Harley-Davidson’s EV Horror: LiveWire S2 Del Mar Recalled For The Third Time

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There’s no denying the S2 Del Mar is arguably Harley-Davidson’s biggest player in the electric motorcycle segment. It has all the ingredients to do good sales numbers and become an integral driving force of the EV initiative in America. Yet, things are nowhere near the set course.

Not only is LiveWire consistently losing money, but reliability has become a concern, too. That’s because we’ve already seen two recalls for the motorcycle, and a third one has just been announced. Imagine having to send back your bike to the shop three times in merely six or seven months of ownership!

Surprisingly, the S2 Del Mar is faster than the Mulholland, even though the latter is lighter!

The news comes straight from the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA). According to the documents submitted by LiveWire and H-D, certain examples of the S2 Del Mar have faulty high-voltage fuses. These can go kaput, which could result in a loss of power and no ability to restart.

This sudden loss can then result in an accident. The company explains the failure of the fuse could be caused by rapid acceleration events, but assures the electrical functions (ABS and lights) won’t be affected. This also applies to the S2 Mulholland since it’s based on the same platform as the Del Mar.

The high voltage fuse on certain MY24 LiveWire S2 Del Mar and MY24 S2 Mulholland model motorcycles may open under certain riding conditions resulting in a loss of propulsion without providing prior indication to the rider. If this occurs, other electrical functions (ABS braking, lighting, turn signals, etc.) will not be affected. In this condition, electric power would not be supplied to the electric motor from the battery, illuminating warning lights on the instrument panel. Unexpected loss of propulsion while in motion without the ability to restart may increase the risk of a crash.

Sales of the S2 range aren’t exactly soaring, so the recall applies to 788 electric motorcycles. Out of these, 574 are Del Mars and 214 are Mulhollands. The former falls between the VIN range 1HD3GCYB0RB550038 and 1HD3GCYBXRB550984, with production dates ranging from July 2023 to February 2024. Whereas, the latter’s VIN range is from 1HD3GDYB8RB550942 to 1HD3GDYB0RB551373, with production dates between February and June 2024.

If that sounds like your LiveWire, we’re afraid you’ll have to visit your dealership soon. LiveWire must’ve reached out to you already about this. As for the remedy, the dealer will install a high-voltage fuse with an increased amperage rating at no charge. There’s no reimbursement plan in case the fuse failed before the recall.

We've seen Cruise ride a Kawasaki Ninja H2, Triumph Speed Triple, and BMW S 1000 RR, but his latest steed is all-American

All in all, the recall is another setback for Harley-Davidson and LiveWire. With dismal sales and high losses, these repeated recalls will certainly not help the brand’s image. Electric motorcycles are already a hard sell for many usual H-D customers and reliability woes will further push them away, in our opinion.

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It's much more affordably-priced than its predecessor, the LiveWire ONE.

$20,000 is the minimum sum of money you'll need to enjoy Harley's touring-friendly bikes

The average age of Harley-Davidson customers has remained in the same ballpark for a decade

The American bikemaker wants to sell non-American-made bikes in America...."temporarily"

The Oldsmobile Jetfire is the first factory turbo production car and an amazing piece of automotive history.

Japanese vehicles, in general, are known to be rather reliable, but if you need the crème de la crème of reliable hybrids, this is the car to buy.