The LiveWire S2 Mulholland is an easy bike to doubt. It’s small, relatively expensive, and leaves many aspects of traditional motorcycle design behind as it leans into its lightweight, urban-electric personality. It is also fast, fun, and easy to ride with well-tuned, high-end components. This new electric machine takes unique consideration—there’s a right way and a wrong way to use this bike—but when used correctly, it’s an absolute force that presents a level of riding fun and convenience hard to find elsewhere.There is no lithium-Ion-powered motorcycle on the market that isn’t facing challenges of cost, weight, and charge times. Electric motorcycle manufacturers are pulling cards from similar decks, no one OEM has a secret game-changer. Major differences we see between electric bikes are in style, intended use, and how the manufacturer balances MSRP with the cost of fast-charging capability and battery quality. All EV’s face the same challenges in charging infrastructure, but motorcycles are unique in that riders don’t have a temperature-controlled cabin to hang out in while our vehicle charges—we’re left to find a nearby business or forced to wait in a random parking lot. For the Mulholland, LiveWire uses a 10.5kWh battery with Level 2 fast charging that takes a claimed 78 minutes to charge from 20–80 percent and a claimed 142 minutes to get from 0–100 percent. In testing, we found these claims to be accurate, but also avoided out-of-home charging as often as possible.

Electric Cruiser or Something Else?Mulholland is LiveWire’s second bike built on its S2 platform following the flat-track-inspired Del Mar. S2 models are primarily differentiated by the Mulholland’s lower subframe and dropped seat height. LiveWire calls this bike an Electric Sport Cruiser, but it’s safe to assume “cruiser” was added to this classification just because of the lower seat. We don’t need to argue what a cruiser is or isn’t, or if it’s even possible to make an electric cruiser with current technology.

At first glance, the Mulholland can seem a little disjointed—like someone put a cruiser tailsection on a street tracker—because that’s essentially what’s happened here. But throw a leg over the bike, as I have asked many friends to do, and the response has been unanimous: Ergonomics are comfortable and well tuned for riders of varied stature. Mid-control footpegs fit right where you want/expect them to. Tall forks and 6-inch risers pair with short-rise handlebars for a comfortable but sporty stance with direct steering feel while riding.

The Mulholland’s center of gravity is low and it carries its 432 pounds well, is easy to pick up off of the kickstand, or can be pushed around in the garage without straining. Very low-speed handling, under and around 5 mph, is a little unstable, but anything over 8 mph is rock steady, nimble, and pairs with a well-tuned throttle for excellent control.

Flip the kill switch down to “Run,” and the Mulholland turns on, but it takes nine seconds for the screen to boot up before you can ride away. This first moment of interaction is the first barrier between man and machine. You can’t just get on and start it and go, you have to wait until the screen tells you the bike is on. More than a few times my buddies on gas-powered bikes were halfway down the block by the time I was able to pull out of my curbside parking spot.On the Road and Highway: There Is a DifferenceBut once moving, the Mulholland is simple and natural. It really is as easy as twist and go. Rain, Road, Sport, and Range modes are available, tuning regenerative charging, power, throttle input, ABS, and traction control in the manner expected from each mode’s name—Sport is fast, Rain is slow, while Range limits power and increases regen. Two rider-programmable modes are available for customization. Preprogrammed modes make sense and serve their intended purpose well. I typically left the house in Road mode and, depending on remaining battery level when I aimed the bike toward home, would switch into Sport or Economy.

Electric motorcycles don’t like sustained highway speeds and the Mulholland is no different. LiveWire claims a range of 73 miles at a sustained speed of 55 mph, but Los Angeles highways flow around 75 mph, where riders can watch percentage points drop rapidly. The battery percentage points reflected on the 4-inch color TFT screen are also highly inconsistent and don’t work for trying to plan or estimate range—that really comes from experience and knowing how you’re using the bike. On one occasion I rode the bike 6 miles through city streets from my home in Altadena to a restaurant in downtown Pasadena and arrived with a 100 percent battery level. After completing the 6-mile ride home on the same route, in the same ride mode at a similar pace, given it was uphill to home, I was down to 92. Estimated range doesn’t do much more for you; you could be riding along with 100 miles of range and then hit a steep uphill and see that number drop dramatically—vice versa on the downhill. Accurately gauging range and battery life requires experience on this particular machine.

On a Sunday morning joyride, I was able to get the Mulholland under 20 percent battery in less than 30 miles. Los Angeles’s premier motorcycle road, Angeles Crest Highway, begins 4.8 miles from my door, and 4 miles of that is highway. So throw it into Sport mode, ride 4 miles on the highway, 10 miles up Angeles Crest, and it’s time to turn around because you’re now under 60 percent. Percentage seems to drop more quickly as the level goes lower. Is it that just a trick range anxiety plays on you? Maybe; it’s difficult to consistently test without a charge at the turnaround. You’d like to stay in Sport mode for the descent, so turning around while you still have some juice to spare is the play.

Here in the hills, pushing the Mulholland to its limits and asking the most from it—it shines. Zero to 60 mph is achieved in a claimed 3.3 seconds with the electric motor’s claimed 194 lb.-ft. of torque. A Brembo Monoblock four-piston caliper provides excellent stopping power and incredible brake feel at the lever, allowing a high level of control. Ergonomics are comfortable and relaxed but upright enough to put some weight on the footpegs, move your body, and maximize lean angle. The 43mm inverted fork is fully adjustable and a progressively linked monoshock is preload and rebound adjustable, which gives the Mulholland a plush but stable feel on the highway, staying composed while pushed hard through the turns.

The Realities of Electric MotorcyclesIt’s ironic reading the copy “Riding is more than moving from Point A to Point B. It’s the thrill of exploration and discovery, moments only experienced on an electric motorcycle” on the Mulholland’s website, because this bike is best used moving only from point A to point B and avoiding exploration and discovery altogether. Exploration requires range and the freedom to roam. In my month with the Mulholland, I ran lots of fun, quick errands, I commuted a few times, but never did I go out to explore roads I didn’t know. It’s virtually impossible to move through LA without spending time on highways, so any ride over 60 miles would have me planning a charging spot beforehand, specifically trying to avoid a grocery store parking lot. And most of all, I still own gas bikes.

To explore and discover, you need to be able to take that next turn, to keep going. To actually reach the lake at the top of the hill without staring nervously at battery percentage the whole time as it ticks down to a forced departure from the ride. Range anxiety makes it hard to find peace—it can be slight, but it’s a constant tax on your mind that keeps the rider from being able to fully relax, engage, and reach that flow state that we all strive for.Throw Away Your ICE ExpectationsIf you only compare the LiveWire Mulholland to other electric motorcycles, it’s wonderful. It’s comfortable, compact, and easy to ride around town, while versatile enough for expert riders to have some fun and excitement in the hills. Level 2 charging is fine when you’re not waiting in an uncomfortable parking lot, and again, much of the unpleasantness of charging away from home is rooted in charging infrastructure, not the bike. For commuting or running errands, scenarios where charge times are inconsequential, the Mulholland makes a lot of sense.

But compare the Mulholland to a gas-powered bike and you’ve got a motorcycle with a lot of limitations, which is the name of the game for electric motorcycles for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of riders that the Mulholland will work for, but not everybody. It’s time to separate ICE expectations from electric motorcycles and enjoy them as they are. When I did, I fully enjoyed the ride on the Mulholland.2024 LiveWire S2 Mulholland Specs