SERIOUSLY STUNNING GADGETS

HARLEY DAVIDSON LIVEWIRE (2020)

Given it is a brand built on fumes and grunt, Harley Davidson’s shift into the electric motorcycle market does go against type somewhat. The ride of the Livewire, apparently Harley’s most powerful bike to date and the first to come from a major existing bike manufacturer, is similarly opposite what you’d expect; while it does carry more weight and heft than many competitors – Harley has a number of stripped-down lightweight bikes on the docket for this year and next – it’s far more nimble than its petrol-guzzling ancestors, absolutely sailing around corners and pulling off a smooth and quiet mechanical ride. It’s an accomplished transition from one generation to another, one that’s full of fun, and one which takes off like a rocket, pulling 0-60mph in three seconds.

In terms of design, the manufacturer has played all the right Harley Davidson notes – the paint-finished fuel tank, the outsized abdomen – while fully acknowledging just how rideable the Livewire is, offering a deep seating position with pegs beneath the seat and a low, wide handlebar,