Though they still have teething problems—and they have their problems—I love electric motorcycles. And more of them allow for more choice, competition, and furthering the goalposts to get us to a place where those problems fade away. At least, that's the hope.
To that end, Harley-Davidson's all-electric LiveWire sub-brand wants more folks on electric motorcycles, as you'd expect, and it's just introduced its third offering in the all-new S2 Mulholland. The bike is a sleek, cruiser-inspired motorcycle looking to lure the bar-hopper-adoring crowd and looking at its specs, could very well do just that.
So what is it? Let's dive in.
The motorcycle is centered around LiveWire's S2 electric platform, a 10.5kWh battery pack that delivers 84 horsepower and 194 lb-ft of torque, and a zero to 60 mph time of just 3.3 seconds. Range varies depending on what you're doing, as if you're just tooling around the city, you'll see around 121 miles per charge, while highway drops to just 73 miles at 55mph. But again, this is an around-town, bar-hopper-style bike. Not a long-distance touring machine.
The bike, however, can handle either Lvl 1 or Lvl 2 charging, which can either charge from 20-80% in 5.9 hours and 78 minutes respectively. Both are pretty standard within the EV motorcycling industry, though they need to be bettered in my opinion.
I did ask LiveWire about NACS adoption, as much of the rest of the EV industry is switching to the charging system, to which a company spokesperson stated, "We don't comment on future product."
According to LiveWire, "While S2 Mulholland utilizes the same S2 platform, the riding experience has been reshaped by the rider triangle and updated standard equipment which diverges dramatically from Del Mar. Using a six-inch handlebar riser, the handlebars are positioned higher and further back, allowing the rider to sit with a more upright riding position." Again, S2 Mullholland is more akin to Harley's own bobbers than to the sportier Del Mar or One motorcycles.
But while LiveWire is pushing the S2 platform to new markets, the company is still attempting to be conscious of its environmental impact, as well as the impact by its customers. As such, Mulholland will be the first of the brand's bikes to offer CAP Hemp bio-composites in its front and rear fenders, while its radiator shroud and wiring caddies are made of Hylon® Ocean, which are made from "discarded ocean fishing nets," as well as the seat "using petroleum-free, recyclable silicone rather than leather or vinyl."
Likewise, customers will be offered three colorways, Liquid Black/Black, Liquid Black/Red, and a paint-free version called Lunar White.
The company states that the bike is now available to purchase, with "inventory available immediately at all U.S. and Canadian dealers."As for price, well, it's $15,999. That isn't out of the realm of reality, but it still feels like a little too much for the range you're getting. Or rather not.
That said, a handful of states do offer incentives that you could be eligible for, including California, Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania. Those could help take the sting off slightly.
What is cool to see is how LiveWire's expanding its offerings by using the S2 platform. Similar to other EV skateboard products in the automotive sector, EV motorcycle OEMs have the same ability and I'd love to see what else LiveWire has up its sleeves for other motorcycling disciplines.
Cough, cough, make an off-road version, LiveWire, cough.
But what do you all think? Is the Mulholland a bike on your next-purchase radar? Let us know in the comments below.
