LiveWire Alpinista Ownership Timeline
This post will serve as a living timeline of my ownership experience with the LiveWire Alpinista. Rather than writing a review after a few weeks, I’ll continue updating this post as I learn more about the bike, the software, and the ownership experience.
May 28, 2026 – Purchase Day
I purchased my LiveWire Alpinista sight unseen.
The timing worked out well for both me and Avalanche Harley-Davidson. They were looking to improve their sales numbers before the end of the month, and in return they offered me $1,500 off the motorcycle.
One thing worth mentioning for anyone considering a LiveWire: while LiveWire is a Harley-Davidson sub-brand, not every Harley-Davidson dealership sells or services them. Dealer participation is optional.
For me, that means the closest authorized LiveWire dealer is Avalanche Harley-Davidson in Golden—just over an hour from home.
At the time, that didn’t seem like a big deal.
June 3, 2026 – Pickup Day
Pickup day finally arrived.
The delivery process felt a little rushed, and we didn’t spend much time going through all of the motorcycle’s features. I wasn’t too concerned though—I generally learn these things better by sitting in my garage and exploring every menu at my own pace.
One thing I noticed almost immediately was that the LiveWire app displayed a banner saying “New bike features available.”
Tapping through the prompts eventually showed firmware version MY26_S2AP_10.2, but there wasn’t any obvious way to install it. I assumed it was an over-the-air update that would eventually install on its own.
June 8, 2026 – A Strange Electrical Hum
After several evenings getting familiar with the bike in a quiet garage, I noticed a faint electrical humming sound coming from somewhere around the battery or behind the radiator.
I was fairly certain it hadn’t been there when I first brought the bike home.
I contacted both LiveWire Customer Support and Avalanche’s service department. Both said the same thing—they couldn’t diagnose a sound from a video and recommended bringing the motorcycle in for inspection. Reddit indicated the sound was not normal and to take the bike in.
Not exactly what you want to hear less than a week into ownership.
Since Avalanche is over an hour away, taking the bike in isn’t exactly a quick trip, but I scheduled an appointment for June 19.
June 16, 2026 – The Update That Wouldn’t Update
Nearly two weeks later, the software update still hadn’t happened.
The app continued insisting there was a newer version available, but there was still no option to install it.
I even checked Harley-Davidson’s firmware information, which suggested the motorcycle was already running the latest software.
I asked around on social media but didn’t find any useful answers.
At that point, I decided to ignore it and assume the bike would eventually sort itself out.
June 19, 2026 – Service Appointment
I dropped the bike off at Avalanche around noon.
The technician I worked with was friendly, patient, and listened carefully while I explained both issues—the electrical hum and the software update.
I left feeling confident they understood what I was experiencing.
Now it was just a matter of waiting.
June 23, 2026 – Software Fixed Itself
Curious whether the bike had been test ridden, I opened the LiveWire app.
Sure enough, a few miles had been added.
Even better, the mysterious software update had finally completed.
The “New bike features available” banner had disappeared, and the bike now reported the latest firmware version.
One feature I was happy to discover was configurable charging limits. The bike can now be set to stop charging at 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%, which is a nice addition for everyday battery management.
I’m still not sure what finally triggered the update.
June 24, 2026 – Diagnosis Continues
I called Avalanche for a status update.
The technician was still diagnosing the electrical hum, and no root cause had been identified yet.
The good news was that they were able to hear the noise themselves, confirming I wasn’t imagining it.
For now, I’m waiting for the service department to call with more information.
June 26, 2026 – Still Waiting
As of today, I haven’t heard anything further from Avalanche Harley-Davidson.
I know diagnosing intermittent or unusual electrical issues can take time, especially on a relatively new platform, so I’m trying to be patient.
Hopefully the next update to this timeline includes an explanation—and a fix.
To Be Continued…
I’ll continue updating this timeline as my ownership experience evolves. My goal is to document the highs, the lows, software updates, service experiences, and anything else that might help future LiveWire owners know what to expect.
