Could This Snazzy New Motorcycle Help Harley’s Electric Sub-Brand Finally Turn the Corner?

As the most affordable, accessible LiveWire bike yet, the just-launched S2 Alpinista aims to make urban riders kiss their gas goodbye.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published January 15, 2025

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Updated January 15, 2025

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Look, it’s no secret that Harley-Davidson’s semi-secret electric moto sub-brand, LiveWire, is in need of a lifeline.

Not only has it struggled to turn a profit since the original bike of the same name spun off into its own company, but also it has experienced major reliability issues.

livewire s2 alpinista hero — In (nearly blacked-out) asphalt black, the new S2 Alpinista packs plenty of electrified attitude.

Over the summer, the S2 Del Mar got recalled for a third time (alongside the S2 Mulholland) due to faulty high-voltage fuses that could kill the bike’s power and lead to accidents.

No white knight is rolling in to save the brand, but perhaps a glacier silver or asphalt black one is. Meet the new S2 Alpinista, which could either mark a fresh start or a last gasp for LiveWire, depending how things go.

Sporty, urban and (relatively) cheap

According to the brand itself, the Alpinista is LiveWire’s sport standard, optimized for personalization, practicality and performance.

Clearly targeting the urban market, the bike aims to blend nimble (read: sporty) handling with long-distance (read: touring) comfort, though the ever-present limited range of electric bikes certainly curtails the latter.

The 434-pound Alpinista can dust any ICE bike when the light turns green. Built on LiveWire’s S2 platform and packing 84 ponies with 194 lb-ft of torque, it goes 0 to 60 in just three seconds.

Perhaps learning from its three previous models, LiveWire has taken steps to make the Alpinista its most accessible bike yet.

That aspiration is exemplified by both the base price — $15,999 is just a bit cheaper than the Del Mar and Mulholland, though still pricier than many other electric options — and the user-friendly design. (A compact, angular yet muscular aesthetic doesn’t hurt either.)

livewire s2 alpinista action — Smaller wheels and a lower seat height promise to make the Alpinista accessible to a wider range of riders.

This bike has smaller 17-inch wheels, which drops the seat height to 31.2 inches, 1.1 inches lower than the Del Mar. That’s (figuratively) huge when it comes to shorter riders.

Packaged with Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, the bike boasts generous lean angles of 52.1° left and 44.2° right — plus Bosch-powered cornering-enhanced antilock braking and traction control systems — which should bode well for both street riding and twisties beyond the city lights.

Hard numbers (and facts)

Of course, you won’t get too far out of town before you’ll be looking for a charging station, as the Alpinista’s 10.5 kWh battery pack is good for an estimated 120 miles city and 71 miles highway.

You might want to order lunch. On a Level 1 charger, it will power up from 20% to 80% in 5.9 hours. On a Level 2 charger, we’re still talking 78 minutes.

livewire s2 alpinista lifestyle — We can only hope this fella stopped to pose and not because his battery’s down to zero.

That being said, the 434-pound Alpinista can dust any ICE bike when the light turns green. Built on LiveWire’s S2 platform and packing 84 ponies with 194 lb-ft of torque, it goes 0 to 60 in just three seconds.

On the personalization front, the Alpinista offers four preset ride modes — sport, road, range and rain — and two custom ones, allowing riders of various skill levels to navigate changing conditions and define how they want the bike to function.

You can also outfit the Alpinista with a number of accessories, including a sport seat, windscreen, saddlebags and luggage racks.

As you’d expect from an electric motorcycle, it’s also equipped with over-the-air updates, enabling the bike to evolve as LiveWire improves the software. The S2 app also lets you monitor details such as weather, navigation and tire pressure.

livewire s2 alpinista riding — Like many other electric motos, the Alpinista accelerates much quicker than your average gas-powered bike.

The question remains: Is this combo of features enough to attract new riders and either lure veterans away from their gas bikes or make them consider adopting a second bike for primarily city riding?

That’s one for the market to decide, but I’d happily give the Alpinista a test ride. While the use case feels pretty specific — no spontaneous mega road trips on this thing — the badass look of the asphalt black option alone make it worth a zippy trip around town.