I have posted this question in several other forums but no proper workable response. Trying here to see if this post catches a pro.
​​​​​​Basically bought a laid down bike in an auction but when I got the shipment there was no key fob nor the bike's dash lights up. Only thing that bike does is when taken off the Jiffy stand the blinkers go off for few seconds. Went to delearship and nothing came out other than saying that they don't know what the issue is and will need to start with replacing tcu then charge port as bike was not charging. Even then they cannot guarantee.
my question for any pros, are there any specific steps to perform for the laid down bike?
Did anyone have the TCU repaired and the other question is BCM. Can they be replaced by finding a used one or are there any lessons learnt.
I read the TCU and BCM cannot be replaced with any used one but need to be factory new one.
Other question, if the battery power is not going to dash, what would be the first check?
Are there any other 3rd party tools I can use to test the TCU or BCM or the electronics?
help please...

 

It is possible that if no one from the original pick up company delivering to the auction house, nor the auction house, or the people who got the bike to you had a means of disabling the security with the fob, besides not knowing how long the bike was stored prior to the above, then the small 12volt battery might have bad voltage. Athough the main bike battery is supposed to keep it charged this is not always the case over extended periods of time.
As a starting point I would check the voltage of the small lithium 12 volt battery that is situated in the small black plastic box under the bike in front of the rear wheel.
A good lithium battery should show a voltage of approx 13.2 -13.4 volts, Considerably higher than a regular agm battery
For a simple check it has one of those buttons on it that lights up one of three small lights that tell you it's good, needs charging or is bad.
This small battery is an important item that is critical to many functions on the bike.This includes external charging of the main battery (RESS), as the main battery and the on board charging unit require confirmation of a safe circuit to function, in part provided by a healthy small 12 volt battery to allow it to proceed in performing charging.
Rather obviously, not having the fob or PIN is an issue that if you can't retrieve these from the auction company or previous owner means you need to replace the security system components. I might be wrong as I'm not from the USA, but I believe the charging port on American bikes has a lock out that requires a functional fob to be present.
I'm not aware of any 3rd party tools that aren't prohibitively expensive for the situation you have.
Even without the fob, so long as you have a healthy small 12 volt battery you should be able to press the trip button on the left switch gear to give an indication of the main battery's "state of charge". This does not confirm "state of health" of the battery though.
The TCU cannot be repaired.
I can't empasise enough that you should get a qualified tech with the appropriate tools and knowledge to solve your issues. As well as being able to assess any accident damage that might need to be addressed from a safety perspective. Safety is the number one consideration working on any EV vehicle, let alone regular vehicles. Other than "checking" the 12volt battery that I mentioned,I'd advise not to go looking under the tank cover at any of the electrical related components. Even replacing that small battery requires a certain method to ensure safety, which is paramount on these bikes.
Not sure if any of this is good news but hope it helps some, and that you get it sorted soon.

 

Too much bullshit with these bikes.

 

I have no voice for the poll.
Just commenting what a great thread, to me, which represents the motorcyclists' thread of the future.
I am unsure if the Livewire has a paper factory service manual and I would not be surprised if a special computer/ software is needed to repair this vehicle.
Replacement of a lost FOB can be a "pain" noting what needs to be done if this vehicle was a Ferrari... computer replacement, contacting the factory direct, cost, et al a pain...and without a proper FOB and programming code you may get the vehicle to start.
So.....
I wish you great luck and best wishes.

 

Sorry - I do feel you pain. I was in the "first strike" (bought one of the first 500 LiveWires) after an awesome test ride and with total abandonment of all reason and rational thought. It was an awesome bike in urban/suburban settings, but that is it. Range limitations had me thinking about selling, but the final nail in the coffin was when I wanted to change the rear tire. There is no place to put a jack, there is a special jack that the dealer has so I was pretty much committed to dealer tire changes (and the rear lasts about 4K miles). That put me over the edge and I took my $15K loss. HD pretty much abandoned this product line and I was a sucker on that one

 

I hope you paid less than 10 dollars for it. Not much you will be able to do with it. Might make good lawn art. Disposal cost may run pretty high.

 

Option #3:
Walk away and cut your losses.

 

Was it “laid down” or “crashed”?

 

I feel like they really missed the mark on this one. People want a cheap electric bike with good range. Zero is pretty much the best option for that right now, and this LiveWire doesn't tick either box, it's not competitive. They're just continuing their tradition of making bikes that people buy because they're Harleys, not because they're objectively good bikes.