Well, it’s official, the second model to join the LiveWire family of motorcycles – the S2 Del Mar – will not be heading to New Zealand.
The LiveWire S2 Del Mar LE is the first new model announced by the Harley-Davidson spin-off brand since its inception, but it has been confirmed by Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand that the new bike will not be heading our way.
Like other EV manufacturers, the S2 Del Mar has been launched with a special Launch Edition of the bike limited to just 100 examples, all of which are already sold out in the US. However, the production version is the bike we're interested in and this too will not be sold in New Zealand. At least for now.
LiveWire, named for the original Harley-Davidson LiveWire, was spun off from the main Harley-Davidson brand last year and took up the responsibility of delivering on the long-promised additional EV motorcycles teased since the release of the original LiveWire in 2019.
It's taken three years since the LiveWire (now LiveWire One) for the brand to produce a second model, with the LiveWire One both loved for its speed and agility and loathed for its battery range and price point of $54,000.
“The S2 DelMar model represents the next step in the evolution of the LiveWire brand,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson.
“The ARROW architecture underpinning the DelMar, developed in-house at LiveWire Labs, demonstrates our ambition to lead in the EV space and establish LiveWire as the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world.”
Del Mar presents a street-tracker stance on 19-inch front and rear wheels equipped with custom developed LiveWire Dunlop DT1 tires equally capable on paved and dirt surfaces. The slim seat tops a short tail section. A tracker-style handlebar fronted by a thin flyscreen places the rider in an upright position for a comfortable and controlled riding experience.
The 100 examples of the Del Mar Launch Edition models will be made featuring an exclusive finish and wheel design. The graphics and paint – in a choice of Jasper Gray or Comet Indigo – are applied by hand using a process that takes five days to complete according to LiveWire.
The Del Mar Launch Edition model debuts with an MSRP of $17,699, while the production version is expected to launch with a target MSRP of $15,000 USD. Both of which are significantly cheaper than the LiveWire One's current US pricing of $21,999.
Delivery of the Launch Edition and production versions of S2 Del Mar model are set for the spring of 2023. All LiveWire S2 Del Mar motorcycles will be assembled at Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations in York, PA.
Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand has confirmed that not only will the Del Mar not be heading our way, but that the LiveWire brand as a whole currently has no presence in the Australasian market despite dealers investing large sums of money on charging infrastructure.
It is a blow to EV enthusiasts. Aside from the LiveWire when it first arrived, currently there are no EV motorcycles officially distributed in the New Zealand market that fit into the high-performance end of the spectrum.
That means that if you want an EV two wheeler, for now, you're stuck on the equivalent of a scooter unless you import your own. BOOO!