Harley-Davidson LiveWire Snog, Marry, Avoid?

Can Harley’s new electric bike convert an old petrol-head like Tony? We sent him to the US to find out…

- Tony Carter

I don’t like soy milk.

Oh, I know that I SHOULD like it.

I know that merely by drinking it instead of cow’s milk I could live to be a thousand years old.

I know that the simple act of becoming a soy milk user would also be good for the planet. With each sip of the white stuff a baby polar bear would be ensured a ripe run to adulthood.

Blurgh.

It doesn’t taste nice. It’s not good to cook with. It’s something that’s good for me and the planet, but in reality it’s a pale pastiche of the good stuff. I’ll stick with the fat-laden creamy goodness thanks. Until you make soy milk taste just like it.

Then, and only then, will I even consider going near soy milk again.

You can see where I’m going with this, can’t you? When Harley-Davidson sent MSL the invite to attend the world launch of LiveWire in Portland, Oregon, USA, I jumped at it. But as the time ticked down to the action on the all-electric production bike, my heart started to sink.

Just look at the hard figures to see why my balloon started to deflate: 249kg, 105hp (78kW), 146 miles range if you’re riding in the city all the time, 70-mile range at 70mph. Urgh. I say again, Urgh.

So it was with something of a heavy heart that I dutifully turned up for the ride under leaden skies in the self-confessed ‘weird’ city or Portland.

And a few hours later I was bloody well converted.

I’m as shocked about this as you are.

Here’s the good things about this motorcycle that I’d rave to you about, were you to ask me in a pub: “’Ere Tone, is it any good then?” I imagine you with a cockney accent. Dunno why.