The challenge in building an electric motorcycle is to shift from thinking about building a bike around an engine, to thinking about building a bike around a battery. Batteries are heavy though. Rumor has it that the battery in the Livewire would have to weight around 250 lbs in order to get the range and recharge time that Harley is claiming. That means that weight had to be cut elsewhere.
The frame around the battery box weighs only 14 lbs, and the wheels have hollow spokes. Harley claims that these wheels are the lightest aluminum wheels it's ever produced. Weight was saved on the exhaust system because, well, there isn't an exhaust system!
Hopefully with the expert engineering that has gone into reducing the weight of the Livewire, it lives up to the standards that Harley Davidson has become known for. That means it has to be able to go fast and not feel under powered or encumbered.
The frame around the battery box weighs only 14 lbs, and the wheels have hollow spokes. Harley claims that these wheels are the lightest aluminum wheels it's ever produced. Weight was saved on the exhaust system because, well, there isn't an exhaust system!
Hopefully with the expert engineering that has gone into reducing the weight of the Livewire, it lives up to the standards that Harley Davidson has become known for. That means it has to be able to go fast and not feel under powered or encumbered.