Harley-Davidson LiveWire EV Charging Cable

The honest version, before you spend anything

A Type 2 cable fits a UK LiveWire and works properly. The European bike has a CCS Combo 2 inlet, and the upper section of that inlet is a Type 2 socket, so a standard Type 2 lead plugs straight in and lets you use public AC charge points, which is a real benefit.

What it will not do is charge the bike faster. The onboard charger is 1400 watts. Harley-Davidson's own words are that the bike "can be connected to a Level 2 charge unit but will be charged at the Level 1 rate", and the service documentation says the same. So a 7 kW wall box, a 32A cable and a domestic three pin socket all deliver about 1.4 kW into a LiveWire. The ceiling is the car, so a heavier cable finishes at the same time.

We would rather tell you that than sell you a cable on a false promise. Buy the Type 2 lead for access to public charging, not for speed at home.

What it does charge like

Harley quotes a full charge in 12.5 hours and nought to eighty per cent in ten hours on the original LiveWire, and the LiveWire ONE is quoted at eleven hours to full with twenty to eighty per cent in six. Those figures hold whether the bike is on 120 volts in America or 230 volts here, which is itself the proof that the onboard charger rather than the supply is the constraint.

The DC side is different. Through the CCS connector the bike reaches eighty per cent in forty minutes and full in an hour. Harley publishes times but never a peak kilowatt figure, and the arithmetic implies about 16 kW average, so we will not print a number the manufacturer does not.

The socket is where the fuel cap would be

The inlet sits centrally on top of the faux tank, under a hinged cap that looks exactly like a filler. It is a neat piece of design and it means you approach the bike from either side. Harley also fits a commanded lock pin and offers a security insert for the inlet, which tells you something about leaving a motorcycle plugged in at a public charger.

For length, measure from the charge point to the middle of the bike. Five metres is ample for almost any garage, and a longer lead only matters if you charge at a post away from where you park.

Battery, range, and the standards that apply

The original LiveWire carries 15.5 kWh total with a minimum usable figure of 13.6 kWh, Harley's own wording, which makes 13.6 a floor rather than a nominal. The ONE is quoted at 15.4 kWh. Range comes from motorcycle test cycles, not WLTP: 98 miles WMTC, 146 in town, 95 combined and 70 at a sustained 70 mph.

One other model is worth knowing about. The LiveWire S2 Del Mar, sold on the UK site, states an IEC 62196-2 Type 2 plug and a twenty to eighty per cent time of 78 minutes on a Level 2 post, which works out at roughly 4.4 to 4.8 kW. On that bike a Type 2 cable genuinely is an upgrade. It has no DC inlet at all.

How long a full charge takes

The calculation is the battery over the delivered kW, uplifted 13 per cent for charging losses, quarter hour rounded. Miles per hour is worked at a conservative 3.5 miles per kWh. The two rows are identical because the bike is, and that is the point of the table. Harley's own figure of 12.5 hours is close to our arithmetic.

In practice a LiveWire is charged overnight and that is the whole strategy. A commute of forty miles is replaced in a few hours, and the CCS socket is there for the days when the ride was longer than the plan.

How these cables are built

It is a CE marked IEC 62196-2 cable, IP55 against the weather, rated to work between -30C and +50C.

The three pin cable is built to IEC 62752, CE marked, sealed to IP67 and rated from -30C to +60C. Two year manufacturer's warranty, free next working day UK delivery and 30 days to send it back.

Every Harley-Davidson we cover is on the Harley-Davidson charging cables page. Need extra reach for a tethered charger? See the Type 2 extension cable.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire charging cable questions

Does a Type 2 cable fit a LiveWire?

Yes. The UK and European bike has a CCS Combo 2 inlet whose upper section is a Type 2 socket, so a standard Type 2 lead plugs in and lets you use public AC charge points.

Will a Type 2 cable charge my LiveWire faster than a three pin lead?

No. The onboard charger is 1400 watts, and Harley states the bike charges at the Level 1 rate even when connected to a Level 2 unit. Buy the cable for access to public posts, not for speed.

How long does a LiveWire take to charge?

Harley quotes 12.5 hours to full on the original bike and eleven hours on the LiveWire ONE. On a CCS rapid charger it is forty minutes to eighty per cent and an hour to full.

Is the S2 Del Mar different?

Yes. Its UK specification states a Type 2 plug with twenty to eighty per cent in 78 minutes, implying roughly 4.4 to 4.8 kW, so a Type 2 cable is a real upgrade on that bike. It has no DC inlet.

Where is the charging socket?

Centrally on top of the tank, under a hinged cap styled as a fuel filler, so you can reach it from either side of the bike.