Lightning Motorcycles is looking to shake up the future of electric motorcycles with the introduction of the all-new Lightning Strike. The Strike is a fully electric motorcycle and while the performance figures look to be promising, the thing that stands out the most about the strike is that it has a starting price of $12,998. TO put that into perspective, Harley Davidson’s all electric Livewire has a starting price of $29,799. Needless to say, the Strike will be a shock to the market.
In their design of the Strike, Lightning says they are aiming to, “blend elements of track-ready performance, daily rideability and comfort, as well as aerodynamic efficiency to extend range at higher speeds.” They also claim a 30% reduction in aerodynamic drag at 70 mph when compared to other non-faired electric motorcycles. Could they be talking about Harley here?
Lightning is offering 3 trim levels for the strike, the Strike Standard, Mid Range, and Carbon Edition. The Standard has a 10 kWh battery and the Mid Range has a 15 kWh battery. Both make 90 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. I repeat, 180 lb-ft of torque! Top speed should be around 135 mph. However, the top range Strike Carbon edition ups the bar with 120 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 150 mph. Power comes from a fully liquid cooled AC induction motor.
Those numbers put the Lightning Strike right in the territory of 600-800cc gasoline powered sport and sport-naked bikes. However, the abundant amount of instant torque should provide a complete unique riding experience. With the available instant torque, Lightning promises that the Strike will have throttle response that is smooth and intuitive to give the best power delivery whether commuting or on a track. A great sign for the potential of electric motorcycles.
Range for the Strike will depend on which model you get. The standard bike with 10 kWh battery will have a range of 70-100 miles. The mid-range bike with 15 kWh battery will have a range of 105-150 miles. The Strike Carbon Edition with 20 kWh battery will have a range of 150-200 miles. By comparison the Harley-Daivdson LiveWire has a range of 110 miles, which, based on the numbers, should put it on par with the mid-range Strike.
Charging is handle by a CCS (combined charging system) charge port. With this system the Strike is capable of Level 1, 2, and 3 charging.
Level 1 – Overnight charge: Plug into any 110v household outlet
Level 2 – 2-3 hours: Charge on-the-go at public charging stations
Level 3 – 35 minutes: DC fast charge 100+ miles of riding range in 20 minutes.
The standard and mid range get Level 1 and 2 charging with Level 3 charging as a $1,500 option. The Carbon comes with a Level 3 charger as standard. The stand and mid models have a 3.3 kW charger on board that can be upgraded to a 6.6 kW charger as a $1,500 option (included w/ Carbon Edition)
Along with the Level 3 and 6.6 kWh charging, the Strike Carbon comes with a host of upgrades and features over the other two models. There’s full carbon fiber bodywork made in house by Lightning. The Carbon Edition comes with Lightning’s Performance Package that includes Öhlins front and rear suspension, Brembo brakes, AIM Strada racing dash with lap timer and GPS-based data logging. The Strike Carbon will be the first version of the motorcycle available in July 2019, before mid and standard models are released at a later date. To reserve the Carbon Edition you will have to make a $10,000 refundable deposit.
