London dealership to carry Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle
Rocky’s Harley-Davidson in London will carry the bike in August
London's Rocky's Harley-Davidson will be among the select dealerships this summer to carry the company's first all-electric motorcycle: the Livewire.
The new bike features a high voltage battery and permanent magnet electric motor. It requires no gears or clutch, and it's faster and quieter than a traditional bike with an internal combustion engine.
"The Livewire is unlike any Harley in recent memory … It's an adrenaline rush compared to a lot of other Harleys," said owner Jeff Duncan.
"For me, electric is just another technology coming down the road and I'm super stoked," he added, calling himself an electric bike evangelist.
The new bike doesn't feature the notorious thunderous rumble of the iconic motorcycle ripping down the street.
However, Duncan said "that's just something new" that comes with the green move.
"It retains the look and the feel of a Harley," he added.
In fact, he hopes the electric bike will bring in new customers.
"It's going to attract a new demographic that maybe hasn't been attracted to Harley in the past. The fact that it's emission free is cool because it will appeal to a lot of people," he said.
"The fact that it's easy – there's no clutch, there's no gears. The fact that it's not hot, it's not noisy and there's no vibration. I think that will appeal to a lot of people," he added.
Zero to 100 in under 4 seconds
According to Harley-Davidson, the instantaneous power delivers an acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in under 3.5 seconds, which is slightly faster than their V-Rod model.
The Livewire boasts a 177 kilometre range for mixed-city and highway driving, although the range will vary based on weather and driving conditions. It can be charged by an onboard power cord to any standard outlet, or if you're travelling a greater distance, a public Level 3 fast charging station.
The bike isn't cheap though. It starts at $37,250, which is more than twice the price of a base model Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle.
A dealership in Cambridge will also carry the bike in August.