Few things in our world polarize riders quite like electrically powered motorcycles. Typically, reviewing and critiquing a motorcycle is relatively simple, but an objective review of an electric motorcycle is a vexing proposition because of the contrasting viewpoints various riders have about them.
Graybeards scoff at the lack of rumble felt through the seat and the absence of exhaust noise, as well as the bikes’ limited range and inability to be refueled quickly. Meanwhile, more than a few Millennials appreciate an e-bike’s instant torque and the lack of engine heat and noise, as well as their cleaner operation and minimal maintenance.
The bike you see here is the LieWire S2 Del Mar, LiveWire’s follow-up to the brand’s premium LiveWire One model. The S2 platform has a smaller battery than the One’s, reducing build costs and prices. The One retails for $22,799, while the Del Mar is priced $7,300 cheaper at $15,499.
The Del Mar uses LiveWire’s S2 Arrow platform, which is shared with the recently announced S2 Mulholland “performance cruiser.” Their batteries are rated at 10.5 kWh, while the One has a 15.4-kWh power cell said to be good for 146 city miles or 95 miles in combined use. The LiveWire S2 Del Mar is rated at 113 city miles and 86 miles combined; claimed highway range is 70 miles when riding at 55 mph.
The S2’s electric motor is claimed to produce 84 hp, enough grunt to vault the 436-lb bike to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds. It has four ride modes – Rain, Range, Road, and Sport – that have their own mix of throttle response, power, and regenerative braking, along with traction control and ABS levels. Partially hidden in a submenu are Chicane and Flat Track modes, which switch off rear ABS and have loose limits for traction control and wheelie control. Chicane provides extra regen braking, while Flat Track reduces it.
New Road-Testers: Gus & Liam
Given the disparity of opinions about electric motorcycles, we’ve enlisted the help of two hypothetical riders to provide voices for wide-ranging demographics. They represent two sides of me, one that reveres traditional ICE engines and another that is excited about the potential for electric bikes.
Gus is 63 years old with a Shovelhead FXR holding a prime spot in his garage, a bike he’s owned for decades. Liam is 21 and learned to ride on dirtbikes as a kid. After riding a few streetbikes owned by friends, he aspires to get one of his own. In this scenario, he had already spent a day riding the LiveWire S2 Del Mar.
Come along for a ride as these two dudes test the LiveWire S2 Del Mar!
First Impressions
Gus: I don’t care if it says Harley-Davidson Motor Company on its hairdryer of a motor, that ain’t no friggin’ Harley.
Liam: Dude, you haven’t even thrown a leg over it yet! Try to keep an open mind. You’re looking at the future, like it or not.
G: Listen, punk, I’ve spent more time in the seat of a motorcycle than you’ve been breathing. I’ll ride anything with two wheels and a throttle.
L: Well, actually, a throttle is an archaic device that controls the intake of fuel and air into an engine – the LiveWire S2 Del Mar has a motor. Its twistgrip controls power, but it’s technically not a throttle.
G: Don’t try to pretend you know more about bikes than I do! I can rebuild a Linkert carb in less than 30 minutes, so I don’t appreciate a kid telling me how motorcycles work.
L: Just sayin’ … I know you can adapt to new technologies – I saw you Facebooking on your iPhone a few minutes ago.
G: I gotta admit, the LiveWire S2 Del Mar looks kinda cool. It vaguely reminds me of XR750 dirt-trackers.
L: Yeah, I think it looks great. I like how Harley made the battery pack look almost mechanical with its cooling fins and some machined edges. It also serves as part of the chassis.
G: I like the cut-down tailsection, but I’m not a fan of that swingarm bracket supporting the license plate and turnsignals.
L: Just because your FXR doesn’t have turnsignals doesn’t mean they aren’t required from an OEM, old-timer. And these signals are smart, automatically canceling after you’ve made a turn.
G: Oh, great, more gizmos. I prefer a pure riding experience.
L: Riding an e-bike is a pure riding experience, with no need to mess with a clutch and gear-shifting.
G: You kids are so lazy. Operating a clutch and a transmission are part of the enjoyment I get from riding.
L: That’s ironic coming from someone still struggling to operate your fax machine!
G: Fair enough, let’s stop jabberin’ and start riding.
All Aboard
L: I like how the key fob knows when you’re near, so all you have to do before riding is switch it on – no ignition and no noise.
G: Yeah, but why do I gotta wait for 10 seconds before this thing cycles through its start-up screen and boots up?
L: It’s just making sure all the electronics are ready to go – cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, and all that.
G: Jeezus, I don’t want HAL 9000 overruling what my hands are asking for! I’ve got traction control built into my right wrist, and I’ve got internal antilock brakes after decades of experience with brakes from drums to discs.
L: Don’t think of these electronics as nannies; just think of them as a safety net in case a patch of sand catches you out or a car turns left in front of you. Besides, you only have to push one button to switch off TC. And it has adjustable riding modes.
G: What’s up with that tingle under my butt? What mode is that?
L: Well, I’m not gonna delve into your sex life, but if you’re talking about the mild pulsing from under the seat, that’s to let you know the LiveWire S2 Del Mar is ready for riding.
G: Well, it can’t hold a candle to the feeling of 45-degree cylinders potato-potato-ing, but at least it feels a bit alive.
L: Go ahead and twist that grip, and I’ll meet you at the next stoplight. Careful, it’s really quick.
G: Holy crap! This thing felt like a meek pussycat at first, but then I pinned the throttle and entered hyperspace like the Millennium Falcon!
L: Still not a throttle, but yeah, it’s stupid fast! The motor’s only rated at 84 horsepower, but it’s got a massive 194 lb-ft of torque!
G: Sorry, but I call BS on that torque number! I’ll bet LiveWire added the benefit of final-drive gearing to its torque claim. After all, I heard the 100-horse LiveWire One is rated at only 86 lb-ft, and there’s no way this cheaper bike has more than double its twist.
L: Whatever, you still gotta admit the LiveWire S2 Del Mar will leave your FXR in the dust from a stoplight. A stock Shovelhead had, what, only 60 ponies?
G: Well, mine’s far from stock, but, yeah, this thing is quick. It feels light and eager.
L: Yeah, 436 pounds, nearly 200 pounds less than your FXR.
G: The riding position is sporty but not much of a stretch to the bars. Not sure my butt is going to enjoy the narrow seat for very long.
L: Don’t worry, we can’t get too far with a 10.5 kilowatt-hour battery.
G: What the hell does that mean? I don’t do the metric system – I talk in cubic inches and gallons.
L: Well, a 10.5 battery isn’t very big. Some Teslas have 10 times the capacity.
G: Ah, so it’s like a cut-down peanut tank – about 60 miles?
L: LiveWire says it can go 73 miles if you’re riding at 55 mph.
G: If you knew me, you’d understand that there’s no way in hell I’m only going 55 on a highway!
L: Yeah, me neither. Yesterday I rode 35 miles mostly on the freeway at 75 mph, and the gauge told me I still had 55% charge remaining. I stuck it on a Level 2 charger and did some shopping and had lunch, and it was fully charged when I returned. I rode faster on the way home and got back with a 46% state of charge.
G: Gas stations are on virtually every corner. How do you find charging stations?
L: The LiveWire app tells you where they are – they’re fairly common but not always conveniently located.
G: Let’s see if we can make it to my buddy’s hangout. We can grab a bite to eat.
L: How far away is it?
G: About 30 miles – a bit of freeway, then a nice 55-mph two-laner.
L: Okay, that should be fine. Just try not to go too fast – high speeds burn up e-juice really quick, like five times faster than putting around in town.
G: Ha, try to keep up, kid!
Biker Billy’s Grub Hub
G: That was really fun hauling ass through those corners back there! This thing unwinds twisty roads so well it would put my FXR on the trailer!
L: Yeah, they’re silent sportbike killers, but I told ya not to go too fast. What’s your battery at?
G: Um… oh, jeez, it’s already down to 40%.
L: See, I warned you that high speeds were range killers! Once we were on the freeway, you went out of sight. How fast did you go?
G: Well, don’t tell the fuzz, but I saw 103 mph on the speedo.
L: You animal! The bike won’t even go faster than that – it has an electronic limiter.
G: Then I guess I got everything out of it! The way this thing launches out of corners is incredible. I felt the front wheel come up, and then it seemed like the traction control maybe kicked in, but then it pulled up the wheel again for a bit longer!
L: No wonder your battery is so depleted. I’m at 65%.
G: Then I guess we know who the junkyard dog is and who’s the pussycat, ha ha!
L: You won’t be laughing so hard when you’re sitting at a charger on the way back home.
G: Don’t get your panties in a bunch. How long does it take to charge?
L: At a Level 2 charger, LiveWire says it can go from 20% to 80% in 78 minutes.
G: What? I thought EVs could get charged in like 30 minutes.
L: Yeah, most contemporary EVs charge at Level 3 speeds, a DC fast‑-charge, which pumps electrons quickly. The LiveWire One can use DCFC, but the Del Mar can’t.
G: That’s stupid. Then what’s the first level of charging?
L: Level 1 is simply 110-volt household current. Level 2 is like a clothes dryer, 240 volts.
G: Well, Billy’s ain’t got no charger, so you’d better start using that app to find one.
Dodging Chargers
L: At least we found a charger on our way back, thanks to the app. I’ll just plug it in and swipe my credit card.
G: How much is this gonna cost?
L: To get enough juice to get home? Less than a buck.
G: Not bad! Just sucks that it’s going to take a while. It takes only a minute to pump gas.
L: There’s still some hurdles for e-bikes, that’s for sure. We all want more range, but that requires a bigger battery, and bigger batteries add extra weight and cost – the battery is easily the most expensive part of an e-bike. The world needs batteries with higher energy density.
G: Maybe if you weren’t so dense, you could figure that out on an app!
Home Base
L: Okay, I still have a bit of juice remaining from my original charge.
G: That’s almost impressive. You must be a real pansy with that throttle.
L: Still not a throttle…
G: Oh, sorry, a twistable electron distributor. Is that any better?
L: Actually, yeah, you’re getting the hang of this e-bike stuff!
G: Well, I can tell you this much: I had a real gas… er, a lot of fun aboard this two-wheeled sewing machine. Any bike that will pull up its front end at 40 mph is worth a spot in my garage! The power is really addictive.
L: Yeah, an e-bike like the LiveWire S2 Del Mar is perfect for a particular use-case scenario, ideally someone who has a reasonably short commute to work or just uses it for bombing around town.
G: I guess I’ll have to cancel my Sturgis plans…
L: Or just take a different bike. What else did you learn about the Del Mar?
G: I kinda liked the active riding position – it reminded me a bit of a dirtbike. Not a lot of rearward room on the seat, but it didn’t bother me for the short hops we did. The bar-end mirrors look cool and provide a decent view, but their extra width nearly caught me out when lane splitting.
L: Yeah, I think it’s a better commuter bike than maybe anything else on the market. And it costs just pennies to recharge at home in the garage.
G: I keep coming back to that engine.
L: Not an engine, a motor.
G: Whatever, the motor produces effortless power, and I don’t mean just plenty of it. Unlike a real engine, there’s no clutch squeezing, no balancing the clutch engagement point, and no need to time gearshifts, so it’s actually kinda graceful. I also liked the well-dialed throttle response in Sport mode, as well as the way it gave some sort of engine braking when the throttle is rolled off.
L: Still not a throttle, but, yeah, that’s regenerative braking feeding a bit of juice back into the battery.
G: Not enough of it apparently…
L: Okay, Boomer, but I really like it. It’s not as agile as my buddy’s Yamaha MT-07, probably due to those tall dirt-track-inspired Dunlops, but I appreciate its blend of excitement, practicality, and technology.
G: Yeah, around town it’s unbeatable. And it’s gotta be the best bike for coming to a stop without putting a foot down and then zooming away – it would be a fantastic cheater bike for a biker slow-speed race!
L: It’s definitely a cool bike if you accept its limitations.
G: Okay, I’ll admit that I had way more fun riding the Del Mar than I thought I would.
L: Yeah, the bike puts a smile on my face every time I twist the throttle.
G: Um, it’s not a throttle…
2024 LiveWire S2 Del Mar Specifications
- Price: $15,499
- Warranty: 2 yrs., unltd. miles (battery: 5 yrs., unltd. miles)
- Website: LiveWire.com
- Powertrain: Permanent-magnet, liquid-cooled electric motor
- Horsepower: 84 hp (factory claim)
- Torque: 194 lb-ft (factory claim)
- Battery: Air-cooled w/ cylindrical 21700-type lithium-ion cells, 10.5 kWh, J1772 Type 1 plug
- Range (claimed, SAE J2982): 113 miles (city), 86 miles (combined), 70 miles (highway at 55 mph)
- Charging (Level 1): 8.4 hours from 0-100%, 5.8 hours from 20-80%
- Charging (Level 2): 2.4 hours from 0-100%, 1.3 hours from 20-80%
- Transmission: None
- Final Drive: Belt
- Chassis: Aluminum stressed-member battery box w/ aluminum swingarm
- Rake/Trail: 24 degrees/3.6 in.
- Wheelbase: 57.2 in.
- Suspension, Front: Showa 43mm inverted fork, fully adj.; 4.7 in. travel
- Suspension, Rear: Showa shock w/ progressive linkage, adj. preload & rebound damping; 4.7 in. travel
- Brakes, Front: Brembo M4.32 4-piston monoblock caliper w/ 300mm disc & cornering ABS
- Brakes, Rear: Brembo 1-piston caliper w/ 260mm disc & cornering ABS
- Wheels (F/R): Cast aluminum, 19 x 3 in.; 19 x 3.5 in.
- Tires (F/R): 130/80-19; 140/80-19 Dunlop DT-1
- Curb Weight: 436 lb (factory claim)
- Seat Height: 32.2 in.
SIDEBAR: Why Electric?
Sure, they don’t rumble or sound badass, but here’s a few advantages of e-bikes you might not have thought about.
- Never again change oils, spark plugs, air filters, or clutch packs.
- Zero fluid-level inspections (except brakes).
- No need to warm up the motor – grandma didn’t warm up her Singer before hemming your Wranglers.
- Burns zero energy while stopped at a light.
- No broiled cojones when stopped in traffic.
- No need to hurriedly grab a clutch lever and stab a gear when surprised by a green light.
- Fresh juice is cheaply injected in your garage while you sleep.
- Never waking up your spouse when you start your bike for an early-morning ride.
- Visits to the gas station are needed only for snacks or cigs or six-packs.
