Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. has stopped production and delivery of its LiveWire electric motorcycles, citing a “non-standard condition” discovered during a final quality check.
The issue is related to the vehicles’ charging equipment, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the company’s decision.
Harley delivered the first production LiveWire motorcycles this fall as part of its 2020 model year. The electric bike is the result of nearly a decade of product development work. Electric motorcycles feature prominently in Harley’s plans to boost slowing sales, which have been hurt in recent years by shifting demographics, lower used bike prices and increased competition.
“As we lead in the electrification of motorcycles, we have delivered our first LiveWire motorcycles to authorized LiveWire dealers,” Harley-Davidson Motor Co. said in a statement. “We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped production and deliveries; and began additional testing and analysis, which is progressing well. We are in close contact with our LiveWire dealers and customers and have assured them they can continue to ride LiveWire motorcycles. As usual, we’re keeping high quality as our top priority.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the company asked customers and dealers to only use professional chargers at dealerships, not outlets at their homes. The report also noted the company did not know when deliveries would restart.
LiveWire comes with a suggested price of nearly $30,000. It has a range of 146 miles in the city.
