Last weekend, the Team Icon Brammo and Team Parker Brammo squads competed against their gas-powered counterparts, which you can read about here. Now, let’s take a closer look at just how far e-bike technology has progressed since Brammo — and Lightning — last raced at Sonoma Raceway, exactly one year ago.
Now that the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is fully paved, the event is drawing a number of racers worldwide for the 91st running. The latest to announce his entry into the motorcycle field is six-time winner Chip Yates, aboard a Lightning superbike. Continue Reading »
Lightning Motorcycles has signed two-time Isle of Man TT race winner Cameron Donald to race in the 2013 TT Zero and the FIM’s e-Power championship.
The Australian native, who won races in both the Superbike and Superstock classes at the 2008 Isle of Man TT, will ride the latest version of Lightning’s electric motorcycle, a bike our own Troy Siahaan calls the fastest motorcycle he’s ever ridden.
Donald becomes the latest established road racer to sign up to race electric motorcycles. Last September, Miguel Duhamel rode the Lightning to victory at the Le Mans stop of the e-Power series. Earlier in 2012, overall Isle of Man TT lap record holder John McGuinness rode the Mugen Shinden in the TT Zero, and on this side of the Atlantic, Eric Bostrom rode for Brammo in the TTXGP’s North American Championship. Continue Reading »
Apple is one of the world’s most powerful brands, and it looks like it recently enlisted the help of another top brand: Harley-Davidson. The two companies are among the top 100 brands in the world, as ranked by brand consultancy firm Interbrand. Apple is #2 on Interbrand’s rankings for top brands of 2012 with a brand value of $76.57 billion, while Harley-Davidson is ranked 96th overall with a value of $3.86 billion.
According to a report by the blog Patently Apple, Apple recently acquired partial trademark rights in Europe for “Lightning”, to be used for its new 8-pin connector for its latest mobile products including the iPhone 5 and the fourth-generation iPad. But in order to use the trademark, Apple had to negotiate for the rights to use it from its trademark-holder, Harley-Davidson.
The Motor Company held the rights to the name “Lightning” until 2013 for use in a wide range of products from motorcycles to eyewear to video games, but its best known use was for the Buell Lightning, which incidentally was the last Buell motorcycle to roll off the assembly line after the brand was discontinued. Continue Reading »
Miguel Duhamel can put another victory on his already-impressive resume after winning his first ever electric motorcycle race, taking the checkered flag in the FIM e-Power/TTXGP race at France’s Le Mans circuit.
Riding for Lightning-Barracuda, Duhamel took the checkered flag by edging Muench Racing’s Mattias Himmelmann in the eight-lap race by 1.929 seconds.
Duhamel started on the pole but it was Himmelmann who took the early lead. Duhamel was second followed by Zongshen Racing‘s Tang Yu. Himmelmann led the first two laps but Duhamel was not far behind, trailing by just 0.180 seconds on Lap One and 0.212 seconds on Lap Two. Continue Reading »
Miguel Duhamel is returning to action to race in the FIM e-Power International Championship for Lightning Motorcycles. The five-time Daytona 200 winner will ride the Lightning Barracuda electric motorcycle for the joint FIM and TTXGP race at Le Mans , and Motorcycle.com had a role in setting up the connection.
The topic of a rider for Le Mans came up during the preparations for Associate Editor Troy Siahaan‘s exclusive test of the Lightning race bike last month. Lightning normally competes in the TTXGP’s North American series but decided to enter the Sept. 7-8 round in France to take advantage of the high profile of sharing the stage with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The problem was Lightning needed a rider and most North American riders, including Lightning regular Michael Barnes, were occupied with the AMA Pro Racing round at New Jersey Motorsports Park taking place the same weekend. Continue Reading »
Paul Thede set a new land speed record for electric motorcycles, with an official speed of 206.079 mph on the Lighting Motorcycle.
The record was set Aug. 14 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The new record smashes the previous land speed record for electric motorcycles of 176.434 mph by Riches Nelson on the streamlined Airtech Lightning Bolt (no relation).
Lightning Motorcycles previously set a speed of 173.388 mph at the 2010 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at Bonneville.
Lightning Motorcycles also announced a long term supply agreement with Remy International which produced the motor powering the record-setting motorcycle. Remy will produce the HVH250 motor for Lightning’s commercial motorcycles and race machines.
[Source: Asphalt and Rubber, Southern California Timing Association]
Related Reading
Lightning Motors Sets Land Speed Record
Lightning Motorcycles has signed an agreement with lithium-ion battery company Ener1 to supply batteries for its electric superbike and an upcoming lineup of motorcycle and scooter models.
One of the first new production motorcycles is expected to be a street legal version of Lightning’s racebike, the inaugural TTXGP North American championship winner, and official AMA and FIM land speed record holder for electric motorcycles.
As part of the agreement, Lightning Motorcycles will also be a distributor for Ener1′s electric vehicle cells.
[Source: Ener1]
Related Reading
Lightning Motors Sets Land Speed Record
Mission Motors rider Steve Rapp led from start to finish to win the Laguna Seca round of the TTXGP and FIM e-Power championships. The race was significant both because it demonstrated the improvements made in electric motorcycle racing over the last year, but also because it was the first joint event held by the two rival electric racing series.
A veteran AMA racer, Rapp took the holeshot and held off 2010 Laguna Seca e-Power winner Michael Czysz and 2010 runner-up Michael Barnes for the win, completing the 8-lap race in 12:40.597, translating to lap times of about 1:35.1.
Rapp’s result showed the advances made in electric motorcycle racing over the last year. Czysz won last year’s 9-lap race in 16:02.596, which translates to an average lap time of about 1:47.0. Rapp’s fastest lap time in this year’s race was 1:33.194, obliterating Czysz record of 1:44.496 set last year.
Want to see what it’s like riding a motorcycle at night through a thunderstorm across some of the flattest parts of Canada? VRIDETV has brought you this experience, and it is something to behold.
And I must say, I’ve been through Saskatchewan and it is FLAT. Sitting on a metal bike while driving across this flat terrain with few buildings or even other cars near you makes you a mobile lightning rod.
VRIDETV caught the storm while touring across Canada with an HD camera mounted onto the handlebars of their motorcycle and it seems they’ve run into a few other interesting situations. I’ve tacked on a bonus video of VRIDETV running into a herd of mountain goats in the Canadian Rockies who seem to be enjoying the salt on the roads. Awwww!
Thanks to VRIDETV for sharing this experience with us!
Hit the jump to see the full videos!
