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The company, located in Holland, Michigan, USA, was founded by boating industry legend, Leon Slikkers, after he had sold his powerboat company, Slickcraft. As part of the sales agreement, he was precluded from the powerboat market for a number of years. There were no restrictions on sailboat building. So he built a new plant which was, at the time, a model for production-line efficiency and strict quality control. In the late 1970s, S2 did start building powerboats again, and soon established its Tiara line. Slikkers was later able to buy back his old powerboat line, Slickercraft. Production of sailboats ended in 1989.

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S2 Yachts consolidates under single brand

S2 Yachts recently announced the consolidation of its Tiara brands (Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport) under a single Tiara Yachts banner.

The boatbuilder says, while this shift brings an outward and visible change to the Tiara Yachts brand, the form and functionality of every product built by S2 Yachts is ultimately, and will continue to be, Tiara.

“The definitions of Yacht and Sport have evolved since the inception of Tiara Sport in 2017. Sport has shifted and blended from vessels meant to be enjoyed for the day to vessels that can be enjoyed for longer trips and with more people, similar to what we see in our Yacht products. Our outboard products continued to grow in length and scope, which was not necessarily something we envisioned when we started Tiara Sport,” stated CEO and president Tom Slikkers. “Ultimately, our brand families were more alike than they were different. Those shifts, paired with our desires to streamline resources and focus, led us to this change.”

“Although this is a directional shift for our company, this change will allow us to simplify and build momentum on both our inboard and outboard products. We’re excited to welcome 2021 with this branding shift and we’re looking forward to a great year, working with our dealer partners and customers to bring their boating dreams to reality,” said Dave O’Connell, vice president of sales and marketing.

“Our customers can still expect the exceptional level of service and high end products from us, no matter what logo is on your vessel. Every single person in our organization continues to work diligently to bring the very best products to market, creating great experiences and memories for our customers,” Slikkers concluded.

The Tiara Yachts branding transition kicks off with the launch of the 48 LS, the first outboard powered model under the Tiara Yachts name. The 48 LS will make its debut at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla. at a Customer VIP Event beginning February 17.

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Our History

In 1977 the Pursuit Boats Brand was established. But that is only part of the story. Explore our milestones to follow the company’s evolution. Even now, the brand continues to grow, producing yacht quality fishing and cruising boats that deliver unrelenting performance.

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• By Richard Smith
• Updated: October 22, 2012

Within a wide field of well-designed and competitive racer/cruisers of the 1970s, the S2 9.2 stands out, mainly because it wears its age very well. Without a scoop transom and boarding steps or skinny portlights below the sheer, it still looks modern. The flat sheer, sloping deckhouse, almost-flush Lexan forward hatch, hinged anchor lid, and tinted deadlights are familiar features on boats built three decades later. The carefully detailed teak handrails set on molded fiberglass spacers are unobtrusive while emphasizing the hull’s refined shape and unified design. Nothing is exaggerated in the interest of the fashions of the day or to suit a rating rule.

Powerboat builder Leon R. Slikkers founded S2 Yachts in 1974 and commissioned Arthur Edmonds, designer of the Allied Princess 36 and Mistress 39, to design the S2 9.2A (for its aft cockpit) and the S2 9.2C (for its center cockpit). Over 700 A and C models were sold. Both versions have the same hull, fin keel, partially balanced skeg-hung rudder, and masthead sloop rig. The single-spreader aluminum mast, painted black (an S2 trademark) is stepped on deck over a compression post that’s built into the main bulkhead.

The hull is solid, hand-laid fiberglass. It has an inward-turning flange at the sheer to which the balsa-cored deck is bolted through an extruded aluminum toerail. There’s no molded interior liner. Bulkheads and furniture are tabbed to the hull, which contributes to its structural stiffness. Two tons of lead ballast is encapsulated in a sealed keel cavity. Well-cared-for boats show little wear and tear after three decades of hard sailing, and, owners agree, the gelcoat is generally free of stress cracks even where moldings take tight bends.

The T-shaped cockpit is comfortable and workmanlike. The starboard seat opens to general storage and access to the stuffing box and engine controls. Additional storage is located under the helmsman’s seat in twin lazarettes.

Everything on deck is carefully laid out. The mainsail is sheeted abaft the 28-inch wheel, where it’s out of the way but in reach of the helmsman. The 8-inch stern cleats are mounted on anti-chafing pads and close to hand. Engine controls are similarly convenient to the helm. Early boats had Atomic 4s, but a variety of diesel engines were fitted after 1978.

The engine box provides a wide first step down to the cabin. A small corner galley to starboard of the companionway contains a sink, icebox, and stove. Opposite is a quarter berth and navigation space with a folding seat and table. Headroom is 6 feet 3 inches aft and drops gradually to about 5 feet 10 inches toward the forward cabin.

The saloon table and settee convert to a double berth and, together with a 6-foot-6-inch settee opposite, make a comfortable eating, lounging, and sleeping area. A double berth is located forward of the wardrobe and head area. Generous use of teak, both solid and ply, contributes to a sense of quality throughout the boat, but the polypropylene carpeting used to line the hull ages unattractively.

Sailing the S2 9.2 is a treat. In 15 to 17 knots, it heels sharply under the mainsail and 150-percent genoa before settling in to make 5 or 6 knots upwind. Weather helm is noticeable in stronger gusts, but the boat is generally well balanced and always manageable, even in lumpy seas. All in all, the S2 9.2 is a well-designed, tough, and able 30-footer with good performance for racing or cruising.

Architect Richard Smith and his wife, Beth, sail their Ericson Cruising 31, Kuma, in the Pacific Northwest.

Find more Cruising World boat reviews here . Read the review of the S2 8.6 here .

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S2 Yachts Combines Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport | Tiara Yachts December 31, 2020

S2 YACHTS BRINGS TIARA YACHTS AND TIARA SPORT UNDER SINGLE BRAND

Holland, Mich., (January 5, 2021)  S2 Yachts is pleased to announce the consolidation of their Tiara brands (Tiara Yachts and Tiara Sport) under the Tiara Yachts banner. While this shift brings an outward and visible change to the Tiara Yachts brand, the form and functionality of every product built by S2 Yachts is ultimately, and will continue to be, Tiara. span>

“The definitions of Yacht and Sport have evolved since the inception of Tiara Sport in 2017. Sport has shifted and blended from vessels meant to be enjoyed for the day to vessels that can be enjoyed for longer trips and with more people, similar to what we see in our Yacht products. Our outboard products continued to grow in length and scope, which was not necessarily something we envisioned when we started Tiara Sport,” states CEO and President Tom Slikkers. “Ultimately, our brand families were more alike than they were different. Those shifts, paired with our desires to streamline resources and focus, led us to this change.”

“Although this is a directional shift for our company, this change will allow us to simplify and build momentum on both our inboard and outboard products. We’re excited to welcome 2021 with this branding shift and we’re looking forward to a great year, working with our dealer partners and customers to bring their boating dreams to reality,” said Dave O’Connell, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

The full beam hardtop shades the entire helm area with the three-wide seating and a center helm. Enjoy the plush seating bow to stern with detailed stitching, comfortable armrests and your choice of vibrant accent colors. “We took a very aggressive approach to our design of the 38 LS, analyzing the competitive marketplace while incorporating our knowledge of luxury engineering learned through our Tiara Yachts product line. We are thankful for the Innovation Award which validates the engineering process for new designs,” Andrew Bartlett, Director of Design, Tiara Sport

“Our customers can still expect the exceptional level of service and high end products from us, no matter what logo is on your vessel. Every single person in our organization continues to work diligently to bring the very best products to market, creating great experiences and memories for our customers,” Slikkers said

The Tiara Yachts branding transition kicks off with the launch of the 48 LS, the first outboard powered model under the Tiara Yachts name. Social zones, a key area of focus in every LS model, allow for guests to choose their preferred relaxation zone. Below deck you’ll find accommodations for four as well as a private head. The 48 LS will make its debut at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida at a Customer VIP Event beginning February 17th.

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The biggest of the S2 series was offered in two layouts. The center-cockpit version is a bit ungainly looking, but offers a lot below, and like her sister is well-built. Both versions have held their value.

Leon Slikkers is a boatbuilding legend. Chris Scott, who has worked with him for over three decades, knows the story well:

“Leon grew up on a farm in Michigan. I doubt he ever saw the ocean. What stood out then, as it does now, was his craftsmanship and ingenuity. For instance, he made his own tractor from used car parts. After the war he left the farm and went to work for Chris Craft [in Holland, Michigan]. He had a good job running the shop that made hard tops, but , even with a mortage and a young family to feed, he decided to go out on his own. ‘I can build a better boat.’

“He began in his garage, building 15- and 17-foot runabouts. From there he grew Slickcraft until AMF came and bought it  in the early ’70s. The sale included a non-competition agreement for five years.

“Slikkers couldn’t sit on his money, though, so in 1973 he started S2 to build sailboats. Building on the niche that he’d established in powerboats, his original aim was a series of ‘well-detailed, nicely built, high-quality trailerables.'”

Along with the differences between sail and power, Slikkers ran into the problems of pushing premium products in a price-competitive arena. “And those early boats weren’t wonderful,” Scott says. “The joke was that S2 stood for “slowly sideways. They weren’t very salty looking, either.”

Slikkers, however, was a quick study. By the late ’70s the company had developed a full series of cruising auxiliaries. The new boats continued the Slikkers attention to detail and solid craftsmanship. Sailing performance and styling were improved, and the second wave of S2 sailboats helped people forget the ugly ducklings.

The Slikkers story continued. The “third wave” was a successful foray into high-performance boats, with the Graham & Schlagater-designed Grand Slam series—7.9 meter, 9.3, and 10.1. (The 7.9 was twice MORC National champion.) Then, in the early ’80s, Slikkers read the shrinking sailboat market and returned to building powerboats—this time the Tiara series. He retooled twice for limited orders from established sailboat classes (a fleet of 7.9s was wiped out in a hurricane, for instance) but abandoned sailboats for good in 1986.

Tiara (along with its companion line, Pursuit) still thrives. From Holland the company has grown to encompass plants in Florida and North Carolina. Leon’s sons, David and Bob, are at the helm, but Leon continues to maintain an office in the Holland plant and is “more active than you can imagine,” says Scott. Along the way he managed to acquire the assets of his original Slickcraft company at a fraction of the price that he was originally paid for it.

Introduced in 1977, the S2 11.0 reflects the maverick disposition of her makers, the quest for a better mousetrap, and the market savvy of a successful entrepreneur. She was built in both aft and center cockpit versions (roughly 160 of each type were sold). She has weathered the intervening quarter century well. The owners we queried were universally upbeat about her durability and sailing ease.

Design Often credited to the “S2 Design Team,” the 11.0 was actually designed by Arthur Edmunds. A veteran of the sailboat projects initiated by Chris Craft in the late ’60s (Commanche, Apache, et al), Edmunds was called upon by Slikkers to draft the lines for his cruisers. Largest of the bunch, the 11-meter was to combine modern sailing performance, an attractive layout, contemporary styling, and meticulous construction. Says Scott, “Leon left Arthur’s lines alone below the water, but the ‘team’ concept came from the fact that he had tremendous influence on everything else.”

Perhaps the best way to describe the 11.0’s sailing characteristics is “straight down the middle.” In an era when IOR bulges and bumps were visible even on cruising boats, Edmunds opted instead, in almost all cases, for “the mean.” Her 11′ 11″ beam is substantial, but it’s regular and fairs nicely into waterlines that give her a symmetrical “footprint” or waterplane, meaning that as she heels, her shape in the water is only minimally distorted. This is one of the sources of her light, mannerly helm.

She has the sailplan proportions of her day—masthead rig, small main, overlarge foretriangle. Modern cruisers have come to appreciate larger, controllable mainsails and smaller, more easily handled headsails, but that’s not a combination you’ll easily find in boats of her vintage.

It’s hard to recall that there was a day when all sailing controls weren’t led to the cockpit, but the 11-meter was a pioneer in that regard.

The boat has a longish fin keel that strikes a balance between the deeper, thinner foils of today and the full-length keels they’ve evolved from. In order to encapsulate the considerable (6,000-pound) ballast, however, Edmunds was forced to make the keel very thick in section. In addition to adding to parasitic drag the thick keel produces less lift than might a modern NACA-inspired or suitably engineered foil. This all tends to decree middle-of-the-pack performance, especially upwind.

Her rudder is lower in aspect ratio than those that have followed, and it is supported by a vestigal skeg. Both of these factors reduce turning efficiency, but cruisers get some compensating confidence from the protection afforded by the skeg.

Contemporary cruising boats tend to have longer waterlines and stems that are more nearly plumb than the 11-meter. There’s good reason that boats have evolved toward longer waterlines, narrower entries, and flatter waterplanes—they go faster. But yesterday’s cruisers, even yesterday’s “modern” boats like the S2, offer some compensations. Certainly the foredeck on the 11.0 is kept relatively dry by her marked overhang forward. Certainly her look is more balanced and graceful due to her overhangs fore and aft. Her reverse transom works nicely with the rising line of her overhanging counter to form one of the aesthetic achievements of the boat.

In profile we can’t help but wince a bit at her oversized windows. While they certainly make the interior brighter and more habitable, they involve three jumbo-sized cutouts in the cabin trunk—big enough to pose a risk, in our view, in breaking seas. The rest of her styling elements—the marriage between a relatively straight sheerline and a slightly forward-leaning housetop, the stem and stern angles—all work together well.

When Slikkers introduced the 11- meter, the most popular auxiliary in the world over 30 feet was Morgan’s Out Island 41, which at that time was  closing in on 500 sold. Morgan attempted to capitalize on this acceptance with a smaller boat, a 36-footer built around the same open feel, the same center cockpit convenience and aft cabin privacy that made the 41 so popular. Despite being built on the hull of a racing design and being able to sail circles around its larger Out Island cousin, the Out Island 36 didn’t come close to matching the 41’s popularity. Neither did the Out Island 33.

Is a 36-footer too small to be a good aft-cabin cruiser? Not if you’re willing to separate appearance from effectiveness. The center cockpit version of the 11.0 has a very workable layout. Passage fore and aft can be accomplished either through a passageway (with galley ranged outboard) to port or a double-doored head (to starboard). The galley is close to the companionway and in the pitching center of the boat—good for ventilation, communication, and comfort. The saloon is pinched a bit by being shoved forward, but it works. We think it would work even better if the space devoted to a navigator’s electronic center had been minimized to achieve a bit more elbow room.)

Take a look at the two versions in profile, however, and you might have second thoughts. While the aft cockpit 11.0 has a comforting familiarity, the aesthetic adjustments called for to accommodate to the tall and bulging center cockpit boat are major. And, perched way atop the thing at the wheel, how protected, comfortable, and at ease will you feel? We sailed the aft cockpit model, so this is just speculation. Suffice it to say that, in return for the privacy of well-separated cabins and the convenience of sailing the boat from the middle, there are some prices to be paid.

Construction The mid-sized sampling of owners who weighed in on the 11.0 made her durability and sound construction their central theme. Said one owner of  a center cockpit boat,  “On the trip from San Diego to Hawaii we had several days of 12- to 18-foot seas and winds up to 55 knots. The boat handled everything with no problems. We felt very safe.”

Most rate the boat’s strength, quality, and equipment as well above average. “A lot of that,” says Scott, “is the integral keel. Molding the whole boat instead of bolting the keel onto it makes it much stronger.”

The hull is solid fiberglass. The deck is cored with end-grain balsa in the way of the walkways. During the production run of the 11-meter, blisters popped their ugly heads onto the marine scene. Says Scott, “We did a lot of research right away. We had been using vinylster resin from the start. What we wound up doing was replacing the exterior layer of cloth with chopped matt to eliminate the problems caused, we felt, by the binder in the cloth. Up to that point we’d always thought the chopper gun was a quick and dirty tool that we’d never use. We were among the first in the industry to come up with a five-year anti-blister warranty in 1984.” 

Just a single owner in our sample reported blistering. His, he said, “are widely spaced and have shown no change since 1983.”

S2’s hull-deck joint is simple, well-engineered, and has held up well: The hull molding has an inward-turning flange, onto which the deck molding is dropped. The joint is bedded in a flexible sealant, and through- bolted on six-inch centers by bolts passing vertically through the entire height of the slotted aluminum toerail. The joint is also through-bolted across the stem. Deck leaks seem not to be a problem.

The chainplates, however, have been a source of aggravation to several owners. One claims that they must be rebedded every season in order to keep them watertight.

Slikkers designed and made the hatches for the 11.0, rather than buying them from a vendor. From molding the surrounding lip into the deck tooling, to shaping the Lexan, to sizing and making the gasket, developing the sealant, and cutting the teak non-skid strips that guard it, the entire operation was done in-house. “Gelcoat was the premium available,” says Scott. “Our factory was one of the first to be climate-controlled. We pioneered the practice of building the boats in the molds so that they’d have maximum support.”

The 11-meter boats were sold with a variety of engines, including Universal, Volvo, and Yanmar. We saw no engine complaints, with the exception of one Volvo MD 17C (with saildrive) that had problems with overheating until a separate through-hull was installed for raw water intake.

S2s were priced above the market average, but lots of sailors were willing to pay for what they delivered. Praise is not unanimous, however.  Though no one has reported structural problems, one sailor sees the wooden mast step and relative “lack of structural support for the keel-stepped mast” as a potential problem. The recessed grab rail atop the cabin house is also, we noticed, the sort of “finger breaker” design that is neither accessible nor hefty enough to be a useful handhold in a time of genuine need.

Performance The 11.0 displaces 15,000 pounds. That means that she doesn’t get thrown around by the waves. It also means that it takes a lot to get her going. You can make the case that weight and momentum are advantages in a seaway, but our experience, and the evolution of modern cruising design, suggests that the less weight for a given sail power, the more efficient (and certainly the more sprightly) the sailboat. The trend over the quarter century since the 11.0 was designed has been toward lighter and lighter cruisers, and there are few sailors today who feel that adding pounds adds to sailing performance.

The 11.0’s sail area/displacement ratio of 17.2 is moderate, but it’s up against a displacement/length ratio of nearly 300. She has more wetted surface (by something approaching 25 percent) than a typical modern cruiser might. She is, in short, no speed demon. The lighter the breeze and the closer into it the course, the more she tends to suffer for the design trends of her era.

Due to her stability, predictable handling, and ease of maneuvering, though, she can be fun and forgiving to sail. She’s quite stiff, despite the fact that she derives relatively little form stability from her slack-bilged hull. Her T-shaped cockpit, an innovation in its day, limits the size of the wheel (36-inch) so that steering from the rail isn’t comfortable or efficient. The cockpit is not as deep nor the coamings as high as we would like to see on a boat that ventures offshore. The cockpit locker, on the other hand, is big enough to afford access to the port side of the engine, as well as space for generator, watermaker, and plenty of stowage. Furthermore, it’s compartmentalized intelligently.

Accommodations From its oversized (6′ 5″ x 6′ 4″) forward berth to its generous (6′ 5″ x 3′ 9″) quarter berth aft, the S2’s interior is more than a little accommodating. Throw in places to sleep for three more and she truly fulfills the “boat with beds” ideal that was the controlling interior principle in the ’70s and ’80s. But she’s more than a bunkhouse. Her galley, wrapped around a “serve-through counter,” was ahead of its time in terms of function, elbow room, clever use of space, and integration with the rest of the interior.

Using the quarterberth as a seat for the nav table is an acceptable accommodation in a boat this small. A surprisingly large hanging locker, well-finished drawers, and a jumbo head with shower are among the other details that have make the boat livable.

Whether the center-cockpit version “succeeds” in your eyes depends upon the priority you put on sociability belowdecks. The necessary functions—cooking, sleeping, and head-going—receive more space and attention in the twin-cabin set-up. The saloon is nudged forward and made “cozier” in the process—not necessarily a bad thing.

Having separate cabins is a boon for couples that cruise together. If that’s what’s on your mind, the 11.0 offers a boat that’s sized and priced to make double-cabin sailing a reality. One owner, who is 6′ 5″, reports that “I not only have room to stand up and lie down, but in weeks at a time of cruising I’ve never gotten that ‘closed in’ feeling.”

Conclusions Most owners rated the 11-meter’s original equipment as good to adequate. One said, however, “make sure that primary and halyard winches are big enough. My boat had Lewmars that were very undersized. I’ve moved to #43 (primary) and #42 (halyard) respectively.” Another wrote, “The original refrigeration wasn’t adequate for living aboard. We replaced it with Adler Barbour 20 years ago and it’s still going strong.”

Superior gelcoat quality is part of the S2 reputation. Most owners are pleased with the way theirs have held up over the years. While the boats were never built with an epoxy or any other form of barrier coat, the research that Slikkers and company did in the ’80s, and the use of vinylester resin, seems to have yielded hulls that have resisted blistering well.

The boats that Slikkers built, both aft and center cockpit,  are cruisable in the extreme when it comes to accommodation and capability. The more you demand from them in terms of sailing sizzle, the more their slips show, but considering the high level of construction in the hull, deck, and cabinetry, the generally good standard equipment list, and the thoughtful design details throughout, it’s easy enough to see why these boats have held their value over the years. According to the BUC Used Boat Price Guide, a 1981 model S2 11.0 (in both center- and aft-cockpit versions) has a retail value range today between $48,000 and $52,000 (Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region).

There’s a good deal of information on S2 boats on the Web. In particular check the pages at www.angelfire.com/mi/loosecruise/S2/index.html .

Contact – Tiara Yachts, 725 E. 40th St., Holland MI, 49423; 616/392-7163; www.tiarayachts.com .

Also With This Article Click here to view “Owner’s Comments.”

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I bought an S2 11.0A (36′ aft cockpit) a couple of years ago. I had been looking at a Hunter Cherubini 37′ cutter rigged boat that was said to be the heartist boats built in it’s time, and seemingly blue-water capable. That deal didn’t happen, but a year later I found my 36′ S2 and in researching the vessels specifications, I saw that it wasn’t exactly a blue-water boat, but it definitely fit the mold of a coastal cruiser. 75 galons of water, 50 gallons of fuel, 36hp engine, vestigal skeg rudder and encased lead keel. The quality of construction was noted in most online articles I read; and just as most people said, I wouldn’t find any blistering of the fiberglass on this four-decades old boat, however, up until this past season, I was actually considering painting the hull, the tan gelcoat was chalky and I had always wanted a dark blue hull anyway, but that was before I spent a couple of days polising the gelcoat. The color and shine was restored to that of a much younger boat, doing that and stripping the paint off the teak toerails and oiling them, has gotten me several complments from other boaters. The S2 is shaping up to be the type of boat I’ve always admired, a vessel with classic lines, nice overhangs, moderate freeboard, a heart-shaped transom, with golden-orange teak and stainless steel glistening in the sun. But while some of those items are cosmetic, and while I haven’t been in many wicked conditions yet with this boat, I’ve been in a couple that have proven to me that those old-style overhangs, along with the overall hull shape, is a great design in large swells when winds are high and when you are plowing through oncoming wave-sets that are as close together as possible without breaking over each other. And while the interior isn’t designed with an “open plan” like a modern boat, you do have confidence in rough conditions that you’re not going to be allowed to get very far if the boat makes an unexpected movement when you’ve braced yourself in the galley while making something for the crew. What is also notable is the quality of the interior woodwork. My wife spent a couple of hours treating all the interior teak with lemon oil, which gave the woodwork a fresh luster without feeling oily or tacky. The boat is exceptionaly dry, maybe owing to the care by the single owner the boat had had for nearly 40 years, before us. But I would guess that even through multiple owners, as long as one of them didn’t go “redesigning” the interior, or exterior for that matter, any S2 would still be a boat that is functional and updateable. If you like a more classic looking boat with teak insead of aluminum, formica, or plastic, then this is a boat that was at the top of it’s class for the price at the time, and in my opinion, has aged well as far as design and looks.

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Electric Motorcycles

Harley-davidson’s livewire launches first electric cruiser motorcycle, s2 mulholland.

LiveWire, the all-electric motorcycle company spun out of Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle division, has just unveiled its latest electric motorcycle. The new LiveWire S2 Mulholland is the brand’s first cruiser electric motorcycle, and in fact the first cruiser of any major electric motorcycle maker.

It might not look quite like a typical H-D cruiser. Gone are the chrome pipes and leather bar tassels. Instead, LiveWire is calling the S2 Mulholland a “performance cruiser”, and it’s got the specs to back that up.

A 3.3 second 0-60 mph time adds sportiness to the laidback cruiser geometry with taller bars and a more relaxed-looking ride. The use of a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear also gives the bike a squatter rear end.

There’s no cruiser frame, but that’s because there’s not really a frame at all. Instead, the S2 Mulholland uses the Arrow platform seen on the S2 Del Mar, which is centered around a structural battery that allows for multiple bikes to be built around a similar architecture.

When Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle brand LiveWire rolled out the S2 Del Mar on a versatile new platform two years ago, we knew it was likely the first of several bikes to share that Arrow setup. We speculated that the next bike could be a cruiser format, and now we’re finally getting a look at that very model in the S2 Mulholland.

Despite sharing the same foundation, the S2 Mulholland certainly carries a bold new design.

As the company explained, “Mulholland represents a shift in design at LiveWire as the company has reimagined the profile and silhouette of the motorcycle—traditionally informed by the gas tank—while also using sustainable materials in key components for the first time.”

That includes minimizing petroleum-based plastics wherever possible, such as in the seat, bodywork, and secondary plastic components.

Hemp bio-composites are used in the fenders, the radiator shrouds and wiring caddies are made from a type of nylon produced from recycled ocean fishing nets, and the seat is made of recyclable silicone instead of leather or vinyl.

On the powertrain side, the S2 Mulholland shares a considerable amount of hardware with the S2 Del Mar, including a 10.5 kWh battery with a 78-minute recharge time on Level 2 charging.

However, it sports a higher city range of 121 miles (194 km) compared to the S2 Del Mar’s 113 miles (181 km), perhaps indicating that they’ve found a way to make the 62 kW (84 hp) motor a bit more efficient.

That range turns into 73 miles (117 km) on the highway at 55 mph (88 km/h). For reference, I own a LiveWire S2 Del Mar and I find that I get around 1 mile per battery percent when I’m in the city and sticking to roads that are posted up to around 45 mph, with occasional sprints up to 55 mph. But it sounds like the S2 Mulholland should do slightly better than the S2 Del Mar on range.

A big part of the bike will likely be its customization options, which LiveWire sounds ready to support.

As the company added, “a range of S2 Mulholland accessories including passenger seats and pegs, windscreens, soft and hard bags, luggage racks, and cosmetic pieces will be launching to further add to the unique riding experience and visual appeal of S2 Mulholland.”

The bike is now available across LiveWire and Harley-Davidson dealerships in North America, where it carries a price of US $15,999 and CAD $21,999 .

The S2 Del Mar expanded to Europe several months after its US launch, though international riders will need to wait until 2025 for the S2 Mulholland to enter international markets.

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Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries , DIY Solar Power,   The Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide  and The Electric Bike Manifesto .

The e-bikes that make up Micah’s current daily drivers are the $999 Lectric XP 2.0 , the $1,095 Ride1Up Roadster V2 , the $1,199 Rad Power Bikes RadMission , and the $3,299 Priority Current . But it’s a pretty evolving list these days.

You can send Micah tips at [email protected], or find him on Twitter , Instagram , or TikTok .

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