
@@NewZeroland Here is a compromise: Step 1: Out of your 12 keep your fafourite and sell the other 11. Then buy the electric. Next: Watch the layers of dust grow on what used to be your fafourite. And finally: Sell the last stink bike. This way your brain gets more time to adjust to the change. I used to absolutely love the sounds of engines. Now it is just annoying unnecessary noise and I love to just listen to the wind. You will arrive much less fatigued too.
@@moestrei hahaha that's exactly what happened to me. The electric bike is way more exciting so you ride it more.. and forget about the gas bike. Then one day you go to ride the gas bike but the battery is dead haha. I'm with you about loud exhaust.. I used to love it, but now it draws too much attention.
@@NewZeroland Uhhh...I ride electric. It's what my channel is known for. I'll stick to my original comment.
It's alright - prefer the Zero range (still saving for that SR/S), and the H-D is nowhere in the ballpark in terms of value for money.
The new Zeros are cool, but they're more expensive than both the Livewire AND two of the Energica models, with cheaper build quality. I'm not sure how Zero is still in the game with those prices.
@@NewZeroland Strange, when I last checked earlier this year the SR/S starts around £20k, Esse Esse 9 comes in at £19.5k, whilst the Livewire comes in at a staggering £29k.
I'll have to check to see if prices have shifted, cheers. d=(^_^)z
@@_Meriwether oh yeah the new Livewire brand is way cheaper 😁 and you have to add a few thousand to get Zeros to a decent charging speed.
@@NewZeroland I see! I'm behind the times, looks like the 2022 LiveWire One is projected to be £15k-ish.
Proof once again that H-D pricegouges their customers for the badge alone. >=(
I need something that comfortably does 120m (193km), with about 90% of that at 70mph (113kmh). :s
@@_Meriwether oh yeah Harleys were too expensive, but from what I heard they only made around 1000 of them. The new brand should be way more attainable. I'd still suggest an Energica though 😎 The quality, power, range, and charging speed is unmatched!
Now that they dropped the price (and name) I wonder if people will consider it. I mean I would but it’s still very pricey. Thank you for the stats! I was wondering how they stacked up against each other.
It’s such a beautiful looking bike…
Thanks man! I wonder too. I hope they do well, because that price makes it super competitive. Sad to say, I'm not sure why anyone would buy a Zero SR/F now 😂
@@NewZeroland boom 🎤⬇️ 🙊
@@NewZeroland Hope the Livewire One makes it to Canada! Because the HD livewire is still kickin’ it at $38,326CAD before taxes ($29,893USD… Yeesh…).
@@ronaldb479 dude yeah! That's nutso money. It's an amazing bike, but as another dude said, an electric motorcycle shouldn't cost more than an electric car.
@@NewZeroland So true!!!! 🤯
Glad you had a chance to experience the Live Wire finally. If there's a single word description of them "solid" is the one you'll hear everyone use. I couldn't justify the original price point but it feels like a more quality bike than anything Zero has come out with. I'm still looking forward to a future iteration with a windshield as that's still the main thing that I don't understand about all these naked electric manufacturers, it's the single easiest thing to increase the range by as much as 10% and makes if feel so much better so why is only Energica and a bunch of potential vaporware manufacturers the only ones to figure out that fairings plus windshield are always going to be better? (Yeah I know Zero has a kind of faired sort of windshield thing going on with their SR/S which is a pretty halfhearted attempt at something)
Yeah great point, Spike. I agree. We need more aero on these bikes! I reeeally wish Lightning was still a thing. Their fairings looked so good. As far as I know, Harley doesn't offer a windscreen OR saddle bags, so I'm not sure who they're marketing this bike for. More excuse to customize I guess 😁
@@NewZeroland Your journey to put fairings on the SR is actually the reason why I subscribed to the channel in the first place. I'm probably not going to do it for the same reasons you opted not to but I still think someone should.
@@spike_spencer haha aw man.. I wish I had kept going, or found someone with more experience to help out. My lack of fabricating skills really killed that one.. but riding the Strike and the Ego did too. Putting fairings on my Zero would have made it look cooler and helped a bit with the range, but it still couldn't charge in 30 min or ride over 100mph.. so it was time to move on.
Firsties to the live show!
The one and only!
Nice. Not that I could ever beat you pinaero but now that I’m on Japan time it seems even further from posible. Good on you for keeping it up. 👍🏼
Glad she liked it. While not the right bike for me, hopefully other legacy manufacturers get into the EV game and make some awesome bikes.
For sure! You know there's no better bike right now than Energica 😁 but I still want to ride them all.
@@NewZeroland agreed!
@@NewZeroland definitely want to know what you think of a Metacycle if you get a chance to ride one. Especially its size.
@@CRPerformance1 I love the style.. just gotta get back to the US to ride one when they come out. No chance of getting one in NZ any time soon. Unless they come with ABS, then maybe!
Price is better now but still too much for my blood.
Looks a nice bike though,my sort of thing..
Hopefully someone can make a cheaper bike with DC fast charging soon.
Weeeeeeeee! :D
Troisième XD
😂😁
The downside of a EV is the batteries, they have multiple problems, time charging, miles per charge, get affected for temperatures cold or hot, life of the battery itself and price is around 80% of the value of the motorcycle. If you are willing to pay $17.000 in five years for a new battery go for a $22K motorcycle for most people the battery going to die before pay off the loan.
Electric motorcycles are extremely simple compared with a full mechanical ones, have many less parts and are more cheaper to manufacture, yes they have a lot of electronic technology but still simple and easy to produce all they have is a engine a battery and ECU, this simple machines dont justify the price of over $20K, batteries dont evolve the faster as the other industries, they still way behind and ridiculously pricey.
Where did you get these ridiculous battery prices? And who told you batteries only last a few years before needing to be replaced?
Ewen and Charlie must dislike this episode :( The Livewire is a nice machine though. But an Electric Motorcycle should not be worth more than a electric car EVER !!
Haha yeah, agreed. That's a really great point! MG broooo!
It *is* overpriced. It's massively overpriced.
Not at $22k! It surprised me that Zero is now the most expensive.
You need to understand the tech and TCO (total cost of ownership) to understand how wrong you are.
@@moestrei I know the TCO, thanks. I have owned a Zero for several years at this point. This thing is *enormously* overpriced for what it is.
Sorry to diss your Zero but it looks like some cheap chinese bike compared to the Livewire. Haven't ridden the Livewire but just looking at it at the dealer you can tell it oozes with quality. I can't wait until the day that it is nothing for an electric bike to get 300 actual miles to a charge.
To be fair, the Zero SR design hasn't really changed drastically in 8 years. Hell, that bike existed before the first concept LiveWires. Also some parts have been taken off and/or modified, so his SR isn't meant to be a head-turner.
Yeah a lot has changed in the 5+ years I've owned my Zero. It's already super easy to do 400 mile days on electric motorcycles. I'm excited to see if Honda and Yamaha can get the prices down through mass-production.
@@mvetter Years ago my wife and I rode our bikes down to Kansas City, Missouri to demo ride the first Livewires that were made and were touring the country by semi to give demo's and get responses from folks about likes and dislikes. Those bikes only went about 50 miles per charge which was a no sell proposition but they were fun as heck to ride and were well made but ultimately changed quite a bit to get to the awesome Livewire of today. Those first Livewires were much smaller because my wife found them a perfect size and today's are too tall for her. I might buy a Livewire once those less expensive ones hit the market.
@@ModernNeandertal they've hit the market. They're available now.
This channel started off great but now its clearly aimed at 10 year olds with stupid meme's popping up ruining the experience. If you make it a "bit more grown up" you will appeal to a wider range of rider.
When was this channel ever great?
@@NewZerolandthis channel has always been great. Just lose the meme's and concentrate on the content and you will be pulling a lot of older experienced riders onto electric bikes. Hope you can see this as constructive criticism.
@@CrazedCrittic thanks man. I appreciate it 😁
Harley nope
But Livewire yes?
Lol livewire is a good scooter. Horrible range hahaha and they messed up with no level 2 charging
And you can wheelie the thing! Lol
Better range than a Zero, and DC charging means you can do 700km days pretty easily! I think we were mostly surprised that the new ones are cheaper than Zeros 😂
@@NewZeroland the livewire branded ones yes they're cheaper. But....big caveat...in the US there are only going to be 4 dealers opened this year. And our DC3 fast charging infrastructure sucks here. And with the extra 6kw charging block the zero has better charging unless you want to pay 20 bucks for an hour of DC3
There are enough Electrify America stations now to do cross-country rides (someone did it on a Livewire and then on an Energica). I know charging for free is awesome, but waiting 2 hours at each stop is just too long.
@@NewZeroland hahaha I'm Canadian. And we don't have that lol
@@jace2wheel762 oh 😂😪 well hopefully more stations get installed soon! Riding an electric bike to Banff or the Yukon would be freakin awesome.