The Harley-Davidson Motor Company spun off the all-electric LiveWire into its very own company, and it landed in a market segment that has some pretty stout competition right out of the gate. Its first model – the LiveWire ONE – showcases the tech H-D brings to the table with blistering acceleration, quick recharges, and an adequate range for commuting and grocery-getting. A robust, lean-sensitive rider-aid package seals the deal.

Range and charging rates continue to present challenges throughout the EV industry, but performance has always been top-shelf. The LiveWire ONE is no exception. It boasts a three-second 0-to-60 time that will shame almost anything else on two wheels in the smoker-bike sector.

The LiveWire ONE’s Revelation motor produces 100 horsepower and 84 pound-feet of torque. As is usual for the genre, all of that grunt is available as soon as you roll on with no need to let it spool up.

Power stored in a high-voltage, 15.4 kWh battery recharges at times that vary according to the method. If you have access to a public DC Fast Charge facility you can slam a 100-percent charge into the power pack in just one hour with 80 percent available after only 40 minutes.

For folks that recharge at home, a 110 Volt service is all you need. It will be ready to roll in 11 hours, making it perfect for the daily commute and as basic transportation.

City mileage is somewhat boosted by the regenerative-braking feature and the lower speeds to give the LiveWire ONE a 146-mile maximum range on a single charge. Highway mileage drops to 70 miles per charge while the combined average falls in between at 95 miles.

A six-axis IMU sends data to include a corner-sensitive component to the Drag Torque control system and traction control system for extra safety. The TCS comes with five Dynamic Ride Modes for quick personality changes to suit the conditions.

Lastly, the MoCo chucked on a noisemaker so you can hear coming and going. The sound reminds me of the Jetson’s engine warble underway.

The ONE breaks new ground for its parent company. It has a sport-naked build that owns its electric legacy rather than trying to camouflage it.

A mini-bullet fairing mounts a round cyclops headlight. The light carries a number of individual projectors for effective visibility day and night along with turn-signal lightbars mounted high out of harm’s way.

Around behind the headlight is a 4.3-inch color TFT screen. It acts as the pilot interface for all of the ride-control electronics and the full array of infotainment functions as well as a one-stop shop for the instrumentation.

The rest of the cockpit is about what you’d expect with a smoker-bike. It includes a fuel-tank hump and a deeply set seat that comes with balcony seating for the pillion. A trim subframe section finishes the LiveWire ONE with a clean-as-a-whistle look helped by an uncommonly-full hugger that mounts the remaining gear in the rear.

Overall, the LiveWire ONE carries itself much like your typical naked-sport platform. The factory makes little effort to conceal the nature of the drivetrain.

Engineered members comprise the perimeter-type frame on the LiveWire ONE that sport elliptical cross-sections for a structure that is both strong and light. The yoke-style swingarm gets in on the act as well to complete the skeleton.

Top-shelf hang-on gear puts the LiveWire ONE on par with the best in the business. Showa SFF-BP stems float the front end on the full array of adjustments. Out back, a Showa BFRC coil-over monoshock takes care of business with the same trifecta of tweaks.

The steering head establishes a 24.5-degree rake angle with 4.3 inches of trail. This gives the LiveWire ONE handling characteristics worthy of the “sport” part of its moniker. Lest you doubt, the factory states a 45-degree lean angle to both sides that is plenty sporty indeed.

Cast, 17-inch rims round out the rolling chassis with H-D Michelin Scorcher Sport rubber. The hoops rock a “Z” speed rating that’ll take everything you and the ONE can dish out. That should be some small comfort for you knee draggers out there, especially in light of the deep lean angles this bike is capable of pulling off.

Dual discs work with the four-bore Brembo front calipers to provide the bulk of the stopping power while a twin-pot anchor bites the rear disc, all under the protection of a stock lean-sensitive ABS feature that keeps you dirty-side down.

The 2022 LiveWire ONE costs $22,799. You can choose from a trio of colors: Liquid Black, Horizon White, or Nebula Red. Truthfully, black is the most prevalent color across the range with the colored bits limited to the bullet housing and faux fuel-tank hump. If you’re looking for a LiveWire ONE for sale, it’s in showrooms right now.

H-D spun off LiveWire into its own company, but today’s competitor comes from an established brand, and this is all they do. Enter the Zero SR sport-naked EV bike.

Right out of the gate the SR looks every inch the naked sportbike. It has minimum bodywork, and like the LiveWire ONE, the SR carries not an ounce of weight from superfluous bits and bobs.

Zero likewise does nothing to camouflage the SR’s true nature. However, the fuel-tank hump and the rest of the flyline look very smoker-bike-ish, thus natural to the eye.

Zero’s motor cranks out 122 pound-feet of torque against the ONE’s 84 pounds o’ grunt for a significant torque advantage. The fastest charge times are 78 minutes to swing the advantage back toward the LiveWire. The stock range is 156 miles city, 77 miles at 70 mph with 95 miles at 55 mph to give the Zero a slight edge, but it’s very slight to be sure.

Showa wins big as it covers both ends of both bikes. In fact, the Zero rides on SFF-BP forks just like the LiveWire, so the stems are a draw.

Zero gets its most significant win at the checkout counter. At only $18,595, the Zero SR. That leaves a significant chunk of cheese on the table that is liable to buy it some business.

“It’s about time the factory did something tangible in the EV sector, but I’m not sure it didn’t shoot itself in the foot with the spin-off action. Name recognition is a powerful thing, and you’ve divorced the bike from its parent company and all of its brand-recognition power that is frequently pointed to as justification for the prices they charge. I can’t wait to see how this all shakes out.”

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “I know the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and the LiveWire ONE look identical, but there are differences in the powertrain. Output on the LiveWire ONE is slightly lower, but MSRP is also lower...a LOT lower. If LiveWire made concessions to get the price down, that was a big improvement, but it still doesn’t get it down into the range of the Zero.”