Head to head: Zero SR/F vs H-D LiveWire electric motorcycles 

Zero has some big stat advantages but I want the Livewire ... it looks great. Great review!

I run SRF. Has big capacity storage trunk in the " fuel tank" unlock with key. Zero acknowledged the "finish and fit" of the trunk lid and replaced all free of charge. Also for £2000 more you get double charge speed, heated grips, bar ends on premium version. SRF good performance / price ratio in EV bike world

I've test ridden both bikes and rode them under a variety of conditions. Both bikes are great, but I have to say the Harley was more fun. I can't put my finger on it, but it just felt more polished and smoother to ride overall. Spec sheets won't show it, but it just feels like you are riding on, well, an electric Harley Davison.

That "Brushless Bifford" motor that Zero uses is hard to beat

LiveWire is soooooooo pretty.

Great job on the review, thanks for posting. I learned a lot.

"which one is right for you" neither as they are way too expensive! Especially for us poor folk 😁

They’re okay. Hands on review of the Strike next!!!

Hey! You guys copied my comparison graph between the two bikes from my podunk channel! Good review. The Livewire would be a HUGE achievement for Harley if it were priced below 20k.

I really wish you cab test out the Suron with the new speed controller they are using to make it crazy fast.

Thanks for the review! I had to choose between a used Harley LV or a new Zero S and I go with the Zero, but it does not have charge tank yet, so 12hours charging :) will upgrade if I'll have more money.

I can't believe you couldn't feel the performance difference!!?...I have both....and the livewire is much closer to sport bike performance and handling.....I feel the 10k difference.....these are 2 of 16 bikes in my collection.

Each acceleration reminds me the sound of the Mabuchi RS540 motor of the RC car i bought in 1981 🤗

We need to see an update on the Lightning Strike!

I was initially looking at the live wire s2 del mar but now im looking at zero sr/f and giving these videos it seems im looking at the right bike all i have to do is do quite a bit of saving up

great great review .. and indeed .. people with less money buy a zero fx .. and you ll be smiling !!! i have one for 5 years now .. no regrets .. i drive it on and offroad switching wheels .. . but shure would want a livewire !

Love the livewire awesome thanks

is the pivot gear in the livewire a concern for maintenance? as the zero is motor to belt to tire, there is literally no maintenance outside the belt itself.

Enjoyed your review. I wish all electric vehicles would establish standards for things like range though so it has some meaning for comparisons like the electronics industry did back in the 1970's for determining wattage. The prices of these bikes are....well...steep for what you are getting. I own a fully loaded Kawasaki Concours that cost me $12K new ready to hit the road. Both these bikes are bare bones...Not good. At their prices there's not much left over to invest in bags, fairing, or other accessories. Maybe some rethinking of the product line to include 'less beefy' models that are just a notch or two down from these bikes that make them more competitively priced and equipped? Otherwise, I'm definitely not part of their target market.

Can you do the Segway x260 please

Would we be cutting our rides short if we can only go 100 miles before needing to charge overnight?

Thanks ! we love our Zero FX

Why is the Energica excluded from these comparisons?

As an FXE owner, I have to agree that these smaller bikes are a blast. I do a lot of Paris city riding and it's perfect in that setting. I tried an SR/S and it just didn't feel as exciting and the steering was heavier, as would be expected with the 100kg extra weight. I'd like to try the Del Mar just to see what their take is but over 200kg seems unecessary in a European setting!

Sub 4 seconds 0-60mph is no joke on any sportbike. The computer enhanced traction control with all that torque is super safe not ever to be considered idiot proof! You can easily shed traction with either bike. The kevlar drivebelt takes a serious beating and keeps on driving these torque monsters. The Harley fit n finish is amazing, but $10K more seems like their trying to recover R&D money a a quicker rate.

I was checking out the Zero motorcycles 2 years ago, I even considered buying one! So I went to a dealer to see it, test it in person. I was amazed how poor they appear for the price tag! A 15K Euro price tag for a big pile of cheap parts that look quite flimsy! Then there were some Honda motorcycles at the same dealer, even the lower power line Hondas (like CB 500 X and CBR 650) offered more quality by the looks and parts than the Zero, and they cost only half of the price! Ridiculous! (Also, the range is ridiculously short, but that fits the range of their competition as well!)

I got a used Livewire and will buy a Zero soon too. The Livewire is ahead of its time and quality / feel is of the best. Figured the big 4 Japanese bike companies would have been first.

Why not compare the LW to the SR/S?

Such a nice video

Both are great bikes, but the SRF (cheaper, lighter, storage compartment, Anti-Theft alerts) wins for me. The Livewire does look more polished, but the advantages do not justify the price difference. The same goes for the electric cars, the Jaguar I-pace looks more polished than the Tesla Model Y, but I can get a Model Y for 60K as opposed to 80K+ for the I-Pace.

As much as I hate HD for their pricing policy among otehr things, I think if there is a product from them worth supporting, its this one. Btw, I have a question, just how climat-dependant e-vehicles are in terms of accumulator longevity in the cold. I mean both earleir discharging problem and battery life in general.

I like how E bike reviewers always share the thrill of the e motorbike experience. I see Sondor have just released a slightly less powerful e motorcycle that might be worth watching!

Nice & Thanks :)

The SRF smokes HD hands down, er I mean 10000 dollars down

I wonder when are they going to come up with a more relaxed electric motorcyle model? Custom type motorcycle riders are familiar with hefty weight and tend to just easily cruise around. That sounds like a lot of the area for electric motor. To me at least..

With the new price the H-D LiveWire is hands down an awesome deal. I’m going to go test ride a LiveWire to see how it feels for myself.

Who is making this high tech bike bike for harley ?

which one are they discounting about 60 percent? That's the one that is possibly for me.

Please update this video. Harley just came out with a newer model priced at 20,000.

Great bikes

Expensive, yes, but if you don't really drive people around or haul cargo, it's quite a lot of performance for something around the price of the cheapest car (almost). Not to mention no maintenance and no fuel.

Now that the HD is a separate entity, price dropped 10K and there is no reason to not go for it. Going for a test drive this afternoon. Most likely trade my Ultra Limited Custom and get out of ICE forever.

Nice thorough review, I have the H-D LiveWire First Strike 175//500 I’m coming up on 5,000 miles now as it’s my daily driver here in Tampa Florida, I currently own several other bikes including an H-D Electra Glide and a Vmax and have to say the Livewire is by far my favorite. Here's a little interview I did a few month ago from an owner's perspective for Harley-Davidson that starts off with me pulling up to my office plugging it into my solar panels (90% of all the energy that has gone into my Livewire is from the Sun) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cGU61rEs3bc.html

Can you review a barbie jeep next?

I understand all this electric scooters, electric motorcycle it’s all about saving gas I get it you guys solved that. Here’s my another concern. Since it’s electric cars don’t hear you but, you’re there. For safety can they put speakers with module with different sounds of motorcycles so that cars they know you’re there. I hope they thought about that.

I will buy Zero SRF one day... Year 2138 😛

Harley needs to make one with a 5 or 6 speed transmission. It would be odd to ride without my left foot doing something. That's why automatic scooters never made a big bang over the years..

Did you stop at that stop sign?

I'm a Zero owner, but now that LiveWire is a separate brand and almost 8K cheaper it is essentially the same price as the SRF. LiveWire is probably the better choice.

For a bike that only goes 70 miles (at highway speeds), the Zero is way over priced. And of course spending THIRTY THOUSAND for a bike that only goes 70 miles, well that's just stupid. If, however, you want a fantastic commuter - the Zero is hard to beat. Espcially if you just get the SR (even better if you can find one used)....

FXS..👍👍👍👍

2:18 what's the little pot of brown liquid I also noticed this on the zero handlebars but all the other reviews I've seen noones explained what this is for

Electric motorcycles......will I have to pay a state fee to use it? I have a Prius and a Tesla and I have to pay an extra $200 in licensing fees because I use less gas or no gas and so I have to pay a fee to drive on the roads. Is it the same with electric motorcycles?

No contest as far as energica is concerned. Energica has far superior specs. The latest enegica Experia adventure tourer does 420 km per charge 👀. That's 260 miles and has a 40 minute fast charge time. Zero and Harley are now dinosaurs.

That zero looks like the Birkenstocks of motorcycles. 0 in the cool department.

The day Harley-Davidson Livewire goes 200 miles before recharge I'll buy one

Comparing the Harley Davidson Livewire to the Zero SR/F... did the Zero in the tested version have the 6 kw rapid charger or the power tank?... for the Zero speaks the 20k USD price compared to the 30k price tag of the Harley... I think Harley shot themselves in the foot... if I buy the electric version, the Zero would check all the boxes... Harleys were never price cautious and other comparable motorcycles always 10k cheaper with similar or above options and performance .. no wonder Harley is in trouble... Harleys got better, but you can't get money from younger riders in the realm of 20 or 30k...

i like steampunk so i go for the harley livewire

You ran the stop sign

LW beautiful bike. I'd LOVE to have one, but there aren't many "er"s to the LW compared to the Zero. The only "er" the Harley has is it's nicER. It IS nicer, no doubt. It seems you'd get a Harley LW just to say you have a Harley E bike. Yeah, knock the price down 6 to 8k and yeah, less focus would be placed on the lack of "er"s. Yes, the other E manufacturers have been successful starting off with higher end vehicles because they offer something more than just plug-in capabilities. The main thing is acceleration. The Harley is AWESOME. I'd love to have one, but dang, it is nicER but it's also expensivER.

“2 of the most premium electric motorcycles you can actually buy”.. Micah, where is the Enérgica?! 🤷🏻‍♂️ I’ve ridden all three and love to see that comparison. Thanks!

"What I'm looking for" is long range, fast speed and acceleration and FAST charging (of course, it's an electric vehicle. duh). For the price of what a Japanese liter bike would cost, because why would I pay double the price when I can buy that regular bike and run it for 10+ years with that money instead (and never have to charge it once). Too much to ask? Apparently.

You could do a lot with the extra $10k from choosing a Zero

Do you need a license for electric bikes?

if only we could buy these at the chima price

I would def buy the livewire. I am not interested in any other electric bikes

For what you get for the money, the Zero SR/F by far the winner. IMHO LiveWire is ridiculously overpriced to justify the finishing and features, you paying thousands of dollars more for the brand-name pride.

I doubt the lease payments for the Harley are 50% more then this 0. I almost bought on let-go the first 100 mile per hour 100 mile range motorcycle. That's the one that the trucking company bought the IP for the batteries for. The trucking company competing with Tesla. So I know what you mean about not being able to afford something the seller said they have been parked too long but had not been used much. That was a $20,000 motorcycle and they did not make money at that price. It was a good deal at $1,000 but too far away and I did let them know that I was very sorry having made a lowball offer that was accepted and not being able to consummate the deal in time. The lease payment is of course cheaper than an electric BMW car almost any electric car what cost more to operate come apart when you consider parking and how much longer it takes to get some place. Harley is a larger company, likely more secure oh, so the warranty I assume means more. You failed to mention that if you buy it locally you can charge at the place you bought it? I think that's a big deal if you need the rapid recovery. The zeros eccentric DC charging that slower than level 2 must be corrected in the new motorcycle you mention? I mean it makes no sense whatsoever. Level one is not even 3000 Watts right? Charging a Harley in 40 minutes creates a significant dependency on the warranty and I have to wonder if it's the same as electric cars, the mandatory eight years? It should be. I know that some of those Southern California ebike companies claim a battery warranty but they only help you out if your battery has stopped working completely. as a reward for anybody who has read this entire comment on eBay right now is a lithium titanate one kilowatt hour battery e-bike pack with charger for 499? That's $8,000 equivalent and they could charge far faster than for 40 minutes, last much longer, and produce a million Watts instead of barely or not even 100,000

Nice comparison, but wow, $10K extra for the Harley feels like too much. I'm going with the Zero SR/S Premium with extra juice. Micah, wanna build me a battery!

SR/F крут

Counter steer.

I road the live wire it’s awesome

for the people ,by the people

The FXS kinda looks like the plague doctor lol

It’s better to get a Tesla car instead of Harley , 30 000 + bucks price tag is really makes me upset : (

Zero SR/F 😍

How about incredibly no.

Zero Looks better than Harley

The best joke ist both have a “fuel tank” look 🤷🏼‍♀️ on a e-bike. If I buy a e-bike I want a NEW design, not old fashion. Form follow function🤘🏼

I take the Zero and slightly cheaper $10K savings!

Now 06/2021, livewire has a now low price...

The harley is 50k here in Australia....GULP .

Model 3 at 35k$ or LiveWire at 30k$ ? 😃

It is mostly you will find live wire funs are Christiano Ronaldo Funs and Zero SRF are Messi Funs in real life... It's so happening according to someone's personality and the ability of spiritual judging.. it can be changed

The better looking harley is heavier & more expensive... It will fit right in with the rest of there product range , they are having trouble giving away...😆

zero doesn't have a touchscreen, way to fuck that up...

BOTH MAKE GREAT BOAT ANCHORS

Okay, now let me get my feeble brain around the information presented here (as the Owner of a Ducati Hyperstrada, Harley Road King Special, Honda CRF250L Rally and Yamaha XSR900 who has been itching to comparison-ride any Energica against the Livewire against a comparable Zero such as the SR/S or SR/F): 1) Livewire is 12% Heavier than Zero: 2) Livewire is 50% more expensive ($10,000 is what percent of $20,000?); 3) Livewire charges way more Slowly than the Zero; 4) Livewire has better fit & finish; 5) Livewire is slower than Zero to 60 MPH; 6) other reviews say that Livewire is Top Heavy; 7) Zero has How Long a Battery Warranty? 8) Harley Livewire has a Battery Warranty that is How Long? 9) the nice guy who reviewed these Motorcycles ommited whether either bike makes available Any Range-Extending Battery Pack setups; 10) charging stations and home/office charging setups are less convenient And More Expensive for the Livewire. Do I have those facts all Correct, folks? I have listened to this video Twice; perhaps I should have taken notes.

Belt driven?

HD is too political for me. I’m going with the American Motorcycle company Zero.

♻️🔋👏💪🔝❤️

Harley probably cost more to insure.

Lol I think the Harley loses before this started

Reviewer is surprised that the bike which costs $10k more has better fit and finish. I mean, what were the odds... Worst part is he implies there is something wrong with the 10k cheaper Zero. I’d be surprised if the more expensive bike was worse quality.

LiveWire.......looks good. but, im SR/F......DONE.

the LiveWire bike cut the price down... under $20k with govt incentives

20k for a city bike, hard pass

Too many monies. These ebikes should be coming at at less than $10K. The profit margins must be out of this world. Think about how much more simple these are than an ICE bike. No reason for them to cost this much.

I must say i dont understand why the information you give on these bikes is so limited. If you actually have the equipment necessary to perform and measure 0-60mph tests, you have the same equipment to perform brake tests, 1/4 mile runs, 30-60, 30-90 acceleration runs... You heavily imply that the brakes on the Livewire are superior but give no evidence that they are other than brand reputation (not disagreeing with you, just stating facts). Do either of these manufacturers not allow you to do performance measurements? Is this why we get so little info in head to head reviews?

Should we talk about cost of ownership, since Zero started micro transactions basically! Hah 🤣