If you want LiveWire’s Alpinista to behave like a gas motorcycle with long range and fast fill-ups, you’d be looking at the newest and sportiest Arrow S2-powered electric all wrong. On an electric motorcycle aimed at urban users, expectations need to shift. Riding as long as you want until you are sore and tired is not a reality; because of range limitations, electrics are generally designed for slaying city blocks on shorter rides not conquering the Great Plains. Short and thoroughly planned-out trips are an electric motorcycle’s bread and butter, especially LiveWire’s Del Mar, Mulholland, and now, Alpinista. The three bikes are positioned to give a simple and enjoyable experience with a claimed range of 120 miles in the city and 71 miles on the highway. Mind you, thanks to the sporty nature of the Alpinista, you’re almost compelled to push the bike into a more traditional motorcycle usage and distance, because it’s a powerful and excellent-handling naked sportbike.This is what makes the LiveWire’s S2 Alpinista the epitome of bittersweet. It’s an exciting and capable motorcycle, but the fun doesn’t last as long as an ICE motorcycle. And even doing our best to remember it’s not supposed to directly complete or replace one, it’s hard not to wish it were one as we loft the front wheel skyward exiting tight corners in the mountains. LiveWire’s all-new S2 Alpinista is a punk rock song: fast, fun, and short.

Arrow S2 Shared ArchitectureThe Alpinista utilizes LiveWire’s Arrow System 2 architecture with a 10.5kWh battery. A 4-inch color TFT display provides access to four preset ride modes (Sport, Road, Rain, and Range) and two customizable ride modes with cornering-sensitive traction control and cornering-sensitive ABS. The bike features adjustable Showa suspension and Brembo brakes similar to the Del Mar, but is positioned as LiveWire’s sporty option with 17-inch wheels and Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, compared to the Mulholland’s 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel. The Del Mar serves as the company’s street tracker with 19-inch wheels and dirt-track-style tires.

Motor PerformanceAn initial crack of the throttle delivers a surge of power that propels the rider forward in a way a gas motorcycle simply cannot. Power comes on strong like a big twin (but perfectly smooth) and continues to pull relentlessly like an inline-four. With electrics there is no shifting and no messing around with a clutch. Just twist and go. Throttle response is direct and allows the rider to predictably send power to the rear wheel. But while power delivery is potent at any speed, it’s still tractable and manageable.Sport mode with traction control disabled is a guaranteed fun time, while Road or Range (Eco) retracts the aggressiveness without completely diluting the riding experience. In Range, acceleration is still quick and exciting but riders benefit from increased regenerative braking. Riders who want unrestricted power and maximum regenerative braking can simply tailor the two customizable ride modes to do so.

Alpinista Range and ChargingThe S2 Alpinista produces 84 hp, 194 lb.-ft. of torque, and goes from 0–60 mph in three seconds according to LiveWire. Claimed range is 120 miles when riding in the city and 71 miles when tackling highway, for a combined range of 90 miles. Then again, these are calculated at or below 55 mph which may not be real life for many users. In our testing on canyon roads at faster speeds, we found the Alpinista is good for 68 miles on a full charge. During a very hooligan-like photo day we saw as low as 55 miles, but when riding around town with a few stints on the freeway the range increased to 79 miles. Any motorcycle will have decreased range when ridden hard and fast, but it’s a lot more noticeable on electrics due to the generally shorter available miles per “tank” and longer times it takes to charge versus filling a fuel tank.

On a Level 1 (110V) charger, the LiveWire takes 9.1 hours to charge from 0–100% and 5.9 hours to charge from 20–80%. A Level 2 charger (220V) is much quicker at 2 hours, 22 minutes from 0–100% and 1 hour, 17 minutes from 20–80%. Want a sport weekend ride? Plan a lunch stop near a charger.

HandlingClaimed curb weight is 434 pounds, meaning the LiveWire Alpinista is competitive with most middleweight motorcycles when rolled onto scales. Because the weight is carried low and there are no internal moving parts, the bike feels lighter than the numbers suggest once in motion. Its slim profile makes the LiveWire feel manageable and approachable as well.

Handling is sporty and precise. On twisty roads, the Alpinista requires a fair amount of rider input to initiate lean, but once the bike is on the side of the tire it feels planted, stable, and easily holds a line. The Showa suspension is taut and provides plenty of holdup during spirited riding while still managing to be comfortable on city streets. Damping adjustments make a noticeable change and it was easy to find a setup that worked for my 120-pound weight.

Performance is the main theme when it comes to the Alpinista and the Brembo brakes certainly check that box. Despite having a single disc up front, the system has strong initial bite and the power progressively ramps up with excellent lever feedback and a great feeling of connection to the tire’s contact patch. ABS intervention is well calibrated and not intrusive.

The Alpinista’s rider triangle is neutral and comfortable, with an overall feel that is classic naked bike: upright with a slight forward stance. The reach to the handlebars is easy, while footpeg position is sporty but not cramped. The round 4-inch TFT display is sharp and clear, while navigating the menus and settings is straightforward and intuitive. Switching modes can be done on the fly with the touch of a button on the right switch pod, plus a dedicated traction-control button allows riders to easily disable TC when the bike is stopped.

Realities of Range vs. FunIn the urban sprawl of Southern California, staying at or below 55 mph on many surface roads is not realistic, and sustained higher speeds is a power eater. What’s also a power eater is how much fun the Alpinista is to ride. It highlights the capabilities of the Arrow S2 platform’s excellent, instant torque and great horsepower output, allied with a fun and sporty chassis.

The Alpinista and its LiveWire stablemates are playing in a space where we see increasingly more electric motorcycles end up: compact urban/suburban commuter/runabouts. Can-Am’s Pulse ($13,399) and Origin ($14,499), BMW’s CE 04 ($12,195) and 02 ($7,599), Kawasaki’s Ninja ($7,899) and Z e1s ($7,599), and Zero FX and FXE (both $12,495). In that context the $15,999 Alpinista is in the ballpark on price with the higher end bikes that have near-size but typically smaller batteries, while offering the longest claimed range, and a lot more range than the sub-$8,000 offerings.All of these electric motorcycles enter a market that has a lot of affordable middleweight internal-combustion motorcycles and some like Honda’s eClutch CB650R ($9,399) eliminate the need for clutch control. Electric ownership will offer lower maintenance costs, and a quiet and smooth riding experience.

The Alpinista is an exceptionally well-developed package from a dynamic standpoint and it helps us once again appreciate the performance and simplicity of an electric motorcycle: Whizzing away from a stoplight, jumping off an apex, and popping a wheelie with ease confirms the high performance and fun factor.In fact, it is one of the most entertaining motorcycles we’ve ever experienced, even challenging some of the performance capabilities of traditional ICE motorcycles. Like any electric in this space, it’s definitely a specific use case for a motorcycle like the Alpinista: shorter urban and local backroad blasts plus commuting, all within the confines of available charging and our real-world range findings of about 75 miles to a depleted battery, or 55 if you ride like a complete punk. Which we think has a lot going for it.