LiveWire I admit defeat.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4,607
Likes: 3,311
From: Virginia
I've ridden both, the Zero is not "More Bike" . Don't believe me look at every review or video where the Zero and the Livewire are tested side by side. (there are several posted in this forum) The Liveware has better range, is faster and better handling, look and feels higher quality. The Livewire has a liquid cooled motor and controller vs the Zero's air cooled. The Livewire has much faster charging. The only place the Zero looks better is on paper. Go to the electric bike forums, the Zero does not get the range that Zero claims and the Livewire does better than Harley claims.
The Livewire is a better bike than the Zero. Now is it worth the extra $7,000? That's a personal decision. In reality for the way I would use an electric motorcycle I don't think the extra price of the Livewire would be justified.
But all Harley's are over priced.
I'm looking at getting a touring bike soon, a Harley Ultra is a really nice bike, but I can get a Kawasaki Voyager for half the price out the door. I'm having a real tough time in my mind justifying spending almost $30K for an ultra when I can get the Voyager for $15K. Pretty much the same situation with the Livewire vs the Zero. The Ultra is a nicer bike, has more features than the Voyager, more color choices, better fit and finish, the 114 M8 is more powerful, but in the end either bike will get me and the wife down the road very comfortably. Where is the extra $15K in value for getting a Ultra?
Last edited by VAFish; Jul 9, 2020 at 08:39 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 807
Likes: 567
From: Detroit Metro Area
I've ridden both, the Zero is not "More Bike" . Don't believe me look at every review or video where the Zero and the Livewire are tested side by side. (there are several posted in this forum) The Liveware has better range, is faster and better handling, look and feels higher quality. The Livewire has a liquid cooled motor and controller vs the Zero's air cooled. The Livewire has much faster charging. The only place the Zero looks better is on paper. Go to the electric bike forums, the Zero does not get the range that Zero claims and the Livewire does better than Harley claims.
The Livewire is a better bike than the Zero. Now is it worth the extra $7,000? That's a personal decision. In reality for the way I would use an electric motorcycle I don't think the extra price of the Livewire would be justified.
But all Harley's are over priced.
I'm looking at getting a touring bike soon, a Harley Ultra is a really nice bike, but I can get a Kawasaki Voyager for half the price out the door. I'm having a real tough time in my mind justifying spending almost $30K for an ultra when I can get the Voyager for $15K. Pretty much the same situation with the Livewire vs the Zero. The Ultra is a nicer bike, has more features than the Voyager, more color choices, better fit and finish, the 114 M8 is more powerful, but in the end either bike will get me and the wife down the road very comfortably. Where is the extra $15K in value for getting a Ultra?
The Livewire is a better bike than the Zero. Now is it worth the extra $7,000? That's a personal decision. In reality for the way I would use an electric motorcycle I don't think the extra price of the Livewire would be justified.
But all Harley's are over priced.
I'm looking at getting a touring bike soon, a Harley Ultra is a really nice bike, but I can get a Kawasaki Voyager for half the price out the door. I'm having a real tough time in my mind justifying spending almost $30K for an ultra when I can get the Voyager for $15K. Pretty much the same situation with the Livewire vs the Zero. The Ultra is a nicer bike, has more features than the Voyager, more color choices, better fit and finish, the 114 M8 is more powerful, but in the end either bike will get me and the wife down the road very comfortably. Where is the extra $15K in value for getting a Ultra?
The $17k price for Voyagers is for left over models and the bike is aging a bit now. A better alternative is if you can find a left over 2018+ Goldwing Tour DCT. There are two in Toledo Ohio for $20kish. This to me is a much newer platform and way more feature rich with usable tech over the Voyager and still far less than a new Ultra Limited.
Most of the prices quoted for these Harley competitors, however, is for prior-year left over machines. The new ones are either the same as a new Ultra Limited or even more (Goldwing in particular, the Voyager is not). I think there are so many of these left over because of the Powersports methods of selling; ie 3 of my local dealers would not let me even sit on the new Goldwing without buying it first ("you can sit on it or ride it as much as you want on the way home with it"), This is so archaic and short sighted. It was like this in the 1970's and still stuck there.
Even BMW is now 'discounting' left over product with as much as $2000 off for left over K1600's.
There must be more to it than just price too. If you add up the Goldwing, Voyager, Venture, Indian, and BMW sales it probably does not equal the Ultra and Roadglide Ultra sales. It is not just HOG Chapter Road Captains buying them either. I subscribe to the dealer Facebook pages near me and Street Glide posts are probably half women!
An Electraglide Standard may be a good choice and then add something to it every year. It is a blank canvas!
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4,607
Likes: 3,311
From: Virginia
Like I said the Ultra Limited is a nicer bike. But is it over $15K nicer? (list price on the Road Glide Ultra is $28,299, local dealers are claiming limited stock and have all their bikes at least $1K over list price and are not dealing. Some of the bikes like CVO's they have $6k over list price, even at list price by the time you get a RGU out the door you are looking at least $32K)
But let's go with your Gold Wing Option. I can get a left over 2019 Gold Wing Tour DCT for $21,500 at a dealer 7 miles from my house. That's not out the door, so add tax tags, and the rest of the BS just like a Harley dealer would. That's still a brand new Goldwing, with automatic transmission and reverse for almost $10K less than at Harley.
If you can justify in your mind that a Harley Touring bike is worth the money over Goldwing, how can you be so upset about the pricing of a Livewire? If you option a Zero SRF with the extra charger to get close to the Livewire charging times there only is a $7k difference. That is closer pricing than the touring bikes. I just don't get the people whining about the Livewire being overpriced. ALL Harley's are over priced.
And if I do get a Harley it will probably be a Road King or a EG Standard. (but not at the current over MSRP prices dealers are asking)
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,102
Likes: 51,367
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Zero is US made, Scotts Valley Ca. to be specific I've been to the plant, brand and bikes were the brainchild of a NASA engineer.
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Jul 9, 2020 at 12:25 PM.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 4,242
Likes: 3,126
From: Texas
Tell the Gold Wing dealer your dilemma, that you can get a brand new Voyager for thousands less than he's offering a Gold Wing. Sometimes when someone's had a product sitting on their floor unsold for two and a half years, they get a little more motivated to make a sale... and there are lots and lots of leftover Gold Wings out there... lots and lots of Honda dealers that have leftover stock, all over the country. The dealer in Alabama I got my MG from, is also a Honda dealer, they're showing six 2018 Gold Wings left over, ranging from $15,999 for the bagger, $18,999 for the full boat, and $19,999 for the DCT. Heck, they even have an airbag model available, discounted from $31,500 down to $22,999. And that's without you even asking; try asking for a no-fees deal and see if they'll do it. I bet someone will. Someone will be realistic, look at 2.5-year-old stock still on the floor, and take the money being waved under their nose, even if it's not as much as they wanted.
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 465
Likes: 296
From: Grand Rapids, MI
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,783
Likes: 938
From: Ohio
The price of the Livewire here in Straya will be too much I had banked on it being around 44k in our monopoly money and I was pissed but good there to buy one. It will be $49,990 AUD so yea I'm out.
It sux because when I had the shop I would buy USD's when we went above the 70 cent mark and as it rose I'd buy exponentially just before we had a correction or something and we went back to less than 70. That few thousand dollars if a kid was thinking of buying a 2nd hand Sporty or something was short I'd say hey , I'll loan you the $ just pay me back when you can , I looked at it as free money anyways.99% of the time they did and if they couldn't their folks would.I stopped buyin USD's when I sold the business so yea I'm fked.
I'm out.
It sux because when I had the shop I would buy USD's when we went above the 70 cent mark and as it rose I'd buy exponentially just before we had a correction or something and we went back to less than 70. That few thousand dollars if a kid was thinking of buying a 2nd hand Sporty or something was short I'd say hey , I'll loan you the $ just pay me back when you can , I looked at it as free money anyways.99% of the time they did and if they couldn't their folks would.I stopped buyin USD's when I sold the business so yea I'm fked.
I'm out.
