Range and charge rates continue to present challenges across the EV industry, but performance has always been top notch. The LiveWire ONE is no exception. It has a three second time from 0 to 60 that will put almost everything else on two wheels in the bike-smoking business to shame.
The LiveWire ONE’s Revelation engine produces 100 horsepower and 84 pound-feet of torque. As usual for the genre, all that grunt is available as soon as you roll without needing to let it wind up.
Energy stored in a 15.4 kWh high-voltage battery is recharged at varying times depending on the method. If you have access to a public DC fast charging facility, you can slam a 100% charge into the PSU in just an hour with 80% available after just 40 minutes.
For people who charge at home, 110-volt service is all you need. It’ll be ready to ride in 11 hours, making it perfect for commuting and as a basic form of transportation.
City mileage is increased somewhat by the regenerative braking feature and lower gears to give the LiveWire ONE a maximum range of 146 miles on a single charge. Highway mileage drops to 70 miles per charge while the combined average falls between the two at 95 miles.
A six-axis IMU sends data to include an angle-sensitive component to the drag torque control system and traction control system for added safety. The TCS comes with five dynamic riding modes for quick personality changes depending on the conditions.
Finally, the MoCo added a buzzer so you can hear the comings and goings. The sound reminds me of the Jetson’s engine chirping under way.
ONE innovates for its parent company. It has a bare sporty build that owns its electric heritage rather than trying to camouflage it.
A mini-bullet fairing mounts a round Cyclops headlight. The light carries a number of individual spotlights for effective day and night visibility as well as high mounted turn signal light bars out of harm’s way.
Behind the headlight is a 4.3-inch color TFT display. It acts as the driver interface for all drive control electronics and the full suite of infotainment features as well as a one stop shop for instrumentation.
The rest of the cockpit is what you would expect from a smoking bike. It features a fuel tank hump and a deep recessed seat that comes with balcony seats for the passenger. A trim subframe section finishes off the LiveWire ONE with a clean whistle-like look aided by an unusually full fender that mounts the rest of the gear to the rear.
Overall, the LiveWire ONE behaves much like your typical nude sports rig. The factory makes little effort to disguise the nature of the transmission.
Frame
Engineering elements include the LiveWire ONE’s perimeter-style frame that sports elliptical cross-sections for a structure that’s both strong and lightweight. The yoke-style swingarm also gets into the act to complete the skeleton.
Top-of-the-line overhead gear puts the LiveWire ONE on par with the best on the market. Showa SFF-BP stems float up front through the full range of settings. Out back, a Showa BFRC coil-sprung monoshock takes care of business with the same trifecta of settings.
The steering head sets up a 24.5-degree lean angle with 4.3 inches of trail. This gives the LiveWire ONE handling characteristics worthy of the “sport” part of its moniker. In case you doubt it, the factory specifies a 45 degree tilt angle on both sides, which is plenty sporty indeed.
17-inch cast wheels complete the rolling chassis with Michelin Scorcher Sport HD rubber. The hoops rock a “Z” speed rating that will take whatever you and the ONE can do. That should be a bit of a comfort for you, especially in light of the deep lean angles this bike is capable of pulling.
Twin discs work with four-bore Brembo front calipers to provide the bulk of stopping power while a twin-pot anchor bites the rear disc, all under the protection of a tilt-sensitive ABS feature original that keeps you dirty side down.
2022 LiveWire ONE Price and Availability
The 2022 LiveWire ONE costs $22,799. You can choose from a trio of colors: Liquid Black, Horizon White or Nebula Red. Truth be told, black is the most prevalent color throughout the lineup, with colored elements being limited to the bullet housing and the fake fuel tank bump. If you are looking for a LiveWire ONE for sale, it’s in the showrooms at present.
Features
- Cornering Enhanced Anti-lock Braking System
- Drag torque slip control system
- Improved cornering traction control system
- Dynamic driving modes
Competitors
HD turned LiveWire into its own company, but today’s competitor comes from an established brand, and that’s everything they do. Enter the Zero SR sport naked EV bike.
Zero RS
Right from the start, the SR looks in every square inch like the naked sports bike. It has minimal bodywork, and like the LiveWire ONE, the SR doesn’t weigh an ounce of weight from superfluous bits and bobs.
Zero also does nothing to camouflage the true nature of SR. However, the fuel tank hump and the rest of the flyline look very smoky, so natural to the eye.
Zero’s motor develops 122 foot-pounds of torque against ONE’s 84 pounds of grunt for a significant torque advantage. Fastest charge times are 78 minutes to bring the advantage back to LiveWire. The stock range is 156 miles in the city, 77 miles at 70 mph with 95 miles at 55 mph to give the Zero a slight edge, but that’s very light to be sure.
Showa wins big because it covers both ends of both bikes. In fact, the Zero rolls on SFF-BP forks just like the LiveWire, so the stems are a draw.
Zero gets his biggest cashier win. At just $18,595, the Zero SR. This leaves a big chunk of cheese on the table that is likely to buy him business.
He said
“It was about time the factory did something tangible in the EV business, but I’m not sure they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot with the derivative action. Name recognition is a powerful thing, and you’ve separated the bike from its parent company and all of its brand-recognition power that’s often cited as justification for the prices they charge. I can’t wait to see how it all pans out.
She says
My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, said, “I know the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and the LiveWire ONE see identical, but there are differences in the powertrain. The output on the LiveWire ONE is slightly lower, but the MSRP is also lower… PLOT lower. If LiveWire made concessions to bring the price down, that was a big improvement, but that still doesn’t bring it down into the Zero’s range.