LIGHTNING LS-218
FIRST RIDE
P78
BY ALAN CATHCART
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN WING
S
eason 2015 is the year of
the Superbike, as per the
succession of souped-
up street-legal sportbikes now
stacking showrooms around
the world. But alongside such
newly admitted members of the
200-horsepower hypersports
club as the latest and greatest
versions of the Aprilia RSV4
RF, BMW S1000RR and Ya-
maha YZF-R1, is a clean green
contender for the customer
dollar that's directly translating
its World Land Speed Record-
breaking performance to the
street. And at $38,800, Richard
Hatfield's Lightning LS-218 is do-
ing so at a price that undercuts
Kawasaki's $50,000 track-use-
only 310bhp H2R, yet is certain
to beat it on exclusivity, as well
as very probably on accelera-
tion.
Okay, guys—pull out your
slips and let's head for the drag
strip. Kawasaki claims its six-
speed blown bomber makes
156Nm/115 ft-lb of torque at
12,500 rpm, which may top the
charts when it comes to com-
bustion engine convention, but
is nowhere near the massive
228Nm/168 ft-lb that's constant-
ly available from the moment
THINK YOUR YZF-R1, PANIGALE R OR H2 IS THE
FASTEST THING ON THE ROAD? GUESS AGAIN. MEET
THE U.S.-BUILT LIGHTNING LS-218. THIS IS THE
FUTURE, AND IT'S VERY, VERY FAST.
THE CLEAN GREEN
