ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES seem to be coming from all directions at the moment with small start-ups and established companies all busily trying to steal a march on each other in race for domination.
And now Californian company lightning has teased the obligatory moodily light teaser shot of a new bike’s headlights along with some pretty bold performance claims.
The bike is called the Lightning Strike and will be the new flagship of the range, taking over from the LS218 superbike the company has been selling for a few years now. The company claims the new machine will have 150 miles of range, 150mph capability, $12,998 (£10k in today's money) and a charge time of just 35mins (DC).
Their website claims, ‘Lightning Motorcycles is ready to take the industry by storm. After years of developing the most advanced electric motorcycle technology in the world while dominating racetracks and setting land speed records with the LS-218 Superbike, Lightning is announcing the upcoming launch of the all-new Lightning Strike – the world’s first premium mass-market electric motorcycle.’
With nothing more than the teaser shot to go by, it’s tough to say anything more about the design of the machine, other than it seems to have ‘angel-eye’ LED daytime riding lights!
They go on to say, ‘Designed to shock the industry in every dimension, Strike is capable of a 150-mile range, 150 mph top speed and DC fast-charging in 35 minutes. With an ultra-competitive starting price of $12,998, Strike offers more design, performance, range and technology than any other electric motorcycle in its segment – without exception. Full product details and unveiling will take place at the official Strike launch in March 2019.’
If the bike comes to the UK, its price, spec and claimed on road and recharging performance would put it squarely in the crosshairs of Zero’s new bike we reported a week ago, the SR/F. It would also be a cost-effective alternative to the Arc Vector whose CEO we spoke to before Christmas, read that interview here.
We’ve contacted Lightning for more info or an invite to the full reveal – more information as we have it.
