Lightning continues its cheap-as-free marketing campaign for the Strike superbike, with new details on the bike revealed.
Here’s what we can tell from the latest teaser photo, above: the bike will have proper Ohlins suspension, unlike the budget-minded components seen so often on electric motorcycles. The frame and swingarm appear to be possibly CNC-machined, although that’s not specifically stated. And, there are three cables entering the electric motor casing, likely for a three-phase DC brushless motor setup.
Although you can’t tell from the photo, Lightning says that motor is liquid-cooled. That’s not unheard for an electric bike, but Zero, the biggest competition for Lightning, still uses air-cooled motors, which go into a “Limp Home” mode if they start overheating.
Earlier this winter, Lightning said the bike will be available for $12,998 US when it debuts; that works out to roughly $17,000 CAD, although there’s no guarantee it will ever come to our market. At that price, though, there’s sure to be some battery bike fans keen to ride it, as it’s roughly half of what Harley-Davidson’s new Livewire electric bike will cost, and the Strike is said to “compete head-on with the best gas bikes in the world.” So says the press release, anyway.
Supposedly, the Strike will come with a 240-km range and a 240 km/h top speed, with a 35-minute recharging time. Sounds promising, and again—we’ll see full details when the bike is unveiled in March.
