Harley’s LiveWire to develop electric maxi-scooter with Kymco

LiveWire, the electric spin-off of the King of American motorcycles, Harley Davidson, has joined forces with Taiwanese scooter specialist Kymco to develop a fully electric maxi-scooter based on its S2 Arrow powertrain. It hopes to see its debut maxi scooter pop up massively in cities like Paris and Milan in the future.

Looking closely at the success of maxi-scooters like BMW’s CE04, which saw the light of day already in 2021, it wants to bring its own maxi-scooter to the market by 2026. With that, LiveWire intends to come entirely out of Harley Davidson’s shadow once and for all and attract a new, younger public.

Attract new young public

For new customers to hopefully take the bite, LiveWire has designed two futuristic concepts that would most likely be labeled ‘repelling’ by die-hard Harley fans who never embraced the company’s move toward electric. LiveWire’s first maxi-scooters will leverage its S2 platform, currently the basis for the S2 Mulholland and S2 Del Mar motorcycles.

The S2 Mulholland, introduced in March 2024, uses the same 84-hp electric motor as the S2 Del Mar and a 10.5 kWh battery pack. However, the combined range is a bit higher at 138 km. It can go as far as 195 km in the city, while it is lower to 117 km on highways. The battery can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in 5.9 hours or 78 minutes on a faster Level 2 charger.

The first design is the most sporty, with a sleek body shape, flat handlebars, and the S2 powertrain visible beneath the seat. The second one is kind of an ‘adventure scooter’ or ‘dual sport’ version,  with ‘nubbly’ tires, crash bars, a higher handlebar, pannier racks, and a generous passenger seat.

Pure and joyful riding experience

While LiveWire’s sales in Europe aren’t what you could call ‘sky-rocking,’ the company believes in the potential of the maxi-scooter. “As you can see from these concept images, we intend to enter this category in a way that only LiveWire can, with products that stand apart visually, technically, and experientially,” it claims in a press release.

“We believe that electric motorcycles provide a pure and joyful riding experience, and while LiveWire has delivered on this promise, we also know that many people commute on other forms of two wheels in cities like Paris and Milan and that these riders’ needs and expectations may exist outside of our current lineup of products.”

A significant investor in LiveWire spin-out

The joint development with Taiwanese Kymco is logical, as the latter invested in LiveWire when it spun off from Harley in 2022. Both Harley and Kymco put an equal $100 million on the table. Harley-Davidson retained 74 percent equity in the company, 17 percent went to shell corporation ABIC shareholders, and 4 percent to Kymco.

Expanding the strategic partnership with globally recognized powersports company Kymco is the latest step in co-developing LiveWire’s debut maxi-scooter, which should hit the streets in early 2026.

Kymco, founded in 1964, originally made parts for Honda. The company built its first scooter in 1970 and began marketing under the ‘KYMCO’ brand name in 1992. In the 2000s, Kymco became the biggest scooter manufacturer in Taiwan and the fifth-largest scooter manufacturer worldwide.

The Taiwanese scooter specialist has a history of working with other major brands. In early 2008, BMW chose Kymco to supply the engines for its G450 X Enduro motorbike and the optional range extender in BMW’s first electric car, the iconic i3.