Photo: asphaltandruber.com
It’s been a busy weekend for electric mobility. We knew that Lightning Motorcycles would unveil the production version of their electric superbike at the Quail Lodge event in California, and we’ve seen the first photos of the LS-218 machine.
Just like Bultaco’s new Rapitan, the Lightning bike comes with an awesome design which makes it hard to tell whether you’re looking at an electric bike or a classic, petrol one. With Glynn Kerr behind the design of the LS-218, it was only natural that the bike looked awesome, if flawless sounds a bit over-excited.
Funny to see the LS-218 shod with slick tires and sporting a passenger seat, but this has a lot of symbolic meaning. Lightning has already set a land speed record for electric motorcycles in Bonneville, hence the 218 figure in the name. The racer version of the bike rode at a top speed of 218 mph (350.7 km/h) in 2011, and the manufacturer claims that the production racer will also have more than enough speed and acceleration to make every rider more than happy, so to speak.
With an engine which is supposed to deliver more than 200 horsepower and a torque of around 228 Nm (168 lb-ft), the LS-218 should indeed be quite a thrilling ride, and winning the Pikes peak International Hill Climb last year proved that Lightning are not joking with performance. The price might be a factor in having these bikes selling in very big numbers, as $38,888 (€28,250) is a bit steep, to say the least.
However, Lightning was definitely not up to creating a cheap commuter, and riders in search of top-drawer performance know that performance doesn’t come cheap. And using Öhlins TTX36 rear shock and linkage system, all-Brembo racing calipers and rotors for the Öhlins FGRT inverted forks and forged magnesium Marchesini should be enough details on Lightning’s approach on top performance, when it comes to their superbike.
Still, after the bike starts shipping, most likely in July, Lightning is also planning to introduce a 650cc-class-like new machine called Aion, which will most likely represent the more tangible, affordable option for bigger numbers of riders in search of a new electric motorcycle. For more photos, please check with A&R.
Funny to see the LS-218 shod with slick tires and sporting a passenger seat, but this has a lot of symbolic meaning. Lightning has already set a land speed record for electric motorcycles in Bonneville, hence the 218 figure in the name. The racer version of the bike rode at a top speed of 218 mph (350.7 km/h) in 2011, and the manufacturer claims that the production racer will also have more than enough speed and acceleration to make every rider more than happy, so to speak.
With an engine which is supposed to deliver more than 200 horsepower and a torque of around 228 Nm (168 lb-ft), the LS-218 should indeed be quite a thrilling ride, and winning the Pikes peak International Hill Climb last year proved that Lightning are not joking with performance. The price might be a factor in having these bikes selling in very big numbers, as $38,888 (€28,250) is a bit steep, to say the least.
However, Lightning was definitely not up to creating a cheap commuter, and riders in search of top-drawer performance know that performance doesn’t come cheap. And using Öhlins TTX36 rear shock and linkage system, all-Brembo racing calipers and rotors for the Öhlins FGRT inverted forks and forged magnesium Marchesini should be enough details on Lightning’s approach on top performance, when it comes to their superbike.
Still, after the bike starts shipping, most likely in July, Lightning is also planning to introduce a 650cc-class-like new machine called Aion, which will most likely represent the more tangible, affordable option for bigger numbers of riders in search of a new electric motorcycle. For more photos, please check with A&R.
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