Lightning Motorcycle Strike Again—Literally!

Lightning Motorcycle strike again. Literally! After spending years developing and showing off the ridiculously fast LS-218, Lightning Motorcycle has unveiled its all new Lightning Strike—the world's first mass-market, premium electric motorcycle.

The motorcycle comes in three variants. All variants use the same electric motor, albeit with different battery specs. First, there is the Strike Standard that features a 10kWh battery. The motor produces 90hp and 245Nm of torque! The company claims the Lightening Strike Standard has a top speed of 217kmph and an in-city range of 113. The range increases to 161km on highways. Also claimed is the curb weight that stands at 206kg.

The second is a mid-range variant called the Strike Mid-Range. The motorcycle features a 15kWh battery. The increased capacity pushes the in-city range to 168km and 240km on highways. The rest of the specs resemble the Standard variant with a top speed of 217km and a motor that produces 90hp and 245Nm of torque. The claimed curb weight stands at 211kg.

The third variant, called the Strike Carbon Edition is the top of the line product. The variant features a massive 20kHw battery. It produces 120hp from the same motor as the other siblings! Range on this baby increases to 241km in the city, and 322km on highways. The Lightening Strike Carbon Edition feature top of game cycle parts. Get a load of this—she runs Ohlin suspension at both front and rear, Brembo braking systems, a GPS-based data logger, and an AIM Strada racing dash with a lap timer! Oh and, top speed on the motorcycle is electronically limited to 241kmph. Fast, really fast!

Big batteries mean more charging. Lightning Motorcycle has a three-level charging for the triplets. Level 1—allows the battery to be charged via a 110v outlet (6 to 8 hours for a full charge). Level 2—although we are unsure about what outlet this uses, the battery charges within a 3-hour period. And Level 3—Lightning claims the battery will be at full power in 20-minutes! How? Well, the folks at LM have developed a fast charger!

The triplets are priced at $2,998 for the Standard, $16,998 for the Strike Mid-Range, and $19,998 for the Strike Carbon Edition. That is a price bracket of Rs. 8.98 lakh and Rs 13.83 lakh (not including taxes and import duties). The fast charger is an optional and is available for $1,500. That is approximately Rs 1.03 lakh. Lightning Motorcycle has managed to keep prices competitive because most parts are manufactured at their facility in China, and are assembled in California. Only the carbon-fibre body panels are manufactured in the US of A.

As is, the triplets have been launched only in the US. Although the company has expansion plans that include a global market, we do not think LM will head toward India in the near future.

What We Think Of The Lightning Strike Triplets

Woah! Who does that? An all electric superbike? That clocks 241kmph? And has a fast charger to juice the battery up in 20 minutes? All we have a mobile fast chargers that promise 50% juice in about 30 minutes. Tsk tsk! But we want to get our hands on one of these! Lightning Motorcycle Strike again, literally!