2020 HARLEY-DAVIDSON LIVEWIRE
Yep, we’ve already ridden it but since it doesn’t
officially land here until the end of the year it
makes the cut. One of the standout bikes we
rode in 2019, Harley-Davidson’s shockingly good
LiveWire is something we are very keen to put to
a thorough test in New Zealand conditions. The
World’s First mass-market electric motorcycle from
a conventional player may come out of the crate
with a few built-in drawbacks such as limited range
of 235km per charge and a whopping estimated
price tag in excess of $40,000 but don’t let those
put you off. This bike is MEGA. Mindbogglingly
fast, easy to ride, and quiet as the night, the 2020
Harley-Davidson LiveWire is a true surprise to
ride with even die-hard petrol heads at the world
launch in the USA singing its praises. While Harley-
Davidson is on a big push into new markets,
the LiveWire is a bold gamble from the Bar and
Shield to capture a share of the cutting edge of
motorcycling. We also can’t wait to find out what
our resident technophobe, Jock, makes of the
electric Harley. Will he be converted? We’ll find out!
BMW F900R AND F900XR
It’s about time BMW Motorrad redesigned the
ageing F 800 R with a new chassis and powerplant,
and this year we’re not just getting a new roadster
but also a smaller capacity version of the S1000XR.
It’s really been a long time between drinks for
lovers of BMW’s middleweight lineup to see
anything fresh in the line, and both the new F900R
and F900XR look set to really bring BMW back
into the sub-1000cc segment with full force.
Completely new from the ground up, the new
F900s feature an all-new frame, an even more
powerful version of BMW’s parallel-twin engine
(now pumping out 105hp thanks in part to a
boost in capacity to 895cc) plus an incredibly
well-sorted technology suite to tie it all together.
A highlight for us is the inclusion of cornering LED
headlights in both, a technology with clear benefits
that the industry is taking its time to adopt.
KIWI RIDER 17