Electric V3 motorcycle to race combustion-engine bikes in MotoAmerica
A new V3 electric motorcycle is entering the MotoAmerica Super Hooligan championship against combustion-powered bikes.
OrangeCat Racing has confirmed plans to race its new Lightfighter V3 motorcycle against combustion-powered bikes in MotoAmerica, but it’s not the first team to do so.
Combustion-powered motorcycles racing electric bikes is not something we’re accustomed to seeing all that often, however, it’s seemingly becoming more and more popular. In fact, there’s one series that already has familiarity with this, and that’s the Super Hooligan championship in America.
The Super Hooligan series, like the King of the Baggers class, offers up something a little bit different to what we’re used to seeing in Europe. It’s a championship where naked road bikes are turned into full-on race machines.
Some of the bikes racing in the series include Indian Motorcycle’s FTR1200, Harley-Davidson’s Pan America, the KTM 890 Duke R, and Triumph’s Street Triple 765RS. But so does Energica’s Eva Ribelle, which was the only electric bike in the class prior to OrangeCat Racing announcing plans to race the Lighterfighter V3 bike in 2026.
The V3-RH uses a tubular chromoly steel trellis chassis, which houses a lithium-ion battery pack. Its water-cooled electric motor claims to go north of 11,000rpm, while also delivering a maximum 119.6 Ib ft of torque.
Lightfighter CEO Brian Wismann said:
"We’ve been inspired by the efforts of past teams to bring new technologies to the series, and we’re looking forward to continuing that tradition by taking the next generation of EV powertrain and proving what it can do against some of the best racers and motorcycles in the world.”
OrangeCat Racing and Lightfighter unveiled the new V3-RH during an event at the Circuit of the Americas, in Texas. The launch coincided with a new ‘Design Partner Program’ being announced which will allow 10 participants to purchase a V3 model.
They will also be able to take part in a variety of testing and development events as Lightfighter test riders and assist Lightfighter engineers in designing the new V4 model. Participants will then trade away their V3s for a fully-customized V4 when that model enters production in 2027.
OrangeCat Racing says “the new program is a fusion of advanced R&D, elite coaching, and once-in-a-lifetime motorsport experiences - all culminating in a one-of-a-kind machine that will be both a performance benchmark and a collector’s item.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
