Kymco reveals LiveWire-based RevoNEX
By Ben Purvis
Kymco has been promising a high-performance electric motorcycle since revealing the original RevoNEX concept bike back in 2019 - and while the latest version shares the same name it's a completely different vehicle that's much closer to production reality.
In fact, it's the third time Kymco has used the RevoNEX name. The original was a rather heavy-looking electric bike that took the unusual measure of featuring a conventional manual transmission. A second, completely redesigned concept arrived in 2022, looking slimmer and featuring completely new underpinnings that replaced the heavy manual gearbox with an electronic simulation of a manual - there was still a clutch lever and foot shifter, but the 'shifts' were programmed into the electric power delivery rather than real, mechanical changes of ratio.
The latest Kymco RevoNEX concept is completely different to previous iterations, but retains the idea of an electronically-simulated gearshift to give an extra layer of control and familiarity for riders brought up on ICE motorcycles. However, it's a much more viable production bike than its predecessors because under the radical, semi-transparent bodywork lies the chassis and powertrain of the LiveWire S2 platform.
It's not unexpected. In late 2021 Kymco and LiveWire announced it was investing in the Livewire SPAC and that they were working together on future bikes, including machines based on the S2 'Arrow' platform that's since been launched in LiveWire's S2 Del Mar and S2 Mulholland models, and a smaller, cheaper 'S3' platform for lower-performance future bikes.
Kymco expects the latest RevoNEX to reach production in late 2026, and while we can expect some elements of the concept bike to be replaced with simpler or lower-cost parts the overall look and chassis design is essentially locked-in at this stage.
For the latest concept Kymco has delved into the high-end components bin, using the tried and tested combination of Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes, along with some less familiar elements including a forged carbon fibre material for the seat unit and that red-tinted transparent fairing. Whether those parts make the cut for the production version will depend largely on Kymco's intended price point.
Kymco partnership leads to LiveWire's first scooters
Before the Kymco RevoNEX reaches production the company - along with LiveWire - has developed two electric maxi-scooters based on the same S2 Arrow platform that are set to wear LiveWire branding when they reach dealers in early 2026.
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Details are thin on the ground, but renderings of the two machines show one is an adventure-style model, with fat, knobbly tyres and an array of luggage racks and crash bars covering almost every panel, while the other is a low, sleek design that's clearly intended as a city-oriented machine.
Both are notable for their long wheelbases and appear to show a new level of adaptability for the S2 Arrow platform. It was always designed to be scalable, allowing different battery sizes and motors to be fitted, and thanks to bolt-on front and rear subframes, the geometry can be easily changed.
Power, performance and range are unknown at this stage, but the two bikes are likely to be officially launched in 12 months' time ahead of production in the first half of 2026.