Harley-Davidson has stopped production of its LiveWire electric motorcycle due to a charging glitch
- Harley-Davidson ceased production of its $30,000 LiveWire electric motorcycle.
- The company said that it has encountered a quality-control problem with the bike.
- The LiveWire is a highly touted new motorcycle that Harley hoped will attract new riders the brand.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Harley-Davidson Inc. said on Monday it has stopped production of its LiveWire electric motorcycle after discovering a glitch in the final quality checks.
The problem is reportedly related to charging the nearly $30,000 bike using a home wall outlet, so-called "Level 1" power. Harley has said that the LiveWire's that have been delivered to customers are safe to ride, but that owners should use faster charging facilities at dealerships until the issue is resolved.
"LiveWire owners had been able to charge their bikes through standard wall outlets at their homes, a process that takes about 10 hours," The Wall Street Journal reported. "Direct-current charging stations at Harley dealerships can reload the bike's battery in about an hour. The bike can handle about 140 miles of urban riding on a full charge."
The motorcycle maker said it does not have a timeline as to when the production will resume.
LiveWire has been heralded as Harley-Davidson's salvation, amid declining US sales of its iconic motorcycles. However, LiveWire is priced at such a high level that it currently serves as a halo product for the company. Harley hasn't yet recalled the bike, so if it can resolve the charging issue, it could resume assembly in short order.
(Reuters reporting by Rachit Vats in Bengaluru and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila.)