Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle rider makes 3,500 mile trip

Felix Stellmaszek is a spur-of-the-moment sort of man; he says it’s simply a part of his persona. So when the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electrical motorbike proprietor was prepping for a cross-country transfer from Atlanta to California, he went from considering “perhaps I’ll simply experience my LiveWire all the way in which there” to hitting the highway simply a few days later.

He wanted to get out to California in any case, and determined {that a} cross nation experience on his new electrical motorbike can be the proper solution to do it.

As Felix defined to Electrek:

“The explanations for my journey had been actually three-fold. I needed to mitigate potential cabin fever within the wake of COVID-19, the place I used to be basically locked into our 2 bed room condo with the household (together with 3 youngsters ages 5 and beneath) and endless video conferences. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to journey on Route 66 with a motorbike. And I needed to reconnect with actual folks in-person after numerous video calls.

The relocation out West was not determined at that time. Furthermore, it was extra of a ‘scouting journey’ on my spouse’s behalf as she was excited about shifting to Cali. This additionally explains why I lined each southern and northern California.”

In complete, Felix lined round 3,500 miles (5,600 km) on his journey, which he deliberate off-the-cuff utilizing the PlugShare app. The LiveWire electric motorcycle consists of DC quick charging functionality, which may put practically a full cost into the battery in round 40 minutes. The bike may cost from public Stage 2 chargers, however solely at Stage 1 speeds (basically in a single day charging).

Most riders cost at residence on Stage 1 chargers (from a regular wall outlet within the storage), however DC quick charging allows lengthy vary journeys just like the one Felix carried out. Cost stops can be utilized to stretch your legs and seize a cup of espresso earlier than hitting the highway once more.

Felix admitted that he wasn’t as ready as he may have been, initially planning a visit that hit quick chargers within the following cities: Atlanta – Nashville – St. Louis – Tulsa – Oklahoma Metropolis – Amarillo – Santa Fe – Albuquerque – Flagstaff – Prescott – Joshua Tree Nationwide Park – Los Angeles – Santa Barbara — San Francisco.

As Felix defined:

“I’ll completely admit that I approached this explicit journey in a considerably naïve style. All I discovered prematurely was the place the quick charging stations had been, utilizing a combo of the H-D Join and PlugShare apps. To be trustworthy, in hindsight it was a bit loopy as I basically rode 3,500 miles cross-country alone with no help. Simply my LiveWire, my Unchartered Backpack (no saddle luggage or different equipment to keep away from lowering vary), my cellphone and my bank card.”

Regardless of his planning (or lack thereof), he quickly bumped into hassle when he found that some charging websites didn’t all the time have working chargers. Most websites had a number of chargers, which meant it was uncommon to have zero functioning chargers. However to be cautious, he replanned the remainder of his stops to incorporate back-up areas close by, which is a method that other cross-country electric motorcycle riders have employed before. He additionally scanned rankings and feedback on PlugShare extra intently for a heads up on out-of-commission chargers.

Felix nonetheless had a pair shut calls when he rolled into one charging station with 1% battery and one other at 3% battery. Nonetheless, we’ve seen riders demonstrate how the LiveWire nonetheless has a small but useful quantity of vary left after hitting 0% battery on the show.

The expertise taught Felix so much about concerns for lengthy vary journeys on electrical bikes. As he defined:

“On an electrical bike (identical to an ICE bike), all the pieces impacts vary. Pace, further equipment, cross-/head-winds, gradient, temperatures, and so on. I discovered that velocity and the wind had been actually the important thing elements that might negatively impression my vary.”

Felix used his journey to scout out California, trying out LA and the Bay Space, earlier than in the end deciding on the latter and flying again to rejoin his household in Atlanta earlier than the transfer.

Finally he considers the journey successful, and located that the LiveWire was a dialog starter all over the place he went. He picked up fascinating experiences alongside the way in which, fulfilled a lifelong dream of cruising Historic Route 66 on a motorbike, and proved as soon as once more that electrical bikes are completely able to touring and performing lengthy vary journeys – so long as you propose a bit first!

LiveWire as a protracted vary touring electrical motorbike?

This isn’t the primary time the LiveWire has been used for these kinds of lengthy vary journeys. Or the second time. Or the third. In actual fact, the LiveWire is constructing fairly a fame as a protracted distance touring e-bike.

Riders have set Iron Butts on LiveWires, using 1,000 miles (1,600 km) in 24 hours.

They’ve ridden from the Mexican to Canadian border.

And a pair of LiveWires were ridden over 13,000 miles from Argentina to California as part of the Long Way Up series.

As DC quick charging turns into extra prevalent (each on electrical bikes and with elevated charging stations), electrical motorbike touring is more likely to develop even quicker, eradicating one of many previous couple of benefits gasoline bikes have managed to carry over electrical bikes.

To see Electrek’s personal evaluate of the LiveWire electrical motorbike, take a look at our video under. Or learn our full LiveWire review here.

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