America’s largest motorcycle company and its most successful manufacturer of electric motorcycles are going head to head with a pair of battery-powered street bikes.

Harley-Davidson has begun selling its dynamic new LiveWire, the Milwaukee-based giant’s first battery bike, and the first in a coming line of many such two-wheelers.

Zero Motorcycles has started deliveries of the Zero SR/F, the fastest and most powerful electric machine yet from the 13-year-old Scotts Valley, Calif., company.

I rode both and came away surprised by which bike I preferred.