After years of specializing in high-performance streetbikes, Lightning Motorcycles seems to now be engaged on an electrical journey bike.
The crew at Motorcycle.com has managed to dig up regulatory paperwork from China exhibiting plans for an ADV-style machine. As per MO’s write-up:
The design was filed Feb. 11, 2022, with the China National Intellectual Property Administration by Lightning, with its founder and Chief Executive Officer Richard Hatfield listed as the only real designer. Lightning has a manufacturing unit in China, so it’s not solely stunning the American firm would register the design in that nation’s IP workplace.
The submitting included textual content (translated from Chinese) saying the design as being for an “off-road motorcycle”, together with “Dakar” written in English.
Looking on the design. MO’s Dennis Chung figures there’s some design affect right here from the Lightning Strike sportbike (launched in 2019), however with extra floor clearance, due to longer-travel suspension and a change-up to the rear shock mounting level. However, any specs or actually just about any particulars on the Lightning ADV bike’s design, are all guesses. You can’t actually inform very a lot from the drawings right here.
MO has a number of extra drawings of the brand new Lightning ADV design, plus a mock-up juxtaposed in opposition to the Strike sportbike, right here.
The electrical ADV market heats up
If this truly makes it to market as a motorbike you should purchase, Lightning’s ADV would be a part of Zero, who’s been constructing ADV/twin sport bikes for a number of years now. More lately, Italy-based Energica introduced its Experia, which is mostly a sport tourer however with important cues from the “adventure sports” style (see our assessment right here). While all these machines are nonetheless considerably held again by weight, recharge instances and battery vary, they’re enhancing. As governments crack down on petrol-powered bikes, count on to see extra machines like this launched. The market desires ADVs, and the market is being pushed in direction of EVs. Battery-powered journey bikes would be the end result.