This year has been one that’s full of weird industry surprises. Buell isn’t going to make an electric motorcycle and Smart makes 600 HP SUVs now. Here’s another one you didn’t have on your bingo sheet. Harley-Davidson’s electric brand is about to make some super cute and colorful scooters with help from scooter giant Kymco. Yes, that Harley-Davidson is developing a pastel-colored electric commuter scooter and a butch off-road electric scooter, these things look like they’re going to be pretty sweet.
The International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition (EICMA) show in Milan has ended, but news is still flowing hot out of Italy. This year, we’ve seen that Honda is putting a fantastic electric compressor-boosted V3 into production and Royal Enfield has finally pulled the wraps off of its electric motorcycle project. There’s some more big news and it’s coming from an unlikely source.
Harley-Davidson, through its electric motorcycle spin-off brand LiveWire, is getting into maxi-scooters. But these aren’t just any scooters. Just look at them, these are about the exact opposite of the typical Bar and Shield fare, and that’s pretty neat.
LiveWire’s road thus far has been a bumpy one. In 2019, Harley-Davidson launched the LiveWire electric motorcycle. I got to ride it back then and thought it was a masterpiece, but its $29,799 price tag was frankly ridiculous. In 2021, Harley-Davidson announced it was going to spin off the whole electric division as its own company and the lights came on at LiveWire in 2022. LiveWire went public that September. The old LiveWire motorcycle became the LiveWire One.
Since then, LiveWire has been trying hard to get Americans on its electric steeds. The LiveWire One’s price dropped (it’s currently $22,799) and then it launched two more a bit more affordable electric motorcycles on its scalable platform. I am a fan of LiveWire’s machines, but even the cheaper new bikes cost $15,499 and up.
Paying high prices for what you get remains a problem across the industry right now and as I’ve reported recently, not all brands have been able to weather the storm. LiveWire is also struggling. The company lost $85 million in 2022, $125 million in 2023, and is on track to lose another $115 million this year. All of this is happening while the brand sells fewer than 700 electric motorcycles a year.
The company has taken some hits, but it’s not out for the count yet. Back in 2022, LiveWire partnered up with Taiwanese scooter giant Kymco as part of a merger with the AEA-Bridges Impact Corporation. As part of the merger, Harley-Davidson and Kymco tossed in $100 million each, with Harley keeping 74 percent equity in the company and Kymco getting 4 percent.
LiveWire said it would use that cash infusion to help get products to market and to help develop new machines. Kymco also has plans to use LiveWire’s scalable Arrow architecture for its RevoNEX motorcycle, which was also revealed at EICMA. Now, we’re getting to see what Kymco’s investment in LiveWire is building.
The first of the pair is a street-based maxi-scooter that’s sort of in the style of something like a Suzuki Burgman 650. Assuming the S2 platform underneath is largely untouched, we could be talking about 84 HP here, which is downright brutal for a scooter. If LiveWire keeps the taps turned up, this scooter would outrun the already bonkers Italjet Dragster 559 and its 58.33 HP.
It gets even cooler, the S2 platform, which currently underpins the S2 Mulholland cruiser and the S2 Del Mar street tracker, punches out up to 194 lb-ft of torque, can hit 99 mph, travel around 70 miles on backroads with its 10.5 kWh nominal battery, and can hit 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. Even the platform’s continuous power rating of 40 HP is great. These specs aren’t spectacular for a motorcycle, but a scooter? They should be a total blast.
The other scooter shown as part of the launch here is an adventure scooter. In recent years the adventure segment has exploded in popularity with the sales to match. Some brands, most notably Honda, have capitalized on the sensation by building butch, off-road capable adventure scooters. The LiveWire creation follows the trend with a cute scooter with knobby tires, sizable crash bars, and lots of structures to mount things onto.
This scooter also rides on the S2 platform, which could mean this one might also be way faster than any scooter needs to be. At the same time, it’s known that Kymco helped LiveWire develop these scooters, but it’s not said exactly what the Kymco team brought to the scoots. That may also impact what the final result rides like.
Sadly, LiveWire is tight-lipped about these machines right now. The company says that they’re going into production in 2026, but they don’t even have names yet. Don’t worry, I checked. The press release says so little with so many words:
Continuing the development and expansion of the S2 portfolio, this project will use LiveWire’s S2 Arrow powertrain as the basis for an all-new premium electric maxi-scooter, bringing the benchmark performance and range capabilities of LiveWire’s S2 motorcycles to the maxi-scooter category, while developing a new design language and form factor for LiveWire’s first maxi-scooter offering. Intended to be distributed globally, the company is planning a first half 2026 release for the project.
Of course, LiveWire and Kymco have the ability to detune the S2 platform, but I hope that doesn’t happen. Give us stupid-fast scooters! If Harley keeps the stupid power, these would run circles around something like the BMW CE 04, which makes a peak of 42 HP.
There are still many more questions out there as well. Will these be saddeningly expensive or will LiveWire try to crack into a lower-priced market? Will anyone buy electric scooters from a Harley-Davidson spin-off? LiveWire intends to find out by selling these first to Europeans before taking a crack at LiveWire’s home market here in the States. So, I suppose we’ll find out in time.
The most surprising part about all of this to me is that, technically, one of the most exciting Harley-Davidson debuts in recent times is not a gigantic cruiser from Milwaukee, but cute pastel-colored electric scooters. I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I also hope that the minds at LiveWire doesn’t mess with perfection. Please deliver these bad boys with stupid power!
(Images: LiveWire/Kymco)
I love me some scooters. I’ve had 2 Burgman 650s (the 2nd one was the “Executive” model.) A Burgman 400, and a Honda Helix 250. I’ve been off bikes for a while now (because of peripheral neuropathy,) but if HD puts something out there like these 2 items, I promise, I’ll be over at my local HD dealer tout de suite!
If they come out I expect them to be more expensive by a lot compared to the Electric BMW Scooter. Good Idea but after HD way overcharged for the Livewire One I don’t trust them. Im Expecting a $17,500 price.
Nobody ever remembers the Harley Davidson Topper. It even looked like an electric scooter. So much better looking than a Cushman! And great colors too! Much more attractive than this.
Never owned a scooter or motorized 2 wheel thing of any kind. But i am desperately trying to find reasons to own that little off-roady looking one –
It looks so rad! I have a Honda Ruckus and this feels like a next gen take on that. If you want cheap thrills, you can usually find a used Ruckus for $1500 on Marketplace. They ain’t fast but they are a hoot.
i am 6’5″ 280.. so a ruckus may not even move me – this looked a little more me sized.
I’m a little bit gravity pulled (heavier) than you. I’ve been riding 50 cc scooters and 650 cc scooters since ’98. They’ll move you, and the tires won’t pop.
You’re about the weight of me and my wife on a Ruck (we’re elves). It’s slow but still hilarious.
With the drive-units getting smaller and fully packaged, when will there be a dual-wheel powered bike? Is there one out yet, or is this a bad idea? Just throwing it out there.
“Kaneda!”
“Tetsuo!”
I’d like to see a hybrid dirt bike with an electric drive front wheel.
https://www.theautopian.com/i-rode-the-electric-2023-ubco-2×2-motorcycle-and-oh-my-god-it-does-front-wheel-burnouts/
We’re not even seeing enough range on 1 motor, it’ll be awhile before they have the luxury to power 2 motors.
GIven the power of these things and the fact that scooters generally don’t have the same licensing requirements, I don’t think that this will end well…
Good point. The licensing requirement for mopeds and scooters is usually engine displacement based (50cc or less for example). This is based on the engine not being able to produce enough power to go very fast (say 30 mph). I expect states will set seed limits instead. If it can exceed x mph then you need to register it and/or get a motorcycle license to use it.
Some already do. Which I know because when I bought my moped way back when it was limited to 23 mph. Fortunately, you could get full speed out of it by grinding a restrictor plate out of the exhaust system and then it was able to keep up with traffic on city streets.
Even the old 80’s Honda Express 2 strokes could run pretty good with a DG pipe, but if you knew a Dirtbike friend and were willing to cut the stock exhaust there was a sweet spot that a cone could be added to perfect the 2 Stroke scavenging abilities and it would make those already scary to ride thing actually seem to fly.
You might want to go to YouTube and view the videos on the bird type electric scooters. There is one that tops out at 80 mph. The video shows him riding on a service road next to an interstate highway. He’s going faster than traffic. No license required.
Man, that is scary. I’ve been seeing some kids in my town riding throttle ebikes with no plates in traffic. Just a bike helmet, if anything.
I would bet a pinky toe these are not being shipped with the same tuning as the LiveWire bikes. Not a snowball’s chance in Phoenix.
Kymco make affordable transportation appliances. These will likely get much more range than the full-sizers they’re based on by sacrificing performance.
Maybe they’ll be hackable to full power if you have a hankering for speed on wheels too small for the task.
Total missed opportunity for making a knockoff Akira bike. That would sell like crazy if it weren’t horribly expensive. They’re SO CLOSE to being cool.
This headline deserved an award if there was such a festivity. Just dope.
Needs a swappable battery. It would be a great commuter if you could bring the battery inside when you get to work and charge it at your desk.
I think you under estimate the weight of the battery for how large this scooter appears. Assuming it sticks with the 10.5kWh battery like implied (theorized?) above, it’d be like ~100 lbs assuming an energy density of ~200Wh/kg for a prismatic battery (and then throwing in some extra weight for cooling, packaging and all that).
So is that a yes or no on USB-C charging?
84hp?!?
I got two words for y’all: scooter drags.
Yeah, baby!!!
I’d intentionally roll up to all the Harley meets in my area, just to annoy the shit out of them.
Without any hint of politics: need a 60sf US flag dragging behind you and you’re good!
Seeing as I’m Canadian, that might send a weird message.
Sorry…
It’s ok, we’ll take over one day. Then you’ll ALL be sorry! Muahahahahaaaa.
Can you hurry up on the please
Will it get colder here too when you take over? Given the average temp rises everywhere, I can’t wait.
I mean, in southern Ontario we often see triple digits on the mercury during summer. We just also swing about 130 degrees to the other extreme in winter.
That just makes it funnier. Or go full sized Canadian flag. I’ll support your decision to go either direction on this one.
Oops. But at least there will be far less concealed weapons.
I still think that the only way these electric scooters/ motorcycles are going to be practical is for the battery packs to be swappable. 70 mile range isn’t going to cut it. I’ve been riding “super scooters ” for 25 years. My normal Saturday ride is at least 150 miles. With their short range, I’ll never buy one.
Based on the implemented Gogoro standard for swappable batteries, the maximum size in the forseable future will be around 2.5 kWh = 15kg. One may perhaps be able to carry two such units (5 kWh), but that is the absolut maximum.
I can’t imagine otherwise, especially considering the CE-04 is ~$12k. I cannot justify spending over $10k, probably even less, for a little runabout scooter.
I 100% would!… for a price they’ll never be.
Perhaps not as new. Used though….
But to get used, they have to actually sell new. It’s the evergreen problem for price-conscious enthusiasts. You’ve got to find someone to take that initial depreciation hit for you.
RV buyers, luxury car buyers, EV buyers, such folks exist. Just gotta convince them they need one of these scooters is a status symbol the neighbors will envy. Or in the case of RV buyers will be a good runabout in the campground.
The Livewire’s success depended on the area. A manager at what was then Latus H-D in Portland said they sold their allocation right away. I like idea of a,giant electric Honda Ruckus, my wife would like if it was Ruckus sized.
The problem with Live Wire will ultimately be the same thing that plagued Buell. They sell (or try to) them through their existing dealer network. That may make sense in some capacity since the buildings exist but having grown up around Harley’s I can tell you that no one looking for a pastel pink scooter is going to go to a Harley dealer to cross shop and test drive one.
If HD is serious about this brand they need to either build out a new dealership network, sell them via smaller power sports dealers, or go direct like a number of other EV car companies.
You speak wisdom. Like retailing Fiat 500 electrics at a Ferrari store.
Or Panteras at a Lincoln Mercury dealership?
Was the Pantera deal another of Hank the Deuce’s European adventures?
Follow the Royal Enfield model: Cool stores in Urban areas. Bypass the old school BS boys. And I say this cause I miss my H/D Sprint (aerimachi, spelling?) and want that scooter.
With lots of torque, would these machines be good for sidecar rigs? Flying the wheel with a scooter rig might be more fun than the law allows.
Sidehackers!
detuned for sure. maybe resulting in greater range. the off road one looks cool, still gonna be big $ for what it is.
Oh good, finally, a quiet Harley. Would that they all were like that.
“Oh good, finally, a quiet Harley. Would that they all were like that.”
-Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust enters the chat
I really like the adventure scooter thingamabob. It will if course be way too expensive for what it is.
I should try to talk my dad in to buying one, and then take it from him when he never rides it.
Yet another electric motorcycle marketing department puts out some CGI images and a press release about a bike they haven’t named with no details or a production model or a delivery date and it gets coverage. Again. Marketing genius.
In fairness, you’re describing pretty much most modern concepts from cars to RVs. Everyone is doing the CG thing. At least this one comes from a known brand with good funding, though no telling if or when Harley-Davidson gets bored with this EV experiment.
As a side note, I was legitimately surprised to learn that Lincoln’s Model L100 concept was a real, mostly working vehicle. Never wrote a story about it since nobody cared about the concept vehicle, but even the crazy chess piece thing was somewhat functional. Wild when Lincoln could have just done a render and called it a day.
At least we know Livewire is capable of actually producing these, I suppose.
a little more storage area and this concept might be great as a scooter for the city
They should have just called their EV brand HARLEY-DAVIDSON, spelled in all caps for differentiation
Harl-E
I nominate Maxi Ped for the name of one of these scooters.
Personally I think that any scooter that requires you to swing a leg over it to mount or dismount it is a failure.
The big advantage of a scooter is ease of boarding, especially with a massive cargo box on the back.
They should have flat floors with a passthrough like proper scooters.
Honda SuperCub.
Or bust.
https://cscmotorcycles.com/2023-csc-monterey-electric-scooter/
I also wonder if the underseat area is full of battery, because that’s where the storage is supposed to be. Scooters work great because the engines are small and the rest is storage.