My Honest review of the new Harley Davidson Livewire . Are electric motorcycles good enough?

[@Syanticraven]

So many people hate its noise signature. But its why I love them. Its such an amazing feeling, and my neighbours dont hate me coming home at 1am

[@GillyBikes]

I like the noise. Sounds like a jet taking offi 😎

[@marcbrasse747]

@@GillyBikes Seconding the both of you. To me this already sounded like the future in the past. Like lots of sci fi vehicles, turbine car prototypes, etc. Whiiiii! 👍👍

[@dannydaw59]

I like the sound. It sounds futuristic like Blade Runner.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

I wish all bikes were this quiet.

[@elbowsout6301]

I bought my 2020 HD Livewire a year ago without taking one for a test ride or even seeing one in person thanks to reviewers on youtube like yourself that helped me understand it. It was everything I thought it would be and more! At age 49 I have been riding for many years but this bike has reinvigorated me. I can't wait to ride it. Longest distance I have gone on a charge was on some old highways through small towns along the way and I went 185kms over about 2.5 hours. I burned 24kWh of energy thanks to the regen (14kWh Battery) and had 18 % battery left at arrival. Absolutely love this bike! I got mine used with just 3000 kms on it and half the price of a new one. Buy used! Let someone else take the depreciation hit.

[@GillyBikes]

That makes sense let someone else take the hit. The are Very expensive new but if you have the money they are brilliant.

[@marcbrasse747]

A big part of the problem is that second hand electric bikes are still extremely rare. So for us mere mortals it’s just not an option yet. The range example you give however suits my needs rather well, assuming that meant zooming along the bendies at a 60 to 70 km combined average per hour.

[@elbowsout6301]

@@marcbrasse747 yep I was doing between 60-90 kph. Usually about 10 over the posted limit.

[@marcbrasse747]

@@elbowsout6301 Like I said then: I could very well live with that. Now sell me yours for half again of what you paid! 😁👍

[@GillyBikes]

I would love one for commuting and the odd day playing out. They are so much fun. The problem with the second hand market is the people that buy them won’t want to take a big hit and if I had one I wouldn’t want to sell it either.

[@Aaronkt]

Personal opinion , The livewire (or Livewire one) is awesome. I have a 2020 Harley branded Livewire & have commuted and used it to keep up with (visit)friends for 25,000km as well as popping out to the local shops. I did get rear ended at a stop sign early last month (12/Feb/24) and it didn't explode into flames , the bike powered up afterwards and I walked it 1.8km home in rain mode with the bike moving itself while I walked beside it.

[@GillyBikes]

I really like them. They fly. Just very expensive in the uk. That import tax makes them unaffordable for most.

[@MarcoRyser]

Aw, that sucks! I hope you're ok and that you'll get your bike properly fixed.

[@dannydaw59]

That's one thing I really don't like about the Livewire. When you're slowing down using only regen braking the brake light doesn't light up. I stop alot using regen braking until maybe the last 5 feet. The motorists behind you don't see that brake light.

[@MarcoRyser]

@@dannydaw59 According to my riding buddies, it does light up on regen - and much more often so than they would like it to. Someday I will have to mount a camera and see for myself what the threshold is for it to regen and activate the brake lights.

[@dannydaw59]

@@MarcoRyser That's good to know. My salesman said it doesn't light up.

[@michaelkeha]

The fundamental issue I have is it removes two of the things that make bikes fun (the noise and the rumble) I know they are a 1st world only toy it has no viability for the rest of the world

[@GillyBikes]

I agree because I love the noise as well, but riding one of these was so much more fun than I expected. I actually got to like the noise from it. It sounds like a really loud jet / turbo when you give it some. Also I challenge anyone not to have fun on this. The performance is out of this world.

[@juliandone15]

It's a little ironic, riding an electric bike past Stanlow oil refinery and Eastham oil terminal! Nice looking bike but 70 miles wouldn't get me to a decent bit of road

[@GillyBikes]

That’s my issues as well. They are amazing for a local blast though.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Consider it an urban commuter. It's not meant for road trips.

[@Electric_camper]

Got the '20 ELW Livewire. Its a great bike. Good integration of Software. Albeit they did wrecked the app recently. Performance and efficiency are Great. I easily get 180km out of it. 2nd hand ELW go for good deals.

[@AltRockLover]

Definitely a looker and a performer, I'd love to try one out if I wasn't old with a bad hip lol. However, a bike that needs recharging every hour or so, or maybe even more frequently with your best girl in tow, seems so underwhelming especially at the price point. I don't know how well they're selling, if at all. Then again if you want to cruise locally just to turn heads, and have money to spare, then this may be a good compromise.And don't forget, that every time you stop to recharge, you're gonna be spending additional money for snacks, coffee, or maybe a meal, meaning you won't be saving anything on very a gas car. I look forward to more videos about this bike in the near future.

[@GillyBikes]

I don’t think they have been selling at all in the UK. Harley seem to be in trouble. The Manchester and Chester dealerships have gone bust this week. 😭 not good.

[@grahamgillespie2198]

Loads of fun. I don’t think there is a better way to spend an hour. Just a shame you then have to wait an hour for it to charge.

[@GillyBikes]

For £10,000 I would be really tempted to buy one. But not £23,000

[@marcbrasse747]

Just mentioned it in another comment. Any watchers out there who know about the Brammo Empulse R and have experiences with it?

[@brianatkinson6600]

I had multiple reasons to leave my 131 Stage IV Softail. This thing is so quiet, my left hand needed to lose the clutch and my left foot needed to lose the shift and my body needed to get in this riding position and I needed a sport lean angle back and I needed to get back to a "fun" bike to ride. A traditional Harley is like riding a modern relic, the Livewire is how a motorcycle should ride. I'm having fun again..... and that's priceless. I suspect I'll take a bath when I sell this bike, but that's ok. This will be my last. There is nothing less fun than letting the popular vote tell you what to ride. I bet very few people would believe I traded a Stage IV 131 for a Livewire One.

[@GillyBikes]

That’s what biking is about. If you have fun then it’s the right bike for you. 😎

[@roshanpjoseph2118]

Great.... like from Kerala Alappuzha India

[@GillyBikes]

👍😎

[@dannydaw59]

This is a great commuter bike. I did a test drive to work today. 48 miles round trip 45% battery used. Max speed 50mph slowest speed 38mph. You can just plug it into an outlet. It uses roughly 1300watts on a 120v 60hz household outlet. I'm not sure what voltages they have in the UK but I know it's different. Just imagine running your hair dryer for 5.3 hours strait. My butt/bum started getting sore 60% of the way through the trip. If you want to get this cheaper than MSRP I suggest looking around on the internet at dealer inventories. The retail price of my 2022 model was like $22,800 but the dealer near me ordered too many so here I come 2 years later with them trying to move some at the last day of the month. I talked them down to $19,000. Go to the dealer at the last day of the month on the last day of the quarter!

[@MarcoRyser]

I really enjoy my H-D-branded ELW. Between the 1942 H-D WL, the 2008 H-D XL1200N and the 2019 H-D FLTRU, it's my favorite ride. What a blast! 🤩

[@GillyBikes]

Loads of fun 😎

[@SiLloyd]

Really want one of these...

[@GillyBikes]

You should go and try one. They are an absolute blast.

[@SiLloyd]

@GillyBikes don't think there are many testers available now they're out of production.

[@GillyBikes]

@SiLloyd really? They seem to be still available near me. Where in the world are you?

[@SiLloyd]

@@GillyBikes Greater Manchester. I'm just looking online

[@dasshape00]

Why don't they add a exhaust speaker to these. So u could change at will in ap. And in crowed riding people in cars would hear u. Hearing u saves lives. I patented a system back in 2018 yo do this.. in mercia. And couldn't get any companies to bite. And it would be about 100 add on to bikes

[@GillyBikes]

These are much louder than you think. The best sounding electric bike I’ve tried. Sounds like a jet taking off.

[@michaeldombrowski9193]

It definitely looks like a daytime fair weather bike to me. I couldn’t handle the controls on it with my gloves at night or possibly even daytime especially any winter gloves. When I used to have one as my sole transportation, I had to ride it at as low a temperature as -6 degrees Centigrade in winter. If you can fork out 23,000 pounds you probaly have a vehicle. It does make a nice whirring sound😊 Thank you for reviewing the bike.

[@GillyBikes]

Thanks. I had a lot of fun playing on this one.

[@greenrush4313]

crybaby

[@pwzbear]

Rode the old Livewire in Budapest at the 120th and loved it, just the sound of the bike bugged me. Rode the new Del mar at Manchester HD a couple of weeks ago and thought it was even better, noise was minimal, power was even better and seat and riding position improved. Oh yes best thing was price was down to £17,699. The only problem was I did not have to sit there for an hour and charge it so can't really say if I would buy one till I had that experience. How many bikers want to sit at a charging station while watching other bikers go by smiling!!!

[@GillyBikes]

I might give Manchester a call and try the other one. Cheers 😎

[@pwzbear]

@@GillyBikes you won’t be disappointed!!!

[@GillyBikes]

@pwzbear I really enjoyed this one to be honest so if the other one is better I can’t wait. Just wish this freezing weather would do one so I can enjoy it a bit more.

[@greenrush4313]

cry babies ALL OF YOU. You can charge it at your house over night and ride for the day. Then u really dont have the mainatnace on the regular gas bikes. You guys dont get it.This bike blows away performance then any other . Crybabies

[@director2bob]

Loud pipes save lives is such a true statement

[@GillyBikes]

I believe so. This bike isn’t quiet though. It sounds like a jet taking off when you give it some.

[@Electric_camper]

That narrative is already proven wrong.

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

Uh, no, it's not true statement. It's been proven wrong. Loud pipes DO annoy the F out of everyone though, so if that's your goal.....

[@EVSpeed]

Second hand prices are great for this bike. But I just want them to use the more modern cells that can give this bike 40% more range

[@GillyBikes]

Now that would be good. More range would definitely make it more appealing and useable

[@charliedrake247]

I thought they stoped making them .

[@GillyBikes]

No. They are making more. A couple of new models for Livewire this year. 🤭

[@charliedrake247]

@@GillyBikes thank you for telling me .🧐

[@marcbrasse747]

I never thought I’d ever say that about a “Harley” but I’d love to own one…..if I could afford it.

[@GillyBikes]

They are awesome. I wish I could afford one too

[@marcbrasse747]

@@GillyBikes Erm! Just in! I found a very affordable Brammo Empulse R and am going to test it on Monday. Maybe you have heard about it. It was already released in 2014. Great bike except 2 negatives. The seller says it does only 80 to 100 km’s ( 50 to 60 miles) on a single charge riding a not too fast mix (average 50 km/h = 30 mph). That’s about two thirds to half of what I would find acceptable. Furthermore the brand already went bankrupt so no easily available spares. In every other aspect it’s however very close to my ideal. It even has a propper 6 speed gearbox!

[@marcbrasse747]

Update: I tried that Brammo and would have bought it if it didn’t have severe clutch problems, which the seller tried to paint over by remarking that one should simply select a gear now and then and let the elektromotor take care of the rest. Not on my watch!

[@williamfitzpatrick7248]

Looks nice but £23000 for 120 mile range bike ,not for me , great video though mate as usual

[@GillyBikes]

Thanks mate. They are great bikes to ride. For a local blast I think they are perfect but range is always an issue. The joys of electric

[@andyc750]

On the fence as far as these are concerned, as someone who has worked in the electrical trade for many years and am fully aware of the potential of electric motors etc and knowing that the EV development hasn't as yet scratched the surface of what is possible I find it really interesting but as a biker and lover of all things mechanical I also get why there is a lot of doubt about them, mind it isn't helped by so much bullshit false info being spread around by corporations and also ignorant people, those that believe anything because it fits with their preconceived ideas, it is very hard to get a balanced view of EVs and the downside and upsides of them so cheers for doing this review as it is obviously honest and without a hidden agenda

[@GillyBikes]

Thanks. As a machine to ride these are amazing. Loads of fun. Very comfortable, very quick and full of tech. Down side is they are still expensive even though the price of these have come down a lot they are still a bit to much and the range will always be an issue. But these are a step in the right direction I think. You need to go and try one.

[@choppergirl]

It's biggest flaw seems to be absolutely no cargo carry capacity. Driving for 20 years I know, where ever I go, I'm bringing a weeks worth of groceries back, or something I bought at a store. What can you do with a motorbike with no cargo capacity? Joy ride or go to work and back, and that's it. I don't commute to work, so that would leave just joy riding. I don't buy a vehicle just to joy ride. Useless without a cargo rack in the back. Unless you're running from the cops, naked sports bikes are useless. I'd replace that front fender with something longer and better. The real elephant in the room is how much is it going to have to cost you to replace that battery when it wears out, and are you going to be able to get a replacement 20 years down the road from now.

[@GillyBikes]

Yes this is a bike for someone who has a few bikes. It’s brilliant for a blast in the sun but I don’t see it as being any good for touring. You would have to take something else on tour. Still they are amazing to ride and lots of fun but you need deep pockets to buy one.

[@choppergirl]

@@GillyBikes Yep, too deep for me, that bike is twice as expensive as my whole house. I just bought a 2008 Shadow Spirit as my third bike for 1900 and had to put another 300 into it for new tires which I have yet to put on. I added a pickup truck bed over the rear passenger seat for a rack, on which a duffle bag with a cardboard box inside (to hold the shape up) is bungee corded down, for maximum cargo carrying capacity. Looks nice and super handy, like my other two bikes. If you're not using your bike like a rugged mule, then it's nothing more than a pretty racehorse :-)

[@GillyBikes]

Brilliant. Thats what I love to hear. Bikes being used properly. 😍

[@SithEnthusiast12]

i'm on 4 secs of the vid atm lol, but you gona review the 2nd variant of it too?

[@GillyBikes]

If they let me I will be back for the other one 😎

[@chrismann8338]

Yeah but lets cut to the chase ,what is it like to pick up ,down a muddy trail🙄.Chris

[@GillyBikes]

😂 stay away from the muddy trails on this 😂

[@chrismann8338]

Oh and i was about to order one@@GillyBikes

[@GillyBikes]

😂😂 me to

[@Jarboe420]

Full Electric is not the way, with love from Wisconsin.

[@GillyBikes]

I totally agree. With love from the uk 😎

[@greenrush4313]

i dont with love from your mamma

[@Jarboe420]

@@greenrush4313my mom's dead try better.

[@MatteoTortello_com]

🚀⚡💪🔝

[@MarkDavidson-rb1jw]

Should be entertaining at Sturgis 🤣

[@GillyBikes]

Yes they would love it there 😂😂😂😂

[@garygullikson6349]

I don't like the tall, dark, triangular, heavy and menacing look . Styling seems to be over-compensating for being electric.

[@dasshape00]

Just can't see this being practical. I bet everyone with 1 of these gets sik and tired of not having a charge. Probably stressing also. If it could really get 150 miles on a charge.. then maybe... and also need better tech for faster charging. It's a beautiful bike.. maybe at 10k I'd put up with all the crap. But 23k and after u leave the Harley shop it's 25k maybe 26k

[@GillyBikes]

If you ride for 80 miles and have money to burn then they are great. Home charging over night wouldn’t be an issue for me. The issue will always be long journeys and charging away from the home. That’s when these don’t make sense

[@fatange]

I just can’t deal with the noise. I love the sound of a nice exhaust. It reminds me of Taffy snoring and I like that. 😊

[@GillyBikes]

Absolutely not. You can’t compare his snoring to a nice exhaust. His snoring is horrendous

[@taffy2wheels577]

This is the future . Unfortunately. Not sure if i like it. Its an electric Harley. Just doesn't seem right . No Harley sound . I may have to have a go to make my mind up.

[@GillyBikes]

You should try it. They are amazing bikes to ride. Much better than yours. Better looking. Better to ride. 😏🤭

[@marielrego8775]

But now they finally cant leak oil

[@GillyBikes]

Another bonus. I’m sure they will leak something though.

[@taffy2wheels577]

😂😂😂 in your Dreams

[@GillyBikes]

True story. Yours is a bit ✊✊💦💦💦

[@davidpyc6570]

Even if it was free, I wouldn't want one.

[@GillyBikes]

I bet you would. 😂.

[@davidpyc6570]

@@GillyBikes no way and I mean it.

[@GillyBikes]

@davidpyc6570 I would definitely have a free one. Then sell it for something better 😉

[@geoffbroderick403]

what a dud ,price,range,top high weight,250 kg a complete miss by hd

[@GillyBikes]

I think that’s just electric bikes in general. The fast ones are all really heavy and really expensive with shocking range. It’s a lot of money for 1 hour of fun before charging it again.

[@motorheadscottie456]

Absolute junk all of them that’s the reason why they got discontinued. Blah blah blah “it because society hates ev” if that was the case and Harley should never listen to society itself because they told them they wanted an EV motorcycle but even the customers motorcycles don’t even know what the hell they want. They literally made a brand that was never known for innovation, making one of the first mass produced electric motorcycles, and actually did a good job at it. However, it’s not in the books. It’s too expensive to manufacture. It’s not environmentally friendly in anyway at all shape or form and it’s not reliable or repairable by any means nothing more than an iPhone with wheels on it. Don’t believe me wanna argue with my point go ahead and look them up for sale. They’re literally worth half what they were brand new even after a year of use. Still don’t believe me go look up a Tesla model S from 2023. It’s like $40,000 now and that’s an $80,000 car brand. Still don’t believe me after all of that go try to buy a brand new lithium battery from Harley for your motorcycle you won’t because they don’t make it anymore. Go try to buy a brand new lithium battery for a 2017 Tesla model elastic cost $85,000. Wait oh yeah they don’t make it anymore. Don’t even try to counter my argument until you look this up. It’s very depressing and it’s very real. Meanwhile, you still have general motors and Ford motor company making parts for cars from the 70s. EV is a craze. Nothing more.