LiveWire took the opportunity at Harley-Davidson Homecoming 2025 to display a pair of concept bikes unlike anything we’ve seen from the electric brand before. An Instagram post shows off two little unnamed bikes that LiveWire says are 125cc equivalents, pitting them against the Honda Grom and other minibikes. One of them looks ready to hit the streets, while the other sports knobby tires and a number plate to tear up the dirt. In the post, LiveWire says the seat height is 30 inches, and the bikes will go from 0-30 mph in about three seconds, with a top speed of 53 mph. Their range is about 100 miles using swappable batteries, something no other LiveWire currently offers.
We learned that LiveWire was looking at smaller bikes last year at the EICMA show, where it announced a partnership with Kymco to build electric scooters. We didn’t see these Grom-sized bikes coming, but they make perfect sense. My Kawasaki Z125 minibike uses a lot of scooter parts, such as the 12-inch wheels, tires, and brakes. If you zoom in on LiveWire’s pictures, the Kymco name on the front brake caliper is clearly visible. Kymco also has its Ionex EV platform featuring swappable batteries. “Kymco’s Ionex technology is expected to be the driving force behind the potential cooperation between LiveWire and Kymco for smaller electric motorbikes,” Kymco CEO Allen Ko told RideApart in 2023. We don’t know for sure, but chances are good that these bikes are using it.
Looking at the small picture
This could be a great move for LiveWire. The company lost $20 million to sell just 33 motorcycles in the first quarter of this year, so clearly a change in direction is needed. Downsizing could be a great way to do it, especially to smaller, more affordable bikes that the average person can justify, particularly in a city. Little bikes are extremely maneuverable. Top speed is not a factor in city traffic. Removable batteries mean you can park the bike outside and bring the battery in to charge, solving the biggest problem with EVs. Plus, you get to join Grom squad meetups and terrorize the town.
Zero is already trying a similar tactic, offering both street (XE) and dirt (XB) versions of smaller, lower-priced bikes than its traditional electric offerings. These seem closer in size and performance to small dual-sports like the Yamaha XT250. They have similar weights and top speeds, but also swappable batteries. The street-legal XE has an MSRP of $6,495, a little more than the $5,499 XT250, but not so much as to price it out of reach. It’s also less than half the $14,995 price of the Zero S, the next least expensive road bike Zero offers.
Since the LiveWire minibikes are concepts, we don’t know how much production models would cost. Hopefully, Kymco’s tried and true hardware would help keep costs down, enabling LiveWire to put these into more people’s hands and make the business sustainable.
