LiveWire’s S2 Del Ray Recalled
One of the worst things that can happen to a new product from an already struggling manufacturer is to have that new product recalled. For LiveWire, the timing couldn’t be worse. It isn’t some, but all S2 Del Mar units in the US being recalled due to what is stated is a vehicle supervisory controller (VSC) software issue.
The problem is no small problem, as the VSC may suddenly and completely shut down your bike without warning. RideApart Online Magazine has written a full article on the issue.
https://www.rideapart.com/features/711435/livewire-s2-delmar-recall-questions/
Harley’s decision to electrify its motorcycles is proving to be a much larger challenge than anyone expected. As anyone who follows the fortunes of Harley Davidson can tell you, things are not going well at Harley. In 2014 Harley-Davidson global sales were 329,776 motorcycles.
With the exception of one year, HD’s sales have continuously fallen, seeing a global decline of 5% again last year, now down to 168,050 units in 2023. Worse last year was the fact that HD sales in North America fell by 9.9%, one of the worst performances among the Top 20 world manufacturers.
Back To the Problem at Hand
The software issue suffered by the S2 can be fixed by an over-the-air (OTA) update. Why this is such a big problem is that having your motorcycle stop without warning can be disastrous. Depending on where you are, you might find a way to compensate and come to a safe stop, but then again, you might not. As a cheaper product for HD, it’s likely that some of the purchasers will be novices. Losing power in a turn might become a serious issue to a “newby” rider.
When the product is a motorcycle, you would expect thorough testing. But obviously, that hasn’t been the case. The following charts show LiveWire’s progress to date. It’s not surprising that sales of electric motorcycles take time to improve from their inception, but, due to HD’s traditional clientele, one would not want to rush products to market and then fail in doing so, as poisoning the well is not the best way to attract people to drink.
While Harley’s electric sales improved markedly in Q4 of 2023, its operating losses continue to climb. Harley Davidson will be reporting its earnings for Q1 – 2024 on April 24, 2024. The future of the electrification may well be dependent upon this year’s results. Only time will tell.
Ciao…
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