APRIL 2020 T3 19Auto
down under my overzealous, used-to-
lesser-torque, unknowing hands.
Within minutes, though, I get a feeling
for the power this bike has to offer,
and can choose when to be so
dramatic off the line.
And, talking of dramatic, the
LiveWire is all sorts of theatrical, both
from its lack of sound when stationary
and the Tron Light Cycle screaming
whine when it moves. Harley-Davidson
has spent years, apparently, working
on just getting this sound right, since
otherwise – with the lack of a noise-
making combustion engine beneath
you, and instead just the bike’s electric
motor connected to a 15.5kWh
Rechargeable Energy Storage System
battery – when you engage the bike’s
power, you would hear nothing.
As someone who is used to meeting
up with friends to go riding, grouping
up at biking cafes and being used to
hearing the tick over of a large number
of motorbikes engines when stationary,
seeing a group of us sat on LiveWires
and being able to hear nothing but the
wind and ambient noises of rural Spain
is markedly odd. Of course, it is how
a bike sounds at speed that is the
more important part of the riding
experience, and as a fan of both sci-fi
and advanced technology, this is where
the LiveWire really nails it for me.
Harley-Davidson has spent
years, apparently, working
on just getting the sound
of the bike right
As soon as you roll on the
accelerator, the LiveWire’s whine
begins to build. It’s high-pitched, but
seems to carry a more tumultuous
whooshing quality (like a jet engine),
which, especially at high speed,
synchronises perfectly in my mind with
what this bike is and the performance
experience it delivers. It made me feel
like the pilot of a futuristic piece of
military hardware and that, partnered
with its outrageous acceleration,
immediately placed the LiveWire right
at the top of my wish list.
I slide through a series of tight
climbing bends and it is here, where
big speed is not possible, that I also
realise that the bike actually feels very
approachable and manoeuvrable. No
one can say this bike is light, and at
230kg (509lb) it really isn’t; however
at no point did I feel it was heavy or
unwieldy, both on and off the bike. I’m
6ft 2in, so I am hardly a small chap, so
that is something to factor in, but I can
honestly say I was surprised at how
well the LiveWire handled and how
perfectly normal its weight felt.
The tight bends end, opening up
onto a plateau. After dropping the lid a
touch before a blink-and-you-miss-it
overtake of three vehicles, the LiveWire
screaming in my ears, making me feel
like Maverick from Top Gun (theyThe Harley-Davidson LiveWire
is capable of accelerating to
60mph in just three seconds