Decent head to head comparison video of the three best electric bikes. The also have the older Zero SR in the mix.


Videos's bottom line, you really have to want an electric motorcycle to consider any of these choices over a ICE powered bike. (ie most of us wouldn't choose to spend our money on one) It will probably be 10 years before electric bikes are really a viable option to ICE bikes.

Some other take aways's, Zero overstates their range, Zero also has the poorest handling of the 3 major choices. The Livewire is the most ICE like and best finished bike. Livewire is the most expensive by far. The Energica has the best performance and handling, but at the expense of a shorter range and being the heaviest bike.


And another video comparing the Zero to the Livewire.


Again Zero overstates their range. In their actual testing it only went a couple miles further than the Harley.

Harley have faster charging, if you can find a Level III charger for it. But there is more Level II infrastructure.

Livewire is more stable riding (zero was more "nervous" in the corners)

Harley has more comfortable ergonomics.

In the 1/4 mile

Livewire 11.54 @110 mph (I believe they are speed limited to 110 mph)

Zero SRF 11.83 @116 mph

The like the Harley better, call it more refined.

 

I didn't see the video, but I read the full review online. In the testing they did, the Harley had better actual range than the Zero did.

Here's a quote from the article on their general-loop testing:
Harley has a bigger battery, and used less electricity. At the end of the loop, the Harley had 52% of its battery left, and the Zero had 43% left.

Then, they did a second comparison in the twisties, and again the Harley bested the Zero by quite a bit:
The Zero ran out of gas long before the Harley did.

Another interesting point: if you look at the claimed numbers, the Zero looks like it's more powerful; Zero claims 146 ft/lbs, the Harley claims a max of 74. But that's just nonsense, because in reality the Harley outruns the zero in every performance metric.

That's why I say you shouldn't be buying based on a spec sheet, you should be buying based on the actual performance, and the Harley roundly beats the Zero in real performance. And you pay for that in the price tag.

 

You said it all in the section I highlighted. People have been bashing the Livewire based on spec sheets without riding the bike and it's competition. The Livewire is a better bike and it is a more expensive bike.

If you watch the video, they did 2 days of riding the video I linked was about the first day. the Zero beat the Harley by 2 or 3 miles in side by side riding. However the Zero greatly restricts power when the battery drops to 10% while the Livewire runs full power up until it stops. In the second day of testing the Livewire went further than the Zero. That may have something to do with the riders learning the bikes.

But you are correct you should not buy a motorcycle based solely on specs provided by the manufacture. I had said before that reports on electric vehicle forums I had read were that Zero greatly overstates their range and Harley is actually conservative in their range estimates. The Livewire has done an Iron Butt 1000 miles in 24 hrs. The Zero hasn't.

The difference in the power numbers and performance is due to the type of motor and gearing. The Zero makes more torque, but only revs to 7,000 RPM. The Livewire revs to 14,000 RPM and it is geared properly to make use of that extra speed. If the Zero had a 2 or 3 speed transmission the results might be different, but then it would be a heavier bike. Another thing I have mentioned before is that the Livewire has a liquid cooled controller and motor. The Zero is air cooled. The liquid cooling allows the motor and controller to run harder much longer. So while the Zero may have more peak power on paper the Livewire can run harder longer. And one last comment on performance. If you look at the 1/4 mile the Livewire is quicker, but the Zero has a higher trap speed. Livewire 110 mph and Zero 116 mph. The Livewire is speed limited to 110 mph. A software change would increase that performance for the Livewire.

And like the first video I linked said, you really have to want an electric motorcycle to choose one of these bikes over a internal combustion engine. Most of the people complaining about the Livewire don't want an electric motorcycle.

 

EXACTLY.

I want a LiveWire specifically because it is electric. That's the whole point. Instantaneous torque, unbelievable roll-on, and NO MAINTENANCE. No buying thousands of dollars of pipes and intakes and cams just to get decent performance. No wondering whether it'll start or not. No oil threads!

I heard a quote once that the amount of stress in your life is directly related to the number of internal combustion engines you own. I bought an electric rechargeable mower, used it for 20 years until it died, and loved that I literally never ever had to do a thing to it, it just always readily and willingly answered the call to duty until the battery finally gave out.

For some people the maintaining and building and wrenching on the motorcycle is a major part of or even the primary purpose of the hobby (or even lifestyle). And traditional Harley's fill that role very well. But for others, that aspect may hold no appeal, they may just want to actually ride. For those, the electric bike is perfect.

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