Harley-Davidson’s all-electric LiveWire division is collaborating with Taiwanese scooter giant KYMCO on high-performance electric maxi-scooters. Scheduled to hit the market in 2026, these scooters will use LiveWire’s S2 Arrow powertrain.

People were a little surprised to see the Harley-Davidson sub-brand making an appearance at this year’s EICMA at the KYMCO booth, where the announcement was made. For those who don’t know, KYMCO was an early investor in the LiveWire brand and the two have enjoyed a long-standing collaboration ever since.

Following this news, LiveWire released a series of concept drawings and renders showing two contemporary-themed electric scooters. One is fitted with off-road tires and aggressive luggage racks, while the second is a simpler road variant – albeit with a steeply raked front fairing that pushes it towards Akira-bike territory.

Live wire

The S2 Arrow platform that serves as the basis for these scooters was initially introduced with the LiveWire S2 Del Mara streetbike inspired by flat track. It consists of the electric motor, structural battery and associated control hardware. In addition to the Del Mar, it was also used for the more cruiser-adjacent model. S2 Mulholland.

The new KYMCO maxi-scoots are said to match the “benchmark performance” and “range capabilities” of the S2 Arrow platform – so we can assume a combined cycle range of around 86 miles (138 km) and the ability to charge the bike from 20 to 80 percent in less than 80 minutes when Level 2 fast chargers are available.

The current S2 Arrow system delivers a fairly pungent 84 hp (63 kW) peak power in short bursts, or 40 hp (30 kW) of continuous power without overheating. With a peak torque of 194 lb.ft (263 Nm) and a top speed of 101 mph (163 km/h), it accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 3 seconds.

Those power and torque specs seem pretty decent on LiveWire’s streetbikes, but they’ll make a shockingly spicy addition to the maxi-scoot market, where the current market leader is Honda’s Forza 750, producing a relatively anemic 58 horsepower. hp (43 kW) and 51 hp. lb.ft (69 Nm). These upcoming KYMCOs will embarrass some expensive cars and motorcycles at traffic lights. Bring it on!

Live wire

“The belief and recognition that we could create a best-in-class maxi-scooter using our S2 Arrow powertrain has been a constant, KYMCO sharing its expertise has turned this belief into reality, and we are excited to begin this journey with such a globally recognized category leader,” said Karim Don, CEO of LiveWire. The two companies plan to launch an employee exchange program to expand, integrate and streamline the partnership.

Maxi scooters are perfect for longer and faster rides compared to low capacity 50-175cc scooters. Their larger capacity and more powerful engines, better on-board electronics, comfort features and increased weather protection make them much more usable and comfortable at highway speeds.

Electric vehicles, of course, struggle with battery range on the highway, but we’re not talking about touring here, but rather suburban commuting. The range should work fine for most everyday use cases.

KYMCO

KYMCO likes the S2 Arrow platform enough to also use it for a complete overhaul of its RevoNEX electric motorcycle, also revealed at EICMA. This beautiful retro-futuristic streetbike is expected to hit the market around 2026.

It’s no secret that LiveWire never really captured the hearts and minds of Harley-Davidson’s core customer base, many of whom seemed personally offended by the company’s move toward quiet electric vehicles. Separating the brands was a wise decision, although perhaps a little late, because if a certain segment of Harley loyalists discovered that the same bar ‘n’ shield logo they had tattooed on their chest was being used on a pair of maxi-scooters? Maxi-scooters painted in soft pastel blue and beige colors? Well, there may have been blood on the streets of Milwaukee.

But now that Livewire is a completely separate thing, the addition of these scooters to its portfolio is a sign that the young motorcycle maker is ready to step out of HD’s shadow and explore its own interests, catering to a different type of user with unique needs and preferences. This requires focusing on a younger, largely urban audience.

Live wire

At the moment there are no details on model names or prices. The company, however, plans to start shipping the scooters in the first half of 2026, with a goal of global distribution.

Source: Live feed