I didn't win the "lotto" to test-ride the Livewire, but my friend that also entered the drawing did. This is what he said about it:
"Rode it. Loved it. Got the T-Shirt :-)
It feels POWERFUL, I can attest to that. And it has a pretty unique sound. Apparently the motor is longitudinally mounted, and there is a bevel gear that changes the direction to run the belt to the rear wheel. I think that gear is what's making the extra noise. Its not loud or anything, but its not near silent like the Zero.
The deceleration noise sounds exactly like the noise my hybrid makes while braking. Like a generator ;-)
It handled like a dream. It has a nice balance and a low center of gravity thanks to the motor being all the way at the bottom of the bike. Even nicer than my Ninja, which I loved. I've never been a Harley fan because I'm not a big guy. They ride me rather than the other way around... The Livewire wasn't like that at all. It seemed light and nimble, and just a blast to ride."
Wish I could've tried it! Hopefully I'll have another opportunity