One month with a… LiveWire S2 Alpinista (Part 1)

The argument for electrifying looks more convincing for car drivers than motorcyclists but the direction of travel is clear and the pressure to ditch internal combustion power will only get stronger. Are we ready for it, though? Certainly, choice in electric bikes is growing by the day and the arrival of Honda’s first real effort with the WN7 definitely marks a moment in the evolution of battery-powered two-wheelers. Perhaps surprising that Harley-Davidson of all mainstream brands was there first, though, its pioneering LiveWire One now the figurehead of a standalone brand. It’s been joined by a whole family of newer and more affordable S2 models,this Alpinistathe sportiest and fanciest of the bunch. All very well. But can it do what a combustion bike does in terms of delivering the thrills and handling the daily commute?

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​Intro - the future or just a dead end? ​

“Car journalist turned biker combining reviews on four wheels and two. Experience of testing electric cars means an open mind to all things battery-powered and an understanding of how to make them fit with daily life, and a curiosity about whether or not motorcycling is ready to transition away from the combustion engines that currently define it.”

Dan says: “At nearly 12 grand the Alpinista is certainly not cheap compared with combustion-engined alternatives”

What is the S2 Alpinista and where does it sit in comparison to conventional, combustion-powered motorcycles? Always a tricky one with electric bikes, given they don’t always align with our traditional understanding of engine capacity hierarchy in terms of licence compatibility, performance or status.

At nearly 12 grand the Alpinista is certainly not cheap compared with combustion-engined alternatives, but it’s on a par with electric bikes I’ve ridden previously, like the Honda WN7. While not officially a Harley-Davidson any more it still carries the branding on its motor housing and the 89 horsepower it delivers puts it on a par with the Nightster, which is there or thereabouts comparable in price and seems to play to similar tastes. Interesting to note the LiveWire’s 263Nm of torque absolutely trounces the 95Nm of the Nightster’s 975cc combustion twin, though. Question being, does that make it as deadly as it is silent?

I’ll get to that. First some more practical points, like range. The battery on all the bikes in the S2 family is 10.5kWh in capacity, which is a little more than the Honda WN7 and good for a claimed 89 miles in ‘combined’ riding conditions. Given my commute is around 70 miles there and back that should be enough to make it viable, though as I’ve learned with other electric bikes I’ve tested the reality can sometimes fall short.

Charging is another important consideration, and the LiveWire can’t match the Honda’s car-style rapid charging flexibility for plugging in on the public network. It does have a Type 2 AC charging port, which works with most home car chargers. And the bike arrived with a three-pin to Type 2 transformer for charging on the go. But however you intend to do this you’re going to need to carry your charging cable with you, and unlike the Zero DSR/X I tested previously there’s no onboard storage for doing so. Meaning I either risk going without or find space to put it in my already crowded backpack along with my laptop, waterproofs and many and various locks required for securing a bike in central Manchester.

Good news? On my first run to and from the office I made it home with 19 per cent charge and 16 miles still ‘in the tank’, so I know it can do the commute ridden at the pace I’d be doing on a combustion bike and with no allowances for battery conservation. With that proof of concept established I’m now interested to see what life with an electric bike is actually like…

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