Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle
Lean, bare and bold, the LiveWire weighs 460 pounds and is capable of going from zero to 60 mph in less than four seconds. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
The LiveWire, a prototype all-electric motorcycle by Harley-Davidson, may be a warning to other manufacturers, start-ups and traditional companies with plans to design and market electric bikes. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
There’s no engine, no gearbox, no clutch and no exhaust pipe -- which means it’s almost silent but for a high-pitched jet engine whine that comes from the transfer of power from the huge electric motor to the composite belt that drives the rear wheel. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
The gas-tank-shaped panels shroud the electronics. The lightweight aluminum “exo-skeleton” frame surrounds the battery. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
A small dashboard reads out important information about charge and temperature, and the equally important information about speed. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
People get on this thinking golf cart, ‘ but they get off it thinking rocket ship, ‘ Harley designer Kirk Rasmussen says of the electric LiveWire. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
The engine is said to produce 74 horsepower and 52 foot-pounds of torque. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)
The propulsion is outrageous: The LiveWire, in a straight line, pulls like a dragster. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)