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Harley-Davidson will launch its electric LiveWire motorcycle in 2019

The company has additional EV bikes in the works following the LiveWire's debut, too.

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
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I'm not really a bike guy, but the LiveWire looks pretty slick.

Harley-Davidson

Earlier this year, it was believed that Harley-Davidson's first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, would hit dealerships before the year's end. As it turns out, it won't come until 2019, but the company has way more up its sleeve than just a single electric bike.

Harley-Davidson today unveiled its "More Roads to Harley-Davidson" growth plan, which gives a bit of insight into how the company plans to grow its base through 2022 and beyond. It's split into three main areas -- new products, broader access and stronger dealers.

The most interesting stuff is, as expected, in the first category. The company promises that its first electric motorcycle, the LiveWire, will go on sale in 2019. This bike was first previewed in a sub-500-pound concept in 2014, and while it packed just 58 pound-feet of torque, having it available from zero rpm made it quite the interesting little motorcycle.

The LiveWire isn't the only electric motorcycle in Harley-Davidson's future. In fact, the company promised an entire lineup of EV bikes, which will adopt the "twist and go" mentality as they lack traditional clutches. What's interesting is that H-D said its portfolio will consist of "two-wheelers," which means it might have scooters or even regular ol' bicycles (albeit electrified ones) in its future. Interesting.

In more traditional terms, Harley-Davidson also came from left field with the announcement that it will build an adventure-touring motorcycle. The Pan America 1250 will use a -- surprise, surprise -- 1,250-cubic-centimeter V-twin engine, and while it might look like the Crushinator from Futurama, it's nice to see Harley-Davidson branching out into new types of motorcycles as it attempts to grow its footholds in America and beyond.

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The adventure-bike aesthetic has always captivated me, and I think H-D did a good job with the Pan America, considering it's the brand's first adventure model.

Harley-Davidson