Thursday, 21 January 2021

H-D LiveWire, Street 500 & Sportsters

LiveWire
 


The rumors are that unless there is a big uptick in demand or a good strategic reason to keep it in production, 2021 may well be the last year for "Project LiveWire". Maybe the fact that the MY 2021 text for the LiveWire is the 2019 launch press release tells its own story!


Street 500
 

The 500 cc Street is the only one of the three models to remain in production - mostly as a Harley-Davidson rider training platform; both the 750 cc Street models are history.


Sportsters
 

Canned for Europe altogether (for reasons of Euro 5 emissions), the Sportster range is down to three models - the Iron 883 and 1200 and, seen here, the 1200 cc Forty Eight - and is also touted as likely on the chopping block for 2022 or 2023 latest. Reports of the imminent demise of the venerable model have been doing the rounds ever since Harley celebrated the 60th anniversary of the 1957 introduction of the XL ("Extra Light") three years ago. Those rumors are gathering pace now, though it looks like the remaining three iterations are a strictly time limited offer.