After 111 years of making gas-powered cycles, Harley was about the last company one might expect to make a plug-in.

The Harley-Davidson LiveWire took almost everyone by surprise. After 111 years of making increasingly large, gas-powered two-wheelers, Harley was about the last mainstream motorcycle maker anyone expected to come out with a plug-in electric, even if it is just a concept.

Yet there it was. Parked on a Southern California runway last week, itching to be taken for a spin.

No gas tank. No exhaust pipe. No clutch. No gearbox. Just an electric motor slung under its belly and housed in billet aluminum, a stack of lithium-ion batteries packed into a trellis frame and disguised with metal covers — so very unlike a traditional Harley V-twin that no one would ever guess its provenance without the badge.

Straddling its low-slung seat, I kicked up the stand and looked for the key hole. There wasn't one. Its ignition is keyless — brought to life with the usual buttons on the right grip once its electronics sense the presence of its fob. Pushing the ignition switch on the hand grip doesn't yield the throaty grumble of a traditional Harley but the churning of an oil pump to cool the electric motor and a second pump that sends coolant to the control unit. Twisting the grip negates the pump sound, replacing it with a pitch that sounds nothing like Harley's almost-trademarked potato-potato-potato.

A Harley rep says the sound was custom-designed to sound like a jet fighter. I say it sounds like twin aliens singing off pitch.

Instead of a circular gauge, there's a rectangular touch screen with a simple graphics display supplying all the pertinent information: how far it can go (about 53 miles), how fast (92 mph) and, most importantly, when the batteries will run out of juice. The three-phase induction motor is rated at 55 kilowatts, or 74 horsepower, and makes 52 pound-feet of instant torque.

Being electronically controlled, riders can choose between two ride modes: the perkier “power” setting and stingier “range.”For my first few runs, I chose power. Twisting the grip, it practically rolled out from under me, threatening to lift the front wheel in mere seconds. Harley's internal combustion engines have nothing on electric when it comes to torque. The LiveWire more than lived up to its name — with electrifying acceleration.Over the course of several speed runs, I reached the LiveWire's governed limit of 92 mph. Harley claims a 0-to-60 mph acceleration time of 4 seconds flat.Overall, the LiveWire is a terrific machine that looks as great as it performs. The way it's currently set up, the range will likely be an issue, but that's why Harley is only offering it as a sample.

Sue Carpenter test drives the new electric motorcycle from Harley-Davidson in Irvine, Calif. At this point, it is only a concept vehicle.