LIGHTNING LS-218
FIRST RIDE
P80
you crack open the throttle of
the 200 bhp-plus, single-speed
Lightning LS-218. For the world's
fastest electric motorcycle is
now available in street guise,
and is set to make that H2R
seem just a little bit—well, limp-
wristed by comparison. What an
age we live in.
The chance to finally ride the
Lightning LS-218 came after
a rainout last year had forced
postponement of my first at-
tempt to do so, which is not to
say it's not safe to ride it in the
rain, just that trying to do so on
its semi-slick Pirelli Supercorsa
tires would give new meaning
to the term wheelspin on some-
thing this torquey. The Lightning
doesn't—yet—have a choice of
different riding modes, includ-
ing a rain map, nor any form of
electronic rider aid like traction
control, even though it would
presumably be pretty straight-
forward to program this into the
bike's electronic controller. But
second time around a glorious
Southern Californian spring day
saw me heading for the Los
Angeles area's most iconic racer
road, the legendary Mulholland
Highway twisting and turning in
switchback style through the
San Gabriel Mountains lying
north of the city.
No doubt about it, when you
Designer Glynn
Kerr's lines
are sharp and
direct, but not
too futuristic.
Still, the LS-218
looks completely
menacing.
THERE'S A
MASSIVE
228NM/168FT-
LB THAT'S
CONSTANTLY
AVAILABLE FROM THE
MOMENT YOU CRACK
OPEN THE THROTTLE
OF THE 200BHP-
PLUS, SINGLE-SPEED
LIGHTNING LS-218.
