September 21, 2015
Issue:
The magazine “MOTO” – September 2015
Author:
Alan Cathcart, translated by Alexander Vorontsov photo Kevin Wing
Tags:
Lightning / LS-218 / elektrobayka /Sport /
This year may be called superbikes season: on the track came a generation “200+” – the latest version of the Aprilia RSV4, BMW S1000RR, Ducati 1299 Panigale, Yamaha YZF-R1 (and do not forget about the compressor Kawasaki H2!). But they challenge the world’s fastest elektrobayk – Lightning LS-218, whose sales also begin this year.
Lightning LS-218 is $ 38,800 (excluding taxes) – a serious figure. But someone is willing to pay $ 50,000 for Kawasaki H2R! A Lightning surpasses the Japanese bomb in the dynamics and exclusivity. Compressor motor “cava” gives 156 N· m at 12 500 r / min, and the electric motor LS-218 – a fantastic 228 N · m, available virtually throughout the rev range – up to a limit of 10 500. The Japanese group will make 500 units, Americans – only 150. Moreover, only H2R homologated for racing tracks and Lightning can travel on ordinary roads.
But Lightning jumped like hell-the-box: the process of its creation has taken for nine years. And hardly anyone will talk about it better than Richard Hatfield, founder and owner of Lightning Motorcycles.
C where it all began, Richard?
And I always had a passion for unusual and dynamic devices. Even when I was in university, he has built into its own VW Beetle engine Chevy V8 from the Corvette. A motorized interested much later – as with other enthusiasts turned on him a sports car Porsche. Then we did not have a good lithium battery, but the technology has attracted me since its inception: it is much wiser to use a battery with better returns. And since I was also an avid motorcyclist, then quickly realized that the two-wheeled vehicle is even better suited for transfer to electric.
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