Okay so below is a copy/paste from my rather long Facebook post I just posted that I wanted to share with everyone.. If the Livewire actually goes into production, the XL will be traded in.

Funny part was they lead and followed with the Street 750 and you couldn't hear it for it to make any difference.

I think it's time for me to write a review of the Harley-Davidson: Project Livewire after riding it this afternoon.

While I feel that Harley will always be known for the noise the combustion engine makes, the future will allow the all electric motorcycle to become reality and I personally hope Harley-Davidson gives it a shot before other manufacturers inundate the market.

Looks wise the Livewire is extremely sleek looking and looks more like a sport bike then a Harley however being a younger rider (for now), I can understand what demography they are going after and it will totally fit the bill.

Handling is amazing and surprisingly smooth - while I ride Superlow that is known for being a harsher ride, I was pleasantly surprised on how smooth the ride was. The steering is tight and the bike is definitely maneuverable so it will be great for in city riding while still being totally tolerable on highways.

So for the subject that had me grinning ear to ear the ENTIRE time - the powertrain (I feel like a real Formula 1 fan finally getting to use this term myself!). The easiest way to explain it... twist the throttle and be ready to GO!!!! The oddest thing was not really "needing" the brakes to slow down, the powertrain regenerates power when you get off the throttle. While safe when knowing you have another trained rider behind you, the brakes will be necessary when riding like you would day-to-do. The sounds that come from the powertrain are just as intoxicating as they are on other Harley's.

I must say it was an amazing experience to be able to ride the prototype and when they asked if I wanted my picture on the bike, I wanted to response how about you just let me keep it.....

Once the video I took during the ride is edited/uploaded I will post a link so you can check it out!

 

You're going to look a little silly standing on the side of the road 54 miles from home.

 

To be fair, I've run out of gas 5.4 miles from home before...

 

Here is the video I took today - I'm not really worried about running out of juice as I typically commute <100 miles a day.

 

I have to agree with your review of the LiveWire, they are a blast. Once the MoCo gets the duration up and the charge time down, I'd love to have one as a 2nd or 3rd bike. They're way quicker than I expected too

 

I've always wondered what the throttle response is like on an electric bike (is it still a "throttle" if it doesn't control airflow?). As far as I'm aware, none of the factors that cause a "lag" in throttle response in a combustion engine would be present in an electric motor. You tell it to do something, that command is carried to the relevant components instantaneously. How would you guys describe it? Any lag, or is it instant?

 

With ride-by-wire, response and lag can be whatever the software engineers make them.

One relevant property of electric motors: they're torque monsters. These things could be great, given enough vibration and audio emulation.

 

You can have it. I won't get one of those for the same reason I won't own battery operated lawn equipment. If you run out of gas on your bike somewhere you can walk to a gas station and get more gas, you can't walk to a gas station and charge your bike.

 

Yet. I won't be surprised if it becomes commonplace in the next several decades.

 

You can ride close to 200 miles on the Zero electric bike now so I think Harley will be competitive when they come to market. The Zero also runs over 100 mph and 0-60 in around 4 seconds I believe. As someone posted, torque is the big plus on electric bikes. They should be great commuter rides.