In 2019, Harley-Davidson pulled a move that perhaps few saw coming. The brand known for its ornate cruisers launched an innovative and intense electric motorcycle called the LiveWire. What was initially a slow start grew into its own spinoff brand; LiveWire is slowly becoming a whole line of electric motorcycles. LiveWire has just released its latest model onto dealership floors, and it’s a first. Specifically, the 2024 LiveWire S2 Mulholland is the first electric cruiser from any major motorcycle manufacturer, and at $15,999, you might even be able to afford this 84 HP and 194 ft-lb easy-rider.
Electric motorcycles have largely strayed away from the cruiser category. You’ll find a lot of electric standards, commuters, nakeds, sportbikes, and some adventure bikes, but there’s a dearth of electric cruisers on the market. In 2019, Hadin Motorcycle teased the Panther cruiser and then disappeared. There’s also the Tacita T-Cruise Turismo, also unveiled in 2019, but it remains in the pre-order stage. Brutus unveiled its V9 in 2019, and that one also appears to be stuck in a holding pattern. Evoke Motorcycles unveiled its 6061 again in late 2023, but you can’t buy that one yet, either. The closest I could find is the Curtiss, which you can buy if you happen to have at least $99,000 in your pocket.
I’m sure I’ve missed some startup here or there or a bike you can get from Alibaba, but I think my point is clear. The LiveWire S2 Mulholland appears to be one of the first electric cruisers Americans can walk into a dealership and buy, not just look at on the internet. Certainly, it’s the first electric cruiser from a major manufacturer. Harley-Davidson may have spun off LiveWire, but it still maintains a controlling stake in the company.
And what LiveWire has created looks just fantastic.
Up To Speed
In case you haven’t been following Harley-Davidson’s electric efforts, I’ll bring you up to speed. Harley-Davidson has been working on its electric motorcycle experiment since 2014. In those days, Harley saw the potential for an electric future but didn’t know if the tech was commercially viable yet. It would take the Motor Company until 2019 to finally pull the trigger, releasing the LiveWire into the world.
I was lucky enough to ride that motorcycle at its launch, and it made me excited for electric motorcycles. This was a bike with 105 HP and 86 lb-ft of torque available pretty much at a dead stop. Respectable was its 110 mph top speed and 146 miles of range from its 15.5 kWh battery. I was also impressed by the bike’s Buell-like handling and good fit and finish. Then I heard the price: $29,799.
Harley-Davidson eventually dropped the bike’s price to $21,999 before spinning LiveWire off as its own brand in 2022. Once LiveWire became its own brand, the motorcycle was renamed the LiveWire One. As of writing, that motorcycle costs $22,799.
Sales have always been slow for LiveWire. The brand sold 597 motorcycles in 2022 and another 660 units in 2023. LiveWire has been operating in the red, and its plan to sell more motorcycles involves releasing more affordable and attractive machines onto the market.
The Platform
Leading this charge is LiveWire’s Arrow architecture. LiveWire took the lessons learned from the development cycle of the LiveWire One to make a simpler architecture that takes less time to build and can be scaled up or down to make larger or smaller motorcycles. Think of Arrow as something like what so many automakers are doing to make a bunch of different cars all on the same platform.
LiveWire says the battery and motor unit are structural elements attached to the modular cast aluminum frame, not unlike what you’d see in a modern internal combustion motorcycle. The battery consists of 21700 battery cells, which LiveWire says offer better energy density than the 18650 cells found in the LiveWire One (Tesla started using 21700s after using 18650s on earlier cars; it now is focusing on 4680s). The motor, which is made in Wisconsin, features integrated cooling jackets. Thanks to the concentric swingarm pivot is said to reduce the need for gear reduction, pulley, and idler. LiveWire says all of these elements save the brand (and you) on costs while also reducing the number of parts that might fail on you. And of course, a major benefit of the Arrow platform concept is the ability to quickly create new models.
The debut of this new architecture was the S2 Del Mar middleweight electric motorcycle (above), which hit the road last year. LiveWire says that bike requires 44 percent less time to build than the original LiveWire One. The flat-track-inspired electric bike offered 84 HP and 194 lb-ft plus a 10.5 kWh battery good for a city range of 113 miles. It also came in at $15,499. That’s still more expensive than the latest Arrow-based model, but considerably cheaper than a LiveWire One. Now, we get to see the latest middleweight to ride on the S2 platform variation of the Arrow architecture. Meet the new 2024 LiveWire S2 Mulholland.
Cruisin’ Electric
The LiveWire S2 Mulholland features the same equipment as the S2 Del Mar, but now in a new form factor. While the S2 Del Mar was a futuristic flat-tracker, this one is a more traditional cruiser, but still with contemporary design touches. This isn’t your dad’s Harley, after all.
A lot of what you read before carries over to this motorcycle. You’re getting a 10.5 kWh battery featuring 21700 cells and an electric motor hammering out 84 HP and 194 lb-ft. LiveWire claims a 60 mph run in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 99 mph. Lean angles are 55 degrees to the left and 50 degrees to the right. The whole bike weighs 432 pounds, which should mean lots of fun at the twist of the right grip.
There is a little more to the S2 Mulholland than just a new body. LiveWire says the S2 Mulholland cruiser should get “121 miles of city riding range and 73 miles of highway range at 55mph to the riding experience.” That city mile figure is slightly better than the S2 Del Mar, but you’ll be getting the same range on the highway as the S2 Del Mar.
Sadly missing from the S2 platform is any fast-charging capability. LiveWire says that when connected to Level 1, you’ll charge from 20 percent to 80 percent in 5.9 hours. If you plug into a Level 2 charger, you’ll do the same job in 78 minutes. It should be noted that if you ride 70 mph, the highway speed limit in many places, your range will fall off a cliff. If you take one of these on a highway trip, you’ll spend more time charging than riding. So, these motorcycles, like most electric motorcycles on the market right now, are best used as commuters and backroad stormers, not rides you’ll use to pile on miles.
As part of LiveWire’s push to a younger demographic, the S2 Mulholland has a focus on sustainability. LiveWire claims “first use of sustainable materials” with this bike:
S2 Mulholland continues to push the envelope of design further with LiveWire’s first use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials across key touch points on the bike including bodywork, seat, and secondary plastic components.
Mulholland’s front and rear fenders are manufactured using CAP Hemp bio-composite. The motorcycle’s radiator shrouds, and wiring caddies are manufactured from HYLON® OCEAN (PCR Nylon 6), the origin of which are discarded ocean fishing nets, further reducing the reliance on petroleum-based plastics. LiveWire also manufactured the seat using petroleum-free, recyclable silicone rather than leather or vinyl.
Finally, the bike will be available in an eco-friendlier unpainted Lunar White finish that elevates the CAP Hemp material while minimizing the use of traditional plastics and paints—efforts unseen in this category prior to the launch of Mulholland. Liquid Black will be the sole painted option available.
LiveWire’s press release pretty much finishes there, but I’ve been able to find more data about the motorcycle. It’s 85.75 inches long with a wheelbase of 57.8 inches, and the seat height is 31.75 inches when you swing a leg over but then settles to 30.25 inches when loaded. That’s pretty high for a cruiser, but still accessible.
For suspension, the S2 Mulholland gets adjustable Hitachi 43mm inverted forks with 5.3 inches of travel and an adjustable Hitachi rear monoshock with 3.9 inches of travel. Brembo M4.32 four-piston (front) and PF34 single-piston (rear) caliperslow the bike, but LiveWire does not mention the sizes of the discs. But I can tell they mount to 19-inch front and 17-inch rear cast aluminum wheels wrapped with Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart IV tires.
Like the S2 Del Mar, LiveWire packs the S2 Mulholland with tech including cornering-enhanced traction control, Drag-Torque Slip Control rear wheel slip management, and lean-sensitive ABS. You also get an LCD instrument cluster, over-the-air updates, and app functionality. Normally, I wouldn’t mention what you could do in the app, but LiveWire says you’ll be able to beep the horn and play with your bike’s lights in the app, which is interesting. The app also allows you to check your tire pressures remotely for a ride, which is also neat.
Available Now, But Still Pricey
In terms of design, the S2 Mulholland is a mix of new and old. The body hits some marks of Harley tradition, but LiveWire wants riders to know that this bike is also different. The battery is prominent, but so are the brake lines and wiring harness. LiveWire says this was intentional in an effort to “create a stronger connection between the human interface of the rider and motorcycle.”
LiveWire also notes the rider triangle has been changed between the S2 Del Mar and the S2 Mulholland. The S2 Mulholland has a six-inch handlebar riser and bars that are higher and pulled back, giving the rider a more upright position.
I just see a pretty cool-looking power cruiser. It makes enough horsepower and torque to test how well you can hold onto the bars. The range isn’t that great, but I can see someone living in Chicago ripping one of these down Lake Shore Drive in the summer. The S2 Mulholland seems to be a great bike to just hit up the city in. I could also see the motorcycle being used for a fun lunchtime jaunt.
Sadly, the price may not reflect that limited use case. The 2024 LiveWire S2 Mulholland is available right now for $15,999. On one hand, I love the way this motorcycle looks and I bet it’s so fun to ride. On the other hand, $15,999 is a high price for a motorcycle that couldn’t even make it far out of Los Angeles. Time will tell if it’s cheap enough to bring more young folks into the LiveWire fray.
I really dig it, but can’t help feeling that its purpose – cruising around the city – would be better served by a nice e-bike. You could even get one of those retro-style ones like the Vintage Roadster <img src=”https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Screen-Shot-2022-10-14-at-4.38.53-PM-800×477.png”>
I could see one of these for playing around in city traffic. I like to ride my motorcycle out into the mountains or to get away from the city, sometimes doing 200-300 miles a day. There are no charging stations in these areas so this bike wouldn’t work for my riding style.
Looks interesting.Those front indicators give it some 80s vibes. They just look huge, especially with the amber glass.
But, boy, do I hate bar end mirrors. Sometimes they kind of look cool. But only in an orientation that most likely won’t provide any usable rear view. What am I going to see in those mirrors as seen in the last three pictures? My knee caps? My love handles?
I have bar-ends on my bike. (They’re not as aggressively tucked under the handlebar as the ones on the S2 here, so they’re out of the way of my arms. These might be hard to actually see?)
As for your challenge about viewing your knee caps: they’re still adjustable, man. No issue at all aiming them at the road behind me.
I like the standard Del Mar. Thinking of trading my Sportster for one. One hour of riding around town on the Sportster is enough. Two hours and I feel it the next day. For longer rides I have other seats. Have one converted ’69 VW, a Zero, and my kid a KTM Freeride along with ICE bikes and cars.
The comparison between LiveWire products and Tesla is a bad one. The quality of the S1 and S2 is superior to the Tesla. Both are still new enough technologies that there will be problems, lots of them.
My hat is off to Harley for diving in. They had the choice of waiting for China to create the market and then try and enter. Might have been a good choice to let companies like BYD make and correct all of the mistakes before entering. The West used to be the manufacturing powerhouse on batteries. Then people wanted low cost batteries so instead of paying for US made batteries we pushed the manufacturing overseas. Now 90% of all the equipment for battery manufacturing is made in Asia. 60% China.
For energy storage batteries are far from ideal and fuel cells are not ready for prime time. Most likely this is the future no matter how much people bitch about things changing. Reminds me of when the PCs came out. So much whining about them not being perfect.
What I would like on electric motorcycles is a foot brake and clutch. Three years and I still can’t do slow speed moves as well as a bike with the clutch and foot brake. Guess I am too old to accept every change
Still doesn’t have forward controls so for taller riders may be a bit cramped. I feel like they could’ve cruiser’d up the original Livewire by extending the bars, lowering the seat and moving the foot pegs/rear break forward. No clutch so no issue moving that pet.
Always thought they could have it look kind of like the old BMW R1200C, thought that bike had a nice balance of modern cruiser looks, just not a big fan of their flat twin, good function for the engine, no leg room for the rider.
I just want this Harley electric bike experiment to end. With an electric bike I would like a bike that can hit highway speeds and get a 150 mile city miles on a charge. All for under 20k. There are a couple of Zeros I could spec to do that. Harley is too upmarket to undercut the competition, so unless Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Suzuki steps up I feel like Zero is the best game in town.
Not one I’m interested in, but I still have a keen interest in an EV bike due to the riding I do, almost all local. The regular Livewire has my eye but the prices have kept me away. I can’t really justify spending over ~$12k on any bike.
And not to get too distracted from the main article but that Brutus V9 is ridiculousFake cone filter intake? Fake wrapped exhaust headers on the opposite side? Just trying way too hard.
Slightly off topic but I got an ad for a 2024 Honda Ridgeline on this article and it was expensive! Base price is $40k the only color is red and that’s $500 extra, that’s just too much for a mid-size truck.
“Mulholland’s front and rear fenders are manufactured using CAP Hemp bio-composite.”
It’s Cheech and Chong’s fibre weed, man!
I’d like to ride an electric bike because I think the instant torque would be massive fun, but owning? Nah
Why not?
I imagine I’ll have the same response as when I drove a Tesla. Fun, but lacked a soul, an x-factor. It was like loving someone but not being IN-love with them. Then there’s the practical reasons like the expense and low range
So no Tesla motorcycle for you then.
the instant torque is fun, but get a zero instead of a livewire
Yet another electric vehicle manufacturer that has no realistic prospect of turning a profit, ever. Their projected loss this year is over $100 million and that is only if they can double their sales from last year from 660 units to 1,500. They’re ugly, heavy, expensive and pretty useless. Just when you’d start enjoying the ride you’d have to turn around so you didn’t have to push it home. These are not for serious riders.
Back when I was still working in person, my workplace had a dedicated motorcycle parking lot, and it tended to be mostly full in the warmer months. This looks fantastic for commuters. If I had that kind of money to blow, I’d certainly be curious.
But as it is, I’m too wary of motorcycles for mostly safety reasons.
Like Mercedes said, this is probably best for commuters and city riders. Funny that they call it a cruiser when you can’t really do long rides though…
Other than it’s ugly looks, high price, and not-really-freedom-inducing range, this thing is, umm… meh
I’d like to get a report on the H-D dealer experience when you try and buy one of these. I’d imagine there is questioning of your manliness and why you don’t want a “real bike”.
Like one dealer in my area that apparently tries to sell used bikes by saying “and while you are here, ride a Harley and you’ll want that instead” in every listing I’ve come across.
H-D is in a difficult position where they need to move trade-ins plus last years bikes and new ones are a better deal. Despite that I think they’d be happy to see any electric bike sold and off the floor, heck The Clothing Company can still sell you official attire. (-;
As for my experience they were interested in the technology and upfront about range, software, unknowns, service and parts. A charger is out front of the shop and no mention of it not being a real bike. Limitations and differences were brought up.
My daughter is 17, almost 5 foot and 100lbs. They were more than happy to show her different models she could fit on comfortably. The women at the shop, who were not much taller than her, mapped out a plan for her that included a Honda Rebel for a year or two, riding lessons from the shop, training on how to lift the bike, and when to move to an HD.
It’s another one of those bikes, good in the city, but if you ride half an hour past the suburbs, you’ve got to turn back. Motorcycles may be freedom, however not so much when you’re on a short leash. One day it will make sense, when ranges are longer, charge times are few minutes or the only kind of motorcycle is an electric motorcycle.
How many lives will be lost because of the lack of loud pipes?
Risky name. Cool road/Hwy but there was that St. Francis Dam thing…
2024 and no fast charging? For fuck’s sake this is awful.
Am I crazy or is this one of the least aerodynamic looking bikes I’ve seen in a while? Even at high city speeds, aero makes a huge difference for an electric motorcycle (it is substantial on bicycles even at 15mph). Really disappointing to see obvious areas where thin plastic or metal could make a big difference to slippage in the wind, especially on a crusier that should… cruise…
I like seeing new electric motorbikes and could someday MAYBE see owning one. But this looks kinda like the Del Mar melted a bit. Or something? I don’t know why but I don’t like it.
My dream comparo, all with dual sport tires:
Do a little supermoto-ing, a little fire roading, and a little city hooliganery. Compare abilities of each category, then compare results against price. Then I start convincing my wife*.
*Borat Voice
I can get past the fins on the side of the body, but the 19″ front wheel, tall head, and those handlebars really look awful to my eye. I don’t find it attractive at all.
They need to team up with Dodge to make some really dumb electric “exhaust” like the Fratzonic system in the new Charger
Potato potato
reading tire pressures from an app is the perfect motorcycle thing, is there a 3rd party version? i want that on my bike now.
I’m LoLing.
There are valve caps which supposedly measure it and you can access their readings on an app. Haven’t used but great concept. Amazons got them.
I have these on both of my bikes and don’t want to do without anymore. I don’t like the concept of attaching my phone to the handlebar, so I went with a model that has a little display (ugly, I know). Works just fine for over a year now.
https://www.tyreboy.de/