lightning strike motorcycle is an affordable high power electric sport bike

silicon valley-based electric motorcycle manufacturer lightning has unveiled its first two-wheeled EV. starting at $12,998, the strike comes with an impressive array of specs to match its impressively low entry price, boasting a monstrous 180 lb-ft (244 Nm) of torque and a 70 mile (113 km) range.

images courtesy of lightning

the base version of the standard range strike carries a 10kWh battery that offers 113-161 km (70-100 mi) of range (highway/city). an AC induction motor is capable of producing 90 horsepower with the 455-pound bike generating a top speed of 135 miles per hour. the battery can be recharged either overnight with a 110V level 1 connection of in 2-3 hours with a level 2. lightning is selling a quicker charging option for $1,500 that will make it possible to fully charge the battery in about 35 minutes at Level 3 DC fast chargers.

if that’s not enough though, a mid range version with a 15-kWh battery delivers 105-150 miles for US$16,998. other than carrying an extra 10 pounds, the mid-range is pretty similar to the standard range version. it has the same top speed, same charging, same horsepower and torque. if you want a more obvious improvement a third tier carbon edition with 20 kWh will take you 150 miles (241 km) on the highway for $19,998.

the strike carbon edition generates up to 120 horsepower with the same torque as the others, whilst a 6.6-kW level 3 fast charging will let you put 100 miles (161 km) worth of range into the bike in just 20 minutes. finally, it is outfitted with a variety of upgrade options, including öhlins suspension, brembo monoblock brakes, AIM strada racing dash with lap timer and GPS-based data logging, plus a carbon fiber body package.

lightning says it will start deliveries in the US but plans to announce international expansion in late 2019. 

project info

manufacturer: lightning

model: strike

available: 2019