Cycle News

Cycle News 2021 Issue 04 January 26

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1333258

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LIGHTFIGHTER V2.0 R I D E R E V I E W P92 "It started dawning on me, being around more of these events, that what we ought to do is look at the things gas motorcycles are already doing really well and try to adapt this new powertrain to see if we can do it a little bit better," says Wismann. "That's where the Lightfighter idea was born. It is an electric motor- cycle, like some of those other prototype electric motorcycles, but it's considered geometry first." Finding The Balance Wismann's intentions were to create a motorcycle with very similar dimensions and tuneability to that of a gas bike. Housed in a custom chromoly trellis chassis fabricated in house by Schless, Wismann started with conservative 24° rake and 28mm trail numbers and adjust- able triple clamp offsets, and focused on making the center of gravity perfect to give nimble yet stable handling. Starting at this point and adapting the electric powertrain to the machine, rather than the other way around, set this project apart from the beginning. "It was also important to come up with a bike that was about the same weight as gas bikes, because that's what everybody's tuned their suspen- sion around and what we know works so It looks like a Kramer, but that big grey block in the center of the frame hides a few secrets. Sans clothes. There's not much to the Lightfighter. Schless's fabrication work on the chassis is superb.

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