Harley Davidson Forums banner

Farewell to Harley-Davidson – the “LiveWire” ?

8.9K views 70 replies 22 participants last post by  candyman1340  
#1 ·
They tried, at least they can hold on to that. Harley-Davidson, the preferred roar of our roads, has lost 20 million dollars trying to reinvent itself and conquer the electric terrain. LiveWire, the experiment that emerged as an alternative to their classic bikes, has sold only 33 bikes in the first quarter of 2025… (72% less than last year!!!) and of course, it has set off all the alarms in the company when, doing the math, they have lost 20 million dollars…

The numbers speak for themselves, their combustion models have held up with 38,000 units delivered in the same period. And if we look at a year earlier, 57,000 bikes compared to 117 LiveWire… Do consumers want to go electric? The answer seems clear: no.

the rest of the story here:
Farewell to Harley-Davidson - the "LiveWire" electric bet faces a 72% drop in sales, generating millions in losses for the brand


Image
 
#2 ·
How sad the planners at Harley missed the mark on this. Most motorcyclists could have told them not to even try.

They might make a collector happy now though.
 
#8 ·
I think H-D management got really wrapped up in that nerd bubble. Most of the articles in the Enthusiast Magazine all seem to about the skinny jeans, metro sexual, nerdy types. Maybe the CEO is part of that culture.
 
#11 ·
The MoCo is in the worst trouble of its history. The woke kraut - Zeitz - was re-elected as CEO, along with his sniveling minions. The Board is hopeless, and Harley has nothing left to offer younger riders and those wanting to enter the Harley family. Zeitz ditched the Street Rod, killed the Bronx lineup, and now has vaporized the Iron 883 Sportster. Both the Street Rod and Iron were under $10K new; the former was great looking, and the Bronx would have been wicked.

I bought my ‘20 Iron 883 in 2023, after riding my Street Rod for over five years. Been riding 20 years, and that Street Rod 750 allowed me to buy my first Harley. Now the MoCo has nothing to offer me, so I bought my first sport bike - a 2025 Honda CBR500R. Just under $8K, and it’s a blast. Plus Honda quality.

I kept my Sportster, and will probably always have it, but Harley Corporate has destroyed the company. And I don’t even know why.
 
#12 ·
The effort failed:

 
#13 ·
Actually, given that Harley’s Board became “woke” after DEI was a thing, Zeitz/Corporate is just another example of a small group of business idiots forcing their agendas on their bread and butter markets. LiveWire is a catastrophe because no one wants it; indeed, the stupid thing was being forced upon us as the woke crowd attempted to guilt us into abandoning the internal combustion engine.

I’ve never felt guilty about our use of fossil fuels, nor the ICE. Never will either. And I’ll never even sit on an idiotic electric bike.
 
#14 ·
Not all Livewire enthusiast are "woke" this is the channel of a retired Army veteran who has made good use of his bikes, used them to the extreme, gone further than some rube-posers have ever gone.

 
#15 · (Edited)
And you’re exactly correct. I know several people who just like electric bikes. And that’s cool. But they have no “agenda”; they just like the tech. However. There are interviews with Zeitz that clearly reveal he’s a nut, and cares nothing about the riding culture, both America and abroad. He’s more concerned with transforming Harley-Davidson into a reflection of his “green world”; whatever that looks like. And DEI was consuming Harley Corporate, until that rubbish was leaked and it was walked back (to whatever degree).

Corporate is also burning Harley dealerships by denying them inventory. Why? Some claim it’s to drive up the prices of used Harley’s. Huh?

Edit: grammar.
 
#17 ·
I rode one of the 36 prototypes that they trucked across country. It was interesting, but not enough that I ever rode a released model. Too impractical. I can fill my tank and be on my way in 2 min and go 220 miles. I guess if I was a commuter in a city, but then there are so many options that are much cheaper. It never made sense. Like selling tires at a shoe store.
 
#21 ·
And actually, I was looking at the 2025 Nightster Special yesterday. After using Harley’s “build your own” tool, I’ve changed my opinion of this bike’s appearance; I really like it. Trouble is, the trim upgrade increased the price from $12K to likely $16K OTD. And that, my friends, is Harley’s major problem. The Nightster is their least expensive offering, and younger riders either cannot or will not pay that. Especially when Hondas, and even the Indian FTR, are available for less.

I’m not optimistic. Especially in this economy, and the turmoil in the white-collar job industry due to AI.
 
#23 ·
#29 ·
I'm wondering exactly who was the target person to buy one of these things?

I can see a city dweller thinking hey and electric motorcycle may be cool but with the rise of popular electric bicycles ( one i'm looking at as example is $2,599 will do 37-42 MPH and a rage of 104-200 miles), I can pick that electric bicycle up and bring it inside to store and or charge when a electric Harley would require a garage and takes up as much room as a gas Harley.

Can you imagine owning a Livewire and your Harley buddies want to head off and a Saturday road trip and about 70 miles in you got a dead battery and your gas riding buddies are not gonna stop and give you time to #1 find a fast charger ( if you can ) and then #2 give you the hour to recharge on a fast charger or 12.5 hours to recharge using a level 1 or 2 charger... LOL. Nope...

I ride my "Gas" Harley to relieve stress, I would have so much range anxiety on a Livewire that old saying "you never see a Harley parked in front of a psychiatrist office" would be reversed as that livewire would make me "worry".... Wondering will I find a Charger?

Ridiculous! If one wants wants an electric bicycle for around town, sure, sounds like fun but simply no need for a Livewire...
 
#40 ·
Just my opinion and observation:
1) Electric or even hydrogen powered bikes will be super cool........some day but not today.
2) Tree huggers love good sounding ideas, but never think them through
3) The current CEO of HD being one of the aforementioned tree huggers, pushed several agendas that ignored and pissed off the consumer base and killed sales.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Interesting video but notice he says he has owned multiple motorcycles but ONLY electric motorcycles... yea he is a fan and thats cool...

$16,499 for a new old stock bike that was $30K so its such a great deal now you gotta buy one...
Well I see slightly used, low mile LIVEWAREs all over Cycle Trader for $8K.

In the video he talks all that goes into proper battery storage, and he assumes Livewire stored these now 2-4 year old batteries at the proper level range? perhaps? perhaps not?

So not only will I have range anxiety when on a limited 70 mile road trip ( 35 miles each way as you gotta get back home ) , So I will now also have battery storage anxiety when the thing is simply sitting in my garage? Can't be stored on full, can't be on empty... I have a hard enough time with my iPhone! No thanks!

Yea Heck NO! I think I will just stick to my Sta-bil in the gas over the winter and sleep better at night knowing I didn't spend $16k for something almost nobody wants...

How many Livewires were sold last quarter??? NOPE!
 
#37 ·
= I was ready to purchase an Electric Harley-Davidson for my short trips into TOWN from my Rural Home = about 10 miles one-way
...
I rely on 36 Solar Panels for my day to day 120-volt / 240-volt Electric Power
&
was quite capable of:
LEVEL-1 charging = 120-volt s l o w Charging ( wall outlet )
or
LEVEL-2 charging = 240-volt EV Charging Device
but
would still rely on my 1995 "EVO" powered H-D DYNA for my 400 mile romps up to ONTARIO (from INDIANA ) on I-70/ Canada "401" highways
...
the price Price PRICE of the H-D LIVEWIRE eliminated it from my list of available OPTIONS
( perhaps I can locate a "USED" Livewire on eBAY Motors ? ) LOL
...
COOP
...
 
#38 ·
= I was ready to purchase an Electric Harley-Davidson for my short trips into TOWN from my Rural Home = about 10 miles one-way
...
I rely on 36 Solar Panels for my day to day 120-volt / 240-volt Electric Power
&
was quite capable of:
LEVEL-1 charging = 120-volt s l o w Charging ( wall outlet )
or
LEVEL-2 charging = 240-volt EV Charging Device
but
would still rely on my 1995 "EVO" powered H-D DYNA for my 400 mile romps up to ONTARIO (from INDIANA ) on I-70/ Canada "401" highways
...
the price Price PRICE of the H-D LIVEWIRE eliminated it from my list of available OPTIONS
( perhaps I can locate a "USED" Livewire on eBAY Motors ? ) LOL
...
COOP
...
In your situation the idea of being able to ride to town and back on free solar power would be a cool thing...
 
#44 ·
0 to 60 times are quick times, not fast times.