Lightning Electric Adventure Bike

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New design patents filed in China indicate that Lightning Motorcycles may be working on an upcoming adventure motorcycle. (Lightning Motorcycle/)

Lightning Motorcycles might not have fulfilled all the early promise of the original LS-218 electric superbike—named after the 218-mph-speed record a modified version set at Bonneville in 2012—but the company is still working on new products including this planned adventure bike, based on same platform as the Lightning Strike sportbike.

Revealed thanks to registered designs filed in China, where Lightning has a manufacturing facility, the machine is listed under the code name “Dakar.” That doesn’t necessarily mean the production version will carry the same name, but it gives a clear indication of the bike’s adventure intentions.

The styling is credited to Lightning founder Richard Hatfield, and there are clear nods to the company’s existing LS-218 and Strike designs in both the bike’s engineering and its appearance.

In this image you can see how the swingarm is mounted concentric to the motor’s shaft. ( Lightning Motorcycle/)

It’s clear that the chassis and drivetrain are closely related to the Strike. The distinctively curved swingarm is extremely similar in style, but where the older Lightning models have the swingarm pivot relatively low, the Dakar’s version is mounted concentrically to the motor’s shaft. That suggests the reduction transmission of the Strike and LS-218 has been removed, with the electric motor instead powering the final drive directly.

It looks like final drive is by belt, with a massive rear pulley providing the ratio needed to multiply the motor’s torque and to gear the motor correctly for an adventure bike’s performance demands.

As on the Strike and LS-218, the motor plays a structural role in the chassis, with billet-style subframes front and rear to carry the steering head and the seat. A direct-action shock, with no rising-rate linkage, is bolted between the swingarm and an upper mount on top of the motor, while the fork is suitably long to give the bike the adventure stance that the firm is looking for.

Like Lightning’s other models, the battery pack is mounted ahead of the motor, stacked vertically to extend up into the area where you’d normally find a fuel tank. The Lightning Strike, revealed back in 2019, uses a substantial 20kW battery pack to provide a claimed 152-mile range in mixed usage, with the firm claiming a possible 200 miles at urban speeds. As an adventure bike, the Dakar is likely to be at least as long-range as the Strike and could feature an even larger battery.

The top view shows the broad upper “tank” area that conceals the battery pack. (Lightning Motorcycle/)

If the motor is the same used in the Strike—which would make sense to reduce development and manufacturing costs—then it’s good for 120-peak horsepower according to Lightning’s own figures, although a detuned version might make sense given the bike’s style and the range advantages that a lower-power output could offer.

While rival electric bike firm Energica has recently launched the Experia, as a battery-powered adventure-tourer, the Dakar’s design indicates it has more extreme off-road aspirations. That could put it into competition with machines like Zero’s DSR, although until we have definitive details of the motor and battery specs it’s hard to be certain where the Dakar will sit in terms of performance or range.

When it comes to styling, which is what these registered designs are intended to protect from copycats, the look has a clear link to Lightning’s other bikes, particularly the headlight shape, even though it’s aimed at a completely different category. The angular bodywork might not be to all tastes, and the need to fit the battery into the space available appears to have given the “tank” area a very square-shouldered look, particularly when seen from the rear. However, it’s clear these are relatively early designs, so it would be no surprise if the look evolves before anything is officially shown to the public.

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