Here's What It Takes to Fix a Bricked Original Harley-Davidson LiveWire

"How hard can it be?" are famous last words.

34:36

Jonathon Klein

By: Jonathon Klein

Jul 15, at 9:23am ET

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When Harley-Davidson first debuted the LiveWire, I had two competing thoughts. From my initial test at the Brooklyn Formula E track event, it was fantastic. The bike rode great, had loads of power, its weight was well-hidden down low, and was genuinely fun to ride, albeit very briefly. There was also a moment on track when one of the engineers and I nearly crashed due to an FIA official stopping at the start/finish straight right out of the last blind turn, which we took at over 100mph...

The second thought was, "Why is this so freakin' expensive?" At $30,000+, it was one of the most expensive production motorcycles around. That, combined with the general hesitation of EV adoption, lackluster charging infrastructure, and pretty terrible range made the LiveWire a flop. Even after spinning the company off from the main Harley brand, and slashing its price, no one bought it. And no one continues to buy it, as the motorcycle remains on sale today.

But a handful did make their way into the public's hands by early adopters and EV lovers alike. As such, and now six years old, a few of these very rare motorcycles are making their way through the used market and dealer auctions. Some, however, aren't in the best condition, as the one that YouTuber Bikes and Beards picked up for less than a tenth of its original price. The caveat to that price?

He bought it bricked. Well, maybe.

Sean, the host of Bikes and Beards, is no stranger to the LiveWire by his own account, having tested one before. And given his extensive motorcycling knowledge, he's quick to diagnose a few main issues, including someone installing the wrong 12V battery and leaving at least one connector dangling.

He goes on to install a new lithium-ion 12V battery, which runs most of the standard systems, and the bike immediately jumps back to life. But there's still a problem, as the Level 1 charger it came with isn't talking to the LiveWire, and won't charge the bike. With a little Googling and some regular know-how, the boys at the shop believe the problem lies with the internal converter that takes the AC charge from a wall and changes it to DC for the main battery. But the only way of testing the theory is to take it to...Texas Roadhouse.

Apparently, the only Fast Charger around the shop is at the sugar butter bun-making capital of the world. And immediately, they run into everyone's favorite game of "Which app does this stupid EV charger take and why doesn't it just take a damn credit card like every damn gas pump?" They also deal with a screen they can't see or use on the first charger, only to back up their trailer to the second. AS YOU DO.

What do you think?

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Comments

SMH.

I won't spoil whether or not they get it up and running, but I applaud that they're trying, as it shows maybe there is a future to wrenching on these EV motorcycles by normal human beings. That said, they were all nervous about the high-voltage systems within, and I would be, too.