LiveWire reveal sporty new S2 Alpinista electric roadster with 'superbike-beating' acceleration
LiveWire, the electric motorcycle off shoot of Harley-Davidson, have revealed their latest take on the battery powered S2 platform.
Available now and called the S2 Alpinista, the new electric machine shares the same underpinnings as its sibling model – the flattrack inspired S2 Del Mar, but gains subtle tweaks to improve road manners.
At £17,390, its hardly a cheap avenue into the world of two-wheeled EVs, but with its above-mentioned stablemate nabbing MCN’s 2024 Electric Bike of the Year award, it’s a safe bet to assume the new Alpinista will tick a lot of boxes.
Chief among the changes is a move to 17-inch wheels front and rear. This unlocks a wider world of tyre choices, with LiveWire opting to shod the new Alpinista with Dunlop RoadSmart IV rubber as standard.
The change in hoops reportedly improves cornering potential, and as a by-product, seat height drops by a claimed 28mm.
It terms of looks, the Alpinista doesn’t deviate greatly from LiveWire’s other S2 offerings, with the most obvious alterations coming in the form of a new headlight and underslung bar-end mirrors.
Underneath is much the same story. Its liquid-cooled internal permanent magnet synchronous motor is powered by a 10.5kWh lithium battery – which is backed by a five-year warranty.
That won’t win any games of Top Trumps against larger machines from the likes of Zero or the now-bankrupt Energica, but it is good enough for a claimed 120 miles in the city or 71 miles on the highway.
Like the Del Mar, the Alpinista features Level 1 and Level 2 charging capabilities. That translates to 5.9 hours to fill the battery from 20-80% using a standard wall plug, or 78 minutes with a fast charger.
In terms of performance, there’s 83bhp and 194lb.ft of torque on tap. While the former number may not sound particularly monstrous, the latter is almost 2.5 times what’s available from a Yamaha R1. That results in an ability to shift its 197kg mass from 0-60mph in just three seconds.
Naturally, there’s plenty of tech to play with, including six mapping modes and an assortment of rider aids controlled via a six-axis inertial measurement unit.