Green is in and electric motorcycles are converging to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to show the world what speed they can reach.
Last Sunday a Lightning Motorcycle averaged 206.079 mph on 2 passes, with one pass at 208.38 mph easily beating last year’s 173.388 mph electric bike land speed record. Lightning Motorcycles is the brainchild of Richard Hatfield and a group of Silicon Valley engineers dedicated to the belief that world class performance is compatible with clean tech transportation.
Race Tech principal Paul Thede rode the bike equipped with a propulsion electric motor from Remy International to Southern California Timing Association record books. The Lightning SuperBike is equally suited to track days, weekend rides, your favorite back roads or… record runs at Bonneville. A build-to-order bike like this will set you back about $40,000. Lighting Motorcycles.
I imagine, that with soft tires on rubberized asphalt of new condition and an instant response to the throttle that the bike would handle like a slot (car) machine.
What’s the torque feel like?
A. The 45-degree Big Twin Harley?
B. A flathead Indian Chief?
C. A drive-shaft Ace, inline 4-cylinder?
or
D. A two-wheeled Tesla?
Hey Paul,
Congratulations! What an incredible accomplishment.
Yea, the fastest two-wheeled man on the planet. I think because his bike’s electric, and doesn’t burn fuel or make any noise, that our perception is one, in which he pulled up to the salt flats with another fellow, rolled his “juicer” off a U-Haul trailer, flicked a 3-phase switch (Low, Medium, High) and was doing 208.38 in about 38 seconds. There was no fire coming out of the exhaust pipe, only a whoosh.
What’s the wind noise like at 207 mph? White?
Does the bike have a stereo boombox?
When will we see a sport model?
Does the bike make any noise at all? And if not, is there a “noise kit” available?
Does it have a tool kit?
Production models will have a noise kit. I can see it now. “Modify” your noise kit to sound like a P51.Or a 18-wheeler jake-braking down a mountain. A 69 Shovel head?..sure……….. peace
Congratulations,
I enjoyed that record from 1974 to 2011..37 years..
Well done !
Better learn to live with the electric motorcycle boys and girls, because that is the wave of the future!
Burnout: …..noise kit …… very good thinking!
Over & Out,
Jeff
Now that’s cool!