Livewire Del Mar
Livewire - Goodwood FoS
Livewire Del Mar
Livewire Del Mar & S2 Alpinista
Shaun Guardado
Livewire - Goodwood FoS

Climbing The Hill With Livewire At Goodwood FoS

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Livewire Goodwood FoS (1)

On Sunday, 13th July, at 4.15 am, I quietly pushed the Honda CBR650R press bike out of the garage, trying not to wake the neighbours.

2 1/2 hours later, I arrived at Goodwood FoS. The doors opened at 7 am, and I needed to be signed on and ready to ride a LiveWire at 8.30 am.

I met David from the PR company Motocom, one of the nicest and most professional people in the business, and we wandered down to the drivers' club to get me signed on.

With sign on completed, we sat down for a chat and a spot of breakfast.

The drivers' club is a surreal experience. Think of it as a VIP area at a festival. A scattering of tables adorns the lawn, with coffee and food vendors around the perimeter. To access the area, you need to be a competitor or a member of the Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC). While we sat there, in the shade, under a canopy, enjoying a latte, Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi wandered by, no big deal.

The Goodwood FoS hill climb is held in the beautiful parkland surrounding Goodwood House. The Festival of Speed is motorsport's ultimate summer garden party, an intoxicating celebration of the world's most glamorous sport. It’s a glorious and hallowed 1.16-mile stretch of Lord March’s driveway. 9 corners, lined with hay bales and sun-bathed spectators.

Before I knew it, it was time to head over to the Livewire stand to get ready. This is the first time I’ve swung a leg over a Livewire.

My bike was the Del Mar, an electric street tracker with peak power of 84 hp (63 kW), 163 Nm of torque, 0-60 in 3 seconds, and a top speed of 103 mph. The Del Mar has 19” wheels, street tracker style.

Suspension is by Showa, with fully adjustable 43 mm inverted 1x1 cartridge forks at the front, and Showa free piston monoshock with progressive linkage, adjustable preload & rebound damping at the rear.

Brakes are Brembo M4.32 front monoblock 4-piston caliper at the front, with a single disc, and Brembo PF34 rear 1-piston floating caliper.

In the brief ride I had, it felt great, very stable and neutral. With the 19” wheels, it didn’t turn like a sports bike, you don’t have as much weight over the front as you would on a sports bike, but it was very stable in a corner, and I felt like I could push on confidently. With a seat height of just 802 mm, wide bars and a comfortable seat, and weighing only 197 kg, it was a piece of cake to ride. You jump on and feel immediately comfortable. It’s a blast to ride.

The bike has a 10.5 kWh battery, with a charging time of 78 minutes, 20-80% on a level 2 charger, or with a level 1 charger, 2.7 hrs for the same 20-80%.

Range varies from: ‘city range’ of 113 miles to ‘drive cycle’ range of 69 miles.

Livewire also had their S2 Alpinista there. It shares the same platform as the Del Mar, but with 17” wheels, a lower seat height and a slightly different rider triangle, with a more forward riding position, thanks to bars positioned lower and further forward. The 17” wheels mean you can fit sticky rubber too.

The Livewire team are so cool and super chilled. After my run, I got to hang out with them in the drivers' club. Niels Kleinlooh is the Livewire marketing manager for Europe and is a great guy. He’s relaxed and achingly cool. As well as Livewire, Niels has worked for Harley-Davidson and Ducati, so he has a serious pedigree.

Shaun Guardado is Suicide Machine Company (SMCO), in Long Beach, California, with his brother, Aaron. Amongst other things, they are custom bike builders who have been working with Livewire to create some cool custom bikes. Their tag line is: Fast, Loud, Deathproof. Shaun and his brother are hell bent on milking every last ounce out of life, enjoying it to the max and making the most of their brief time on this earth.

I even got to ride up the hill with the ridiculously cool Shaun from SMCO, who brought his own custom Livewire S2 Alpinista, with 3D printed ‘tank’ panels, carbon wheels and more.

Goodwood FoS is a unique experience; it is a dynamic, inclusive, and visually stunning celebration of everything automotive, seamlessly blending history with cutting-edge technology, all within a uniquely accessible and charming setting.

This was certainly a day to remember. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to get some miles on the S2 Alpinista for a future review.

Del Mar Specification:

Charging -

Level two charging - 230V.

20–80% 78 Minutes

0–100% 142 Minutes

Level one charging - 230V household outlet

20–80% 6 Hours

0–100% 8.4 Hours

Charger Cord Included

Electronics -

Cornering Enhanced Antilock Braking System (C-ABS), Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS), Rider Modes: Sport, Road, Range, Rain, Custom