Harley overnight dropped detailed specs and pricing on their first EV, the LiveWire Electric motorcycle which the company is touting as the most connected motorcycle experience ever.
Harley-Davidson Livewire
The LiveWire motorcycle represents Harleys high performance entry into the musktopian electric future. The first of a new portfolio of motorcycles slated to deliver an “all new motorcycle experience”.
When the LiveWire debuts in showrooms there’s no doubt it’ll be the coolest looking machine in the Harley line up. That old school roots style supercharger mock-up hanging out of its belly marries some hot-rod styling to what will most certainly be Harley’s hottest rod!
Harley-Davidson Livewire
Harley are claiming a 0-100 km/h time of 3.5-seconds and during my brief taste of an early LiveWire prototype some years ago in Malaysia, I belive that the LiveWire will be the fastest machine Harley has ever produced for mainstream consumption.
With a claimed range of 177 kilometres the LiveWire should also prove practical enough to use as everyday transport for most consumers.
I expect there will also be a myriad of bolt on accessories to vajazzle that rather boring looking battery pack in its guts, which isn’t dripping in chrome and polished aluminium like a conventional Harley.
Harley-Davidson Livewire
The Harley-Davidson LiveWire is set to hit showrooms in the US priced at $29,799. Given how current Australian pricing extrapolates to other comparably priced models in the current Harley range, our best guesstimate is that the LiveWire will be priced somewhere around $44,000 AUD. There is no official word from Harley Australia on that score, that number is only educated supposition on our part. ABS and Traction Control will be standard.
While American customers will be able to get their LiveWire shortly, Australian motorcyclists will have to wait until ‘Late 2020’ to get their hands on one. What are the bets that somebody can’t wait, and will import their own LiveWire in from America ahead of the Australian release…?
Harley-Davidson Livewire
Some of the reason for the delay of the Australian launch could be the work required to successfully integrate and adpat Harley’s new Connect Service to Australia.
The LiveWire motorcycle is equipped with H-D Connect, which pairs motorcycle riders with their bikes through an LTE-enabled Telematics Control Unit coupled with connectivity and cloud services using the latest version of the Harley-Davidson App. This technology makes the LiveWire motorcycle the first North American mass-market cellular-connected electric motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson Livewire
Information available through H-D Connect includes battery charge status and available range from any location where sufficient cellular signal is available. This allows the rider to remotely check the charge status including charge level and time to completion. Riders will be able to locate a charging station with ease thanks to an integrated location finder built into the H-D App.
H-D Connect indicates the location of the parked LiveWire motorcycle and alerts can be sent to the rider’s smartphone if the bike is tampered with or moved. GPS-enabled stolen-vehicle tracking provides peace of mind that the motorcycle’s location can be tracked. This feature will be available in America but it is unclear if Australian regulators will co-operate enough for this feature to be lawfully activated in our market.
The opening stage of the 41st Dakar Rally took competitors from the host city of Lima to Pisco, near the southern coast of Peru. Although short at just 84 kilometres, the day’s timed special still threw up a few challenges. Starting in reverse order, the top riders would have to wait until last to get their chance to enter the stage. Dust thrown up from the riders in front made overtaking difficult with the Peruvian heat also making conditions tough.
Honda’s Joan Barreda was quickest out of the blocks, obviously eager to make up for the disappointment of retiring while second in the rally last year, the 35-year-old Spaniard ended day one 1m34s ahead of Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla
Joan Barreda – P1
“I’m very happy to start like this. Today was a short stage but where everyone went very fast. Without making mistakes I managed to push for the whole of the special. In the beginning it’s always a bit difficult to pick up the rhythm, but from kilometre 20 I started to improve and I was able to maintain a good rhythm during the whole stage with very good results. Now it’s time to think about the long stages where the way of preparing them changes. Tomorrow we will have to stay focused, since the pace will also be high and there is more chance of getting lost.”
Dakar 2019 Stage One Video
Pablo Quintanilla – P2
“I felt really good on the bike today. It wasn’t an easy stage. There were some sandy dunes, some dusty parts and some tricky navigation. I was pushing from the start and I felt confident all the way through the stage. It’s good to start this race with a second place and it gives me extra confidence for the rest of the rally. Today we had many waypoints to cross and many direction changes. It was good to get things started with the first stage. This year I am feeling very confident and I am enjoying the race a lot. The bike is running great and I am looking forward to the coming stages.”
Pablo Quintanilla
Ricky Brabec put his Honda in to third place on stage one, 2m52s behind teammate Barreda, and three-seconds ahead of leading Yamaha rider Adrien Van Beveren.
Ricky Brabec – P3
“First stage of this Dakar with some very good sensations. The stage was not very long, but there were many dunes and a lot of people. I have found the whole special went pretty well: there was a bit of fesh-fesh but I’m very happy to be here and am prepared to give it my best shot over the coming days.”
Ricky Brabec
Adrien Van Beveren – P4
“We got this tricky opening stage out of the way and I’m happy with my result for the day. Today we got a small taste of what lies ahead. The start of the Dakar is always tricky and there’s some extra pressure. Today I tried to control this pressure and avoid mistakes by any means. I felt good racing in the dunes and my Yamaha was working great. As the race goes on, I want to gradually improve my pace while also staying 100% focused on the tracks and my navigation. Tomorrow we have a long stage and I’m looking forward to going back out there in the dunes.”
Adrien Van Beveren
Keen to make up for his retirement from the 2018 event, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland put in a strong performance on the opening day’s timed special to claim the fifth fastest time – just under three minutes down on the leader. Choosing to navigate his way through the stage rather than following existing tracks, the 2017 Dakar champion rode an intelligent day and is looking forward to tomorrow.
Sam Sunderland – P5
“I’m pleased with the opening stage, I felt good on the bike and happy with my pace. We had to be careful as the less experienced riders had opened the stage, I think some of the top guys took the risk and pushed the tracks, but I played it safe and navigated myself. It maybe cost me a little time but I think it was the best option. I caught a few riders ahead of me and lost some time in one of the rivers but I didn’t take any risks out there – we have a lot more days to come.”
Sam Sunderland
Putting in a brave performance, just 12-seconds down on team-mate Sunderland, Toby Price successfully completed the stage despite nursing the wrist he broke just weeks beforehand. Aware of the task ahead of him, Price plans to take the rally day-by-day.
Toby Price – P6
“The first day has gone well. My wrist is giving me some pain so I know the next nine days are going to be tough. But I can’t complain, I’m happy with sixth place today. Conditions out there were ok, you just have to be careful in the dunes that you don’t send it off one of the big drops – I can’t afford to risk anything like that so I need to be a little careful. The bike is running sweet, so thanks to Joe my mechanic for that. It’s going to be a long one tomorrow but I’ll give it my best.”
Toby Price
Displaying the number one plate on his KTM 450 Rally, Matthias Walkner set off from Lima as the very last rider away. The Austrian made use of his experience to navigate the well-ridden route ahead of him to claim a solid seventh place.
Matthias Walkner – KTM 450 Rally
Matthias Walkner – P7
“Today was a good day, it feels great to start the rally and I felt better than I imagined after being a little ill over the last few days. The opening riders made a good job of the navigation and most of the top guys are all at a similar pace, but it was really fast out there today. As well as the sand dunes there were some rivers and rocky sections – with the wind and the riders in front there was a lot of dust and that made things even more tricky. The bike is working well and we’ll continue to work on settings as the rally goes on. Overall, it’s been an encouraging day.”
Matthias Walkner
Kevin Benavides hampered with the task of being the first of the elite riders to open the track, was ahead for much of the day but the Argentinean ended up with the eighth fastest time on the day, one place ahead of Chilean Jose Ignacio Cornejo, ninth some 5m22s adrift of Barreda. Paulo Gonçalves finished eleventh 6m41s behind leader Barreda.
Kevin Benavides – P8
“It was a very good first stage to warm up. I felt good, comfortable and I think I did a good job. We had to leave in reverse order and I left a little behind, with which I had some problems to overtake other motorcycles such as the area with a river where there was a lot of dust. Then, in the dunes, I was able to enjoy it a bit more. I felt very fast. I also found tracks that are not very reliable, but in general the navigation of this first stage was fairly easy.”
Kevin Benavides
Highly experienced Queenslander Rodney Faggotter took his time to settle in and wrapped up the opening stage with a 29th place result. Enjoying a good feeling aboard the latest version of the WR450F Rally, the Aussie looks to continue building on his speed during the coming stages.
Rodney Faggotter – P29
“Overall, I had a good day. I kept a steady pace from start to finish of the timed special and brought my bike home without any issues. My goal for the start of this race is to be consistent and remain inside the top 30 in the first stages. Today we raced about 70% of dunes and a long, dry and dusty river bed. Especially in that river bed you had to be extra careful to avoid mistakes. So far so good and now my eyes are set on tomorrow’s tough stage.”
Rodney Faggotter
Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be one of the most unique stages of this Dakar 2019, as Joan Barreda will not be the first to open the race. That job will go to the cars who will start out before. When the bikes get their turn, they can look forward to a heavily churned up and rutted route after the passage of more than one hundred four-wheeled vehicles. After departing in Pisco, riders will head to the next bivouac in San Juan de Marcona after battling out the largest part of the stage in the dunes of Ica on a ride with a total of 554 kilometres including 342 special timed.
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage One
BARREDA Joan SPA Monster Energy Honda Team 57’36
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing +01’34
BRABEC Ricky USA Monster Energy Honda Team +02’52
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team +02’55
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +02’56
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team +03’08
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Rally Factory Team+03’12
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda Team +04’00
CORNEJO José Ignacio CHI Monster Energy Honda Team +05’22
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team +05’54
GONCALVES Paulo POR Monster Energy Honda Team +06’41 29.FAGGOTTER Rodney AUS Yamaha +11’27
The cafe had been ideal situated on the twisting hot mix just south of Kenilworth, but the property owner wouldn’t extend the lease.
So leasee and bike fan Peter Cusack moved to Carters Ridge, just off Skyring Rd.
His cafe sells great coffee, wholesome food, fruit and veg and has a stack of bike magazines for the patrons.
On the Mary Valley Country tourist map, it’s almost dead centre in the region, so it’s an even better spot to base yourself to explore.
And there’s plenty of great roads to ride, no matter whether you like fast, open bends, tight hairpins, hot mix, scenic back roads, formed gravel or Conondale National Park forestry trails. The area simply has everything to suit every rider’s taste and bike style.
Peter shoved the tourist map in front of me and began introducing me to roads I’d passed, but never ventured down.
On the Harley, they were a barrel of fun, challenging, bumpy, twisting and scenic.
Two great roads I’d never tried before are Moy Pocket Rd and Cooroy Belli Rd. I’ll certainly be back to do them again, although Peter warns that Moy Pocket Rd is busy with cement trucks on weekdays.
He recently did a big trip with his wife on their Triumph Tiger 1050 which suits 99% of the region’s roads.
Today, I’m on the Street Glide Special, which looks commanding and handles the winding roads surprisingly well, but would be a handful on the gravel.
Here is a list of some of the lesser-known, but superb tarmac roads in the region which the Harley handled well so they should suit just about any motorcycle: Moy Pocket Rd, Skyring Rd, Blad Knob Rd, Hovard Rd, Obi Obi Rd (up only, down section is still gravel), Reesville Rd, Postmans Track/Aherns Rd, Bellthorpe Range Rd, Eastern Mary River Rd and Lawnville Rd.
Alongside the further details announced on the LiveWire model overnight, Harley-Davidson also revealed two new concepts in its next generation of two-wheeled transportation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Harley-Davidson E-Bike concepts
These two concepts are a nod towards a new electrified chapter of Harley-Davidson’s story that will continue with innovative approaches to transportation and technology, wrapped up in evocative styling and design.
Harley-Davidson E-Bike concepts
While I don’t think either of these designs really pushes any boundaries visually, I do see this as a justified attempt for the brand to gradually align itself to the kimchi & kale generation.
Harley-Davidson E-Bike concepts
Kudos to Harley for becoming a little more environmentally and socially aware as they look towards a future of trying to win new young customers on to their iconic brand.
One of our favorite helmets for long-distance touring, Shoei has updated the GT-Air with tons of new features. Read below to find out more.
Begin press release:
SHOEI Safety Helmet Corp is excited to announce the Spring ’19 arrival of the all-new GT-Air II to the North American marketplace. In dealerships March/April 2019.
With the innovative and highly-acclaimed GT-Air as a baseline, the all-new SHOEI GT-Air II was destined for greatness from the very start. Advancements in design, functionality and performance have further evolved SHOEI’s premiere full-face touring helmet, yielding even easier adaptation to the ever-changing conditions throughout your journeys. Featuring a lengthened internal sun shield for optimal sun-glare protection, all-new “first position” shield opening for advanced ventilation and defogging, enhanced aerodynamics and noise-reduction technology, and the ability to seamlessly integrate with the all-new SENA SRL2 Communication System, the GT-Air II is equipped to accommodate your every need.
Explore the entire GT-Air II COLLECTION and all of its innovative FEATURES on our website.
Australian contender earns top 10 to kickstart 2019 campaign.
Image: Supplied.
Chad Reed believes racing the last chance qualifier (LCQ) at the weekend’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship opener offered him insight on track conditions for the rain-soaked 20-lap main event in Anaheim.
The JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing pilot was forced to transfer to the main via the LCQ after finishing 10th in his heat race, although the additional track time as the rain started to increasingly fall provided somewhat of an advantage to the two-time premier class champion.
Despite a poor gate pick, the Australian charged his way through the field to ultimately wind up ninth in extremely difficult conditions, marking a respectable start to his campaign in the 17-round series.
“With the weather, it was an interesting weekend,” Reed admitted. “I had the feeling that no matter what I was going through, it was going to drastically change by the night program. I tried to get the most out of the daytime practices and qualifying to have good data for the next round in Glendale. Once the weather came I just dealt with it.
“I didn’t get the best of starts in my heat race. The conditions were tough and challenging, so I had to go to the LCQ. In some ways, it rained quite a lot in the LCQ, so I had a feel for what the track was going to be like in the main event. The downside was that I was on the far outside gate for the main. I was dead last on the start and came up to ninth, which is respectable.
“I feel like I have the pace. There are just a few things I need to work on to allow me to feel more comfortable when I’m out of my comfort zone. I have to adapt to the pace, but fortunately that’s one of my strengths. Sometimes that pace comes naturally, and other times it’s forced. I need to be more comfortable in that area – that’s something I will work on this week.”
The AMA Supercross series heads to Glendale in Arizona this weekend for round two of the championship.
Revolutionary electric motorcycle due for 2020 Australian arrival.
Image: Supplied.
Initially unveiled in late July 2018, Harley-Davidson has now released details of it production LiveWire electric motorcycle that will make its way onto the market in the coming years.
Boasting powerful acceleration capable of from 0 to 60mph (96.5kph) in under 3.5 seconds, the instant torque provided by the H-D Revelation electric powertrain can produce 100 percent of its rated torque the instant the throttle is twisted, and 100 percent of that torque is always available.
Electric power requires no clutch and no gear shifting, greatly simplifying operation for new riders. All riders will appreciate the braking effect of the power regeneration mode as it adds charge to the battery, especially in stop-and-go urban traffic.
The LiveWire motorcycle is equipped with H-D Connect, which pairs motorcycle riders with their bikes through an LTE-enabled Telematics Control Unit coupled with connectivity and cloud services using the latest version of the Harley-Davidson App.
This technology makes the LiveWire motorcycle the first North American mass-market cellular-connected electric motorcycle. With H-D Connect, data is collected and transferred to the app to provide information to the rider’s smartphone about the motorcycle’s status, providing information on battery charge status and available range from any location where sufficient cellular signal is available.
This allows the rider to remotely check the charge status including charge level and time to completion. Riders will be able to locate a charging station with ease thanks to an integrated location finder built into the H-D App.
H-D Connect indicates the location of the parked LiveWire motorcycle and alerts can be sent to the rider’s smartphone if the bike is tampered with or moved. GPS-enabled stolen-vehicle tracking provides peace of mind that the motorcycle’s location can be tracked. Reminders about upcoming vehicle service requirements and other vehicle care notifications will be provided to the rider through the H-D App. In addition, riders will receive automated service reminders.
The bike has the ability to travel an estimated 110 miles (177 kilometres) of urban roads on a single charge, while its chassis is designed to deliver agile handling for confident control on urban streets and a thrilling ride on curving backroads.
The H-D Revelation powertrain sits low in the motorcycle to lower the centre of gravity and help the motorcycle handle well at all speeds and make it easier to control when stopped. The motorcycle also features premium technology – Electronic Chassis Control is standard and features a cornering-enhanced Anti-lock Braking System and Traction Control. The systems are fully electronic and utilse the latest inertial measurement unit and ABS sensor technology.
The electric engine produces minimal vibration, heat, and noise, all of which enhance rider comfort. The LiveWire model is designed to produce a new signature Harley-Davidson sound as it accelerates and gains speed; this new futuristic sound represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle.
The all-new Harley-Davidson LiveWire Motorcycle will be on sale in only select markets this year. For Australia and New Zealand markets, the Livewire will be released in late 2020.
Harley-Davidson has revealed electric bicycle and electric scooter (above) concepts at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas over night.
Electric bicycle
They also revealed the price and more specifications for their LiveWire sports bike which will be available in some countries later this year and Australia late in 2020. Click here for more details.
LiveWire
The electric bicycle and scooter concepts were revealed in July last year as artwork when Harley announced its bold new plans for the next four years.
Electric motorcycle artwork and concepts for and electric bicycle and scooter
Those bold plans included an adventure bike and a new family of liquid-cooled models.
Pan America
Now, the company has revealed working concepts models of the bicycle and scooter to “explore the potential of urban mobility and two-wheeled adoption”.
The concepts are part of the company’s planned “broad portfolio of electric two-wheelers designed to establish the company as the leader in the electrification of mobility over the next several years and inspire new riders with new ways to ride”.
There are no names nor specs for the electric bicycle and scooter as they are only prototypes.
Electric bicycle
Their electric mountain bike is similar to many ebikes coming out of Europe and China with pedal assist.
But the scooter prototype is something totally different.
It also seems to feature an LED headlight that is just a hollow ring.
It has inverted forks, no visible rear suspension, large tyres and belt drive.
There is no word on when these concepts will become production models.
It will be available for sale in North America and Europe in the third quarter of this year for $US29,799 ($A41,699) plus on-road costs.
That is about the same price Americans pay for a top-of-the-line Ultra Limited tourer with luggage, infotainment and all the bells and whistles. (In Australia, an Ultra Limited costs $A40,995 ride away.)
That’s not as much as the world’s fastest electric motorcycle, the 351km/h Lightning Motorcycle LS-218 at $US38,888 (about $A51,150).
Lightning record-holding electric race bike
The LiveWire price and more specifications were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas over night. They also revealed artwork for two smaller electric motorcycles, plus concepts of an electric bicycle and scooter.
Electric motorcycle artwork and concepts for and electric bicycle and scooter
Electric LiveWire details
Most of the electric LiveWire details have already been revealed in Milwuakee during the company’s 115th birthday celebrations. Click here for details.
They include premium components such as Brembo brakes with cornering ABS, fully adjustable Showa suspension, Michelin sport tyres and traction control.
But the magic specification for an electric bike is range and while Zero electric motorcycles offer up to 360km of range with a special battery, the Harley will manage just 177km.
There were few other details about the bike such as battery size, charging times, power and top speed. that’s probably because the battery may change yet again before launch.
However, they did say it would accelerate to 100km/h in “under 3.5 seconds”, which is okay, but not as quick as most sportsbikes.
It has a twist-and-go throttle with no gears or clutch lever like most scooters and unlike the Brammo electric bike, later known as the Victory Empulse.
Connectivity
The other new details are that the LiveWire comes with H-D Connect that pairs the rider and bikes through an LTE-enabled Telematics Control Unit.
It connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth and uses the latest version of the Harley-Davidson App.
The app sends battery data to the app about range and will even guide the rider to the nearest charging station.
It includes tamper alerts if someone tries to steal the bike and a location device to track it if it’s been stolen. This is only available “in some markets” so it is yet to be seen if it works in Australia.
There are also service reminders and notifications.
Quintanilla and Brabec round out the top three in opening stage.
Image: Supplied.
Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has completed day one of the 2019 Dakar Rally in sixth position, while it was Monster Energy Honda Team’s Joan Barreda who topped the opening stage.
The Spaniard recorded a 57m36s time in the Lima to Pisco leg, granting him a 1m34s advantage over Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla and American ace Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda Team).
The top five was completed by Adrien van Beveren (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team) and Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as reigning champion Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) wound up seventh.
Aussie Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team) was 29th at the conclusion of day one, with compatriots Ben Young (KTM) and James Ferguson (KTM) finishing up in 86th and 117th respectively.
Stage two of the Dakar Rally leaves Pisco and heads for San Juan de Marcona. The total stage distance is 553 kilometres including a tough 342-kilometre timed special.
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