European launch: LiveWire S4 Honcho Trail tested in France
THE PACK attended the HONCHO Field Day at La Ferme du Prieuré, near Versailles, for the European launch of the LiveWire S4 Honcho Trail. Around the farm, the LiveWire team had laid out a set of light off-road trails through the surrounding fields, giving us a realistic setting to test this compact electric two-wheeler. Thanks to the team for the setup.
Not an enduro bike, and not for the road
Let’s be clear from the start: the Honcho Trail is not an enduro motorcycle. In its European form, it is not street-legal either. It has no turn signals, no mirrors, no speedometer and no conventional rear fender with a licence plate holder. For riding on public roads, LiveWire offers the Honcho Street.
The S4 Honcho platform was first shown as a concept at Harley-Davidson Homecoming in Milwaukee and at EICMA 2025 in Milan. LiveWire positions it as a way to bring electric riding to a broader audience, including new and younger riders, urban commuters and even motorhome travellers.
The platform is classed as 125cc-equivalent. For the road-legal Street version, that means riders in Europe and the UK need an A1 licence, while in the US a standard motorcycle endorsement is required.
Key specifications
The platform runs on two removable batteries with a combined capacity of 3.48 kWh. Both batteries must be in place to ride, which leaves little storage space under the seat and no room to carry a charging cable. Range is up to 85 km (53 miles) under the WMTC cycle, or 117 km (73 miles) at a constant 32 km/h (20 mph). A 20 to 80 percent charge takes around two hours on a standard household outlet.
Top speed is 95 km/h (59 mph) for both versions, and 0 to 48 km/h (0 to 30 mph) takes three seconds. The Trail weighs 115 kg (253 lbs) and the Street 121 kg (266 lbs). Both ride on 12-inch wheels, with a seat height of 813 mm (32 in) for the Trail and 787 mm (31 in) for the Street. A reverse function is standard on both, which proves handy when manoeuvring a bike in tight spaces or on a slope.
A bike built around fun
LiveWire sums up the Honcho with the tagline “Small bike energy. Big Honcho attitude.”
Many will think of Honda’s small icons such as the Monkey, Dax and Grom. You can have fun on any motorcycle, of course, but with the Honcho, fun is the starting point rather than a side effect. It is small enough to fit in a camper van, giving you your own emission-free transport on arrival. It also handles light forest tracks, whether just for the ride or to reach a lake where your car can’t go.
Where many electric motorcycle manufacturers stick to designs that mimic combustion bikes, LiveWire has gone for something friendlier, even a little cute. It is a bike you would want in your garage simply for the way it looks. The question is whether it rides as well as it looks. We took the Trail version out to find out.
On the trail
Getting started is simple. Turn the key and the first green light comes on. Press the button, a second green light appears, and you are ready to go. The ride is quiet, even with a chain final drive, and the large saddle is comfortable. Press the button again and a purple light shows you are in the fastest riding mode.
The trails the team had prepared were loose sand with scattered stones. The bike moved around a bit underneath us, but it pulled through without any problem. Even a sandy climb with a rabbit hole halfway up was fun on the large knobby tyres.
The fun does have its limits, though. When the battery indicator next to the riding mode display turns orange, it is time to look for a power outlet.
Conclusion
Guy Salens – THE PACK: “I had a great time testing the LiveWire S4 Honcho Trail. Although I had never ridden it before, I felt confident on it from the first metres. The controls are simple, the torque is easy to manage, and the bike went smoothly over sand, stones and that rabbit-holed climb. I also really like the design. It has a character of its own that sets it apart from most electric motorcycles on the market.”
The Trail is built for play on private land, on fields and woodland tracks. Its limited range and lack of road homologation rule it out for everyday use on public roads; for that, there is the Honcho Street. But if you are looking for a light, easy-to-ride electric bike for off-road fun, the Honcho Trail does exactly what it promises: it puts a smile on your face.
Prices vary across Europe. In Belgium, the Honcho Trail costs 5,399 EUR, and the road-legal Honcho Street costs 5,799 EUR.
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Images © Andrea Vailetti | THE PACK
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