On February 26, 2024, LiveWire, Harley-Davidson's electric offshoot, issued a safety recall for all 2024 LiveWire S2 Del Mar motorcycles sold in the US due to a software issue.
On these machines, the electric powertrain may completely shut down without warning. If it happens while the bike is in operation, the bike may not be able to be restarted according to the recall paperwork from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Approximately 523 bikes in the US are believed to be involved, which represents 100 percent of the population.
Affected bikes were produced between July 26, 2023 and January 30, 2024. Affected VINs range from 1HD3GCYB0RB550038 to 1HD3GCYHXRB550939 and are non-sequential. However, it's safe to say that if you have a 2024 S2 Del Mar, your bike is affected and you should obtain recall service for your bike as soon as possible.
Details About This Recall
Due to the way the Vehicle Supervisory Controller (VSC) software is programmed on affected bikes, it may initiate a shutdown of the entire powertrain if it exceeds software voltage thresholds. The component in question was manufactured by LiveWire itself, and did not come from an external supplier.
According to the official chronology of this issue, the first report regarding an unexpected loss of propulsion on one of these bikes was filed in December 2023. A subsequent investigation of the issue identified the problem and escalated it to the point where a recall was authorized in February 2024. As of February 16, 2024, LiveWire said that it did not have any reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue on file.
What Owners Should Do
LiveWire says it will address this issue with an over-the-air (OTA) software update. Owners will have the option to do this themselves, or else visit an authorized LiveWire dealer so that they can perform this update for them. If owners choose to visit a LiveWire dealer to have the recall service performed, there will be no charge for this service.
The official LiveWire Firmware OTA update was launched on February 6, 2024. On or about February 7, 2024, production vehicles in LiveWire's possession began receiving the updated software. Thus, vehicles produced after the production period listed above are not affected by this recall.
LiveWire notified its dealership network about this recall between February 29, 2024 and March 4, 2024. It plans to mail owner notification letters between March 5, 2024 and March 12, 2024.
Owners may contact LiveWire customer service at 1-855-387-4337. LiveWire's number for this recall is 1001. Additionally, owners may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov. NHTSA's campaign number for this recall is 24V-149.
