The electric gearheads at Harley-Davidson are targeting younger, greener, budget-bound riders. How does it expect to woo them? With a faster, leaner, $15,000 e-motorcycle.
Harley’s electric division, LiveWire, just unveiled its forthcoming S2 Del Mar electric motorcycle. The brand’s scalable ARROW architecture, built-in GPS, cell connectivity, a structural battery case, integrated components for charging and power, and a direct drive will come standard. If that wasn’t enough, the S2 Del Mar fits nicely into the middleweight class at 420 pounds.
LiveWire has yet to release all the technical details, but here’s what we can tell you.
The S2 Del Mar Electric Motorcycle
Let’s talk about the motorcycle’s worst first.
One of the less impressive claims LiveWire makes is the bike’s range. Reportedly, the Del Mar can cover up to 100 miles in the city. It’s not exactly the king of longevity when you compare it to the 200-plus miles some of its competitors offer.
Then again, where are you going to find a lightning-fast, midsize electric motorbike for anywhere close to $15K? (The dark web and Never-Neverland, that’s where.)
The 80-horsepower motor won’t have as much oomph as the brand’s flagship bike, the LiveWire One. Compared to the One, riders aboard a Del Mar will probably experience a ride that’s about 20% less powerful.
However, the lower horsepower does offer some key benefits — lighter curb weight, faster acceleration, lower MSRP — that should appeal to the model’s target buyer. The bike’s reported 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds should cushion the low-horsepower blow.
Availability
The first production round of S2 Del Mar motorcycles (MSRP $15,000) bikes won’t drop until spring 2023.
If one year feels like an eternity to you, too damn bad. LiveWire put 100 early-release “Launch Edition” S2 Del Mars up for sale earlier this week, but those babies are officially out of stock. The price of impatience, in this case, was about $2,700 — the limited-release rendition courted $17,700.
Admittedly, either option outbids the LiveWire One, which retails new for around $30,000.
Learn more about the LiveWire S2 Del Mar electric motorcycle and stay up on any new developments at livewire.com.
