LiveWire S2 Mulholland test ride FAIL

[@compuhombre]

I often wonder, what purpose do dealerships serve? They provide bikes that aren't ready to ride and restrict the customer experience when it comes to showcasing new products. In my experience, the biggest obstacle to LiveWire's success is their dealer network.

[@RedBatteryHead]

My experience too. HD dealers here just have a LW stand. Poorly maintained as well. No hard interest in selling. Only provide booked test rides.

[@LiveWire_Guy]

The dealership is exactly why I didn’t buy a Del Mar when I was one of the first offered one. I was a guaranteed sale. I won’t be a cash pig for a Harley Dealership. Never.

[@AdventuresonZero]

They're better suited for newer riders or new purchases. You could say the same for any dealership, motorcycle or car. Massive inventory and limited staff that are knowledgeable on that inventory. Keep in mind that there are for more ICE focused consumers that walk on the showroom floor than EV ones, so makes sense that there are less knowledgable staff on EVs at the moment. Just takes a little bit of personnel training by LiveWire to hopefully remedy the issue.

[@kenjikenjikenj]

While mine has been pretty good, but I see what you mean. It's a problem with the more traditional auto manufacturers dealers as well

[@612doteth]

Couldn't agree more! My dealership just got in the way of my LW purchases. Also, they charged me A LOT of unnecessary fees for doing so.

[@domsbits3922]

Starts ride at 7%…wtf! That’s a great demo ride experience

[@AdventuresonZero]

Yeah it was disappointing. Bike is gorgeous though!!

[@wyodhale]

Ben, I was at the dealer later in the afternoon and they did at least have it plugged in and charging. I spent some time talking to two young sales guys (for one, it was his very first day on the job) about LiveWire. Neither one had ridden one yet and I highly encouraged them to do so.

[@AdventuresonZero]

Yeah they threw it on the charger at my urgency, lol! The person I coordinated with has been there for at least 6 months, they handled my Del Mar delivery (which also was a fiasco). They're usually a good dealer

[@clockworkdimetrodon1001]

It does sound like a dealer fail, not a bike fail, but that sounds typical of HD dealerships practically refusing to support LW. I haven’t ridden one, but I went and sat on it. If feels…tiny. Bigger and far more comfortable than any of the others, but not made for big people. That saddens me, because I’d love getting an electric with the size of, say, a Pan America, and without paying $20k+ for it. It would mate well with my electric car.

[@AdventuresonZero]

yeah at the moment, you're gonna have to pay big to ride the bigger capacity/size EV motos. You can get them pretty good priced used

[@clockworkdimetrodon1001]

@@AdventuresonZero thanks I’ll see what I can find

[@I-Libertine]

Oh, wow. Lexington. I miss it so. What a great place to ride.

[@AdventuresonZero]

Yep! Lots of great roads

[@I-Libertine]

@@AdventuresonZero(Dubyanell?)

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@I-Libertine ??

[@I-Libertine]

@@AdventuresonZero thought you might be at the law school there (say W&L out loud...)

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@I-Libertine 😂 I taught at VMI for a few years

[@NewZeroland]

Did they run a bunch of test rides before you? How was the SOC so low?? That's not even a safe % to store it at, let alone get a feel for the bike. How far can 7% get you on such a small battery? Unbelievable. Cool bike though.

[@AdventuresonZero]

No I think I was the first person to ride it. They had just gotten it in over the weekend and didn’t leave it on a charger before the weekend break. You can get maybe 3-4 miles at 7% if you’re gentle. If I hadn’t driven 2.5 hours I would have just come back later

[@IIARROWS]

Talking about testing the feel for the bike, last year when I tested the Verge, it was a bad experience. Leaving alone that the hub motor was really hindering the lean, they claimed unrealistic numbers like 1200 Nm (which sure... the motor can do it, but if it applies anything close to that it would just flip like a Tom & Jerry mouse trap). At first it was strange they let me try the bike alone, Energica dealer doesn't let you do it because people crash it... even when they are supposed to follow them. Then it was nothing near the Eva with the Road map. It turned out they limited it. What a waste of time.

[@ChitFromChinola]

How did turning and handling with the wider 17” rear tire compare with the Del Mar?

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@ChitFromChinola handling was great. felt controlled and balanced on tight turns

[@I-Libertine]

Cool *looking bike. I bet it rides great too. Before it fades and gives out of juice before you can get home from DC. Having paid 15k for the privilege of a fun limiter. Ugh.

[@spartankittygames]

I'd buy it if I had the money, agreed about flipping the mirrors though. Sucks about the dealership though, they really just gotta get one person on making sure the bikes are charged.

[@AdventuresonZero]

I think there is just one person doing that, however not sure how much they've been trained up on how to keep the bikes healthy over time. I think with shorter riders, the under-flipped mirrors probably work fine as their line of sight is lower

[@Barredbard]

I bought the Livewire One in March. I have excellent credit, but I was shocked that the interest rate from Harley Davidson credit was 8%. For that reason, I am determined to pay it off this year. I may pick up a Honda Grom or a Kawasaki Z125 because I worry that I may not be able to ride a conventional motorcycle with an ICE engine, and those are quite cheaper. The One is simply one of the most beautiful and striking motorcycles I have ever seen. And I doubt anything like that will be made any time soon. After this, I am going to wait until electric motorcycle ranges improve drastically.

[@AdventuresonZero]

I suspect it'll be another 10 years before the weight ratio is comparable to traditional motorcycles. A motorcycle could be made today that goes 200 miles on a charge, but it' would be wicked heavy!

[@Bigfrank113]

And make sure you get the tire and wheel protection first day out I got a flat I had to wait a week for a new tire to come in. I’m still waiting. I pick it up tomorrow hopefully but I traded my Delmar for the Mulholland on my first ride the tire blew, new tire for the Mulholland is $349.00

[@AdventuresonZero]

yikes!! yeah tires are not cheap, prices have been skyrocketing the last few months

[@CoasterRob]

I have my eye on the Mulholland but apparently it's not going to be available in UK which I hope changes in the future

[@AdventuresonZero]

sucks that the UK isn't getting it. Considering the Del Mar and LiveWire One were delayed going to the EU, I wonder if the same will happen to the Mulholland. Or perhaps Europe will get their own S2 that won't be available in the states

[@CoasterRob]

@AdventuresonZero I do have my eye on the Del Mar which is my 2nd option and there's a dealership not far from me just have alot of saving for licence and the bike

[@DazedSean]

I'd say if you were in Texas you could ride mine but I had to take it back to Harley and it's in their service department atm. Wouldn't pair with the app. LW support had me reset the main fuse and it popped additional codes so they told me to take it to dealer. Parts were apparently shipped Wednesday so should have it back soon

[@AdventuresonZero]

appreciate the consideration! What part of Texas are you in?

[@SpeedlabTV]

@dazedsean That’s interesting.. I have to take mine back to the dealership too for the exact same reason. Now also in addition, im getting virtually no range on the highway..

[@jman2281]

I thought when the Livewire came out, Harley dealers were to have free chargers / fast chargers for the bikes. Did they remove them when Livewire split? The bad experience over shadows any positive attributes the bike may have.

[@AdventuresonZero]

Any dealer that became a LiveWire dealer was required to have a DC fast charger, although most some have been taken down because HD purchased units that were being phased out. However, these chargers are widely available elsewhere, you don’t have to use just the HD ones. I disagree that just one experience overshadows the bike, which is absolutely brilliant

[@Syanticraven]

100% would have walked away and put in a complaint to the area sales manager for LW. There's no way anyone is getting a great experience with that kind of battery power. In fact it would more than likely reinforce any range anxiety a normal buyer might have had.

[@AdventuresonZero]

I still wanted to ride the bike. Drive 2.5hours, gonna get something out of the effort. Hopefully they keep the battery charged moving forward

[@EVRider]

It's disappointing that there are still so many dealerships that don't "get it" when it comes to EVs. What a joke to send a potential customer on a test ride in turtle mode. It's almost like they don't want to make a sale.

[@AdventuresonZero]

This dealership is a good dealer, they're just not as versed as they should be

[@shahrozeawan7429]

Hey Ben. Don't mean to bother you but im About to possibly purchase your Harley-Davidson livewire at Harley Davidson Fairfax. Can we get in touch before i do the deal. Just want to get a better picture of the bike's history. Thanks

[@AdventuresonZero]

Good luck!

[@greenrush4313]

Ben if you had only one livewire you coauld get. Which one out of all three would u pick?

[@AdventuresonZero]

Just pickin - motorcycles are merely tools to give us the adventures we’re looking for. Which bike depends on what the adventure is!

[@greenrush4313]

well for street and gravel roads. Which would be best for offroad limited of course?@@AdventuresonZero

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@greenrush4313 Del Mar is the best stock option for venturing off-road. Doesn’t require any changes to hit dirt or gravel roads

[@EVSpeed]

Did you call them for an appointment? And told them to prepare the bike charge?

[@AdventuresonZero]

They were the ones that reached out to me to come check it out. And yes, we locked in an appt time the week prior

[@EVSpeed]

@@AdventuresonZero hmm. Weird that this happened then. Maybe there was a previous rider. But then should be another bike for you ..

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@EVSpeed I was the first non-HD person on the bike. They just didn’t put it on a charger before the weekend

[@EVSpeed]

@@AdventuresonZero oh man... That's not good

[@flip_moto]

can you confirm the bars are narrower than the S2DM? I want to replace mine.

[@AdventuresonZero]

Yes they are

[@flip_moto]

@@AdventuresonZero nice. I'm wondering if I could get my local dealership to swap.

[@AdventuresonZero]

I would hold off, as everything is different except for the TFT. I cross referenced part numbers last night (to check if the risers would work on DM). Literally everything is different. At least take some calipers and double check the thickness before shelling out cash

[@RedBatteryHead]

Seen a few video's now. And From design I like the Delmar better. Seat looks more Comfy on this one.

[@AdventuresonZero]

Def more comfy than stock DM

[@LiveWire_Guy]

What is it you like about the DM better?

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@LiveWire_Guy Just that it's more suitable to be taken off-road as a stock bike. I want to be able to explore anywhere!

[@Radix60]

It wouldn't be a Ben Marshal experience without a fully drained battery.

[@AdventuresonZero]

😂 🧐😑

[@greenrush4313]

Hey Ben the dealer should have that at 80 like you said.They need to let you take it for a few hours.

[@AdventuresonZero]

yeah they dropped the ball on this one. Luckily they're usually a good experience

[@silverstar4289]

Sorry. I thought it was a bike evaluation. Turns out to be how to fail as a dealership . I bough5 a Livewire One last week. Pretty sure I will be doing the Mullholland next year

[@AdventuresonZero]

It is in a way, as I’m quite familiar with the S2 platform. Most of the differences are aesthetic and ergonomics - which I addressed. Mulholland is a great bike!

[@Jimmy-01890]

Would you choose Del Mar or Mulholland if you don’t own any S2 yet?

[@AdventuresonZero]

If I never wanted to ride gravel, dirt or off-road - 100% the Mulholland

[@Jimmy-01890]

⁠Tom Cruise was riding Del Mar at Olympic closing ceremony. That reignites my interests in the bike. I’m trying to choose one between the two.

[@AdventuresonZero]

Can you get to a dealer with a test ride?

[@Jimmy-01890]

Yes, I rode both of them. My impression is Mulholland looks substantially smaller with fatter rear tire. However, Del Mar has more accessories to customize the bike.

[@AdventuresonZero]

@@Jimmy-01890 accessories for Mulholland are coming, Del Mar launched first so naturally those accessories were first in the chute. Just depends on the types of rides and adventures you want to take.

[@Inspiratonaldog]

But maan, this thing is looking so sexy, why can't it be a normal ride

[@AdventuresonZero]

It do be sexy

[@RacerX531]

I would not have taken it out with only 7% battery, but you got to experience an EV with low battery.

[@AdventuresonZero]

I experience EVs with low battery quite often on this channel 😆

[@IIARROWS]

1:08 that's a strange plug...

[@AdventuresonZero]

Level 83 charger

[@Brettmotorcycles]

I think the tech and range still has a way to go before this becomes a reality and livewire actually makes money …the price must come down for in all purposes has as much power not torque as a med sized motorcycle

[@AdventuresonZero]

The price will eventually as more competitors enter the market

[@daveshoraceway]

Ben, why did Livewire expose the cable on the fake gas tank on this model ? Looks stupid and a good place for water and dirt to be trapped in the cable area. Hard to believe I am the only one in the comments that is bothered by this design. Also the mirrors look counter productive in the down position. Take a flight to Finland and let us know what you think about the Verge EV Bike. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZicp5-Ah8plY68

[@AdventuresonZero]

I actually like the exposed wire. Clearly it was a design decision. They're embracing the electric aspect of the bike. The verge bike gives me the heebie-jeebies, lol. Can't imagine how much of a nightmare it is to change that rear tire if you get a puncture or need to replace it.

[@daveshoraceway]

@@AdventuresonZero Since you are an expert on the livewire it would entertain me that you did a review on the Verge with their sponsership. The powerful wheel motor got my attention. They show how the rear tire is changed at their site here at youtube: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqHOaKxtl7yXecU

[@MrTeff999]

Test ride FAIL! Then, "I wish I could buy it". What?

[@AdventuresonZero]

This is the same architecture as the S2 Del Mar, which I own. Based on that, and the good ergonomics, I wish i could

[@kenhoward3512]

The real-world range is very low. Especially for the price.

[@AdventuresonZero]

You don’t buy EV motos for range

[@I-Libertine]

This gave me range anxiety just watching you...

[@AdventuresonZero]

I have a channel name to uphold

[@cbmecheng]

I'd have run it to zero and called an Uber. Livewire needs their own dealers like zero. HD dealers don't care. Del Mar owner.

[@AdventuresonZero]

this dealership typically is a good experience, they've done some work on my Livewire one. they just happened to drop the ball on this one

[@baje_246]

Nice “b” roll.

[@AdventuresonZero]

thanks!

[@sidsnot3149]

Keep it

[@AdventuresonZero]

Don’t tell me what to do

[@fauveride]

just an omg thing...

[@AdventuresonZero]

Uh huh

[@MrDurandal25]

Buy before you try. lol

[@AdventuresonZero]

🤷‍♂️

[@josemiguelru]

🇪🇸?…

[@AdventuresonZero]

🇺🇸!…

[@josemiguelru]

🇪🇸

[@AdventuresonZero]

🇺🇸

[@123glass7]

I hate that emotos look like regular bikes I want everyone to know it's electric in a single glance

[@AdventuresonZero]

You okay, man??

[@twocupstwodrams7535]

I was selling Honda automobiles when Honda launched the first Insight. Immediately seeing it you knew something new, special was going on, and it was. Then the race was on with Toyota to put into production a hybrid for the masses. Honda launched the Civic Hybrid and Toyota the Prius. Like the Honda Insight, the Prius was easy to see that something new, special was going on. The Civic? Not at all. The Prius outpaced the Civic in sales, why? Folks wanted something new, special and wanted to show the world, that they were doing their part to save the planet.