VOL. 52 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 27, 2015 P83
a very, very big thrill by winding
the throttle wide open as soon
as you get the Lightning moving,
in normal riding the initial accel-
eration isn't as fierce and vivid as
on the other bikes, only coming
on strong once you've got the
LS-218 rolling, and speed up to
around 30 mph.
"We've made the throttle
response very progressive
because we want the bike to
be comfortable to ride on the
street," says Hatfield. "So the
first 50 percent of throttle move-
ment accesses less than 30
percent of the torque, but then
when you feel like pushing it
harder like, say, on a racetrack,
as you go up from the other 50
percent of throttle rotation as
measured by a potentiometer
inside the handlebar, it progres-
sively delivers more and more
torque. The software we use to
program the motor controller
allows us to dial in the torque
curve in this way, as well as to
alter the [braking] regen."
Ah, yes—the dual-function
regenerative braking from an
E-bike which, quite apart from
recharging the batteries and
thus extending range, is also
uncannily comparable to en-
gine braking on a conventional
combustion-engined motorcycle.
This can be switched off alto-
gether, which would however not
be a good idea on the Lightning,
because you need all the help
stopping it that you can get. The
regen comes into play by back-
ing off the throttle, which initially
gives you a freewheeling coast-
ing function, with zero braking.
This passable impression of a
two-stroke GP bike sends you
Alan plots his
attack on The
Snake, with a
motorcycle the
famous road has
most likely never
seen before.
(Above) You'd be happy
too if your bike was the
fastest road-going sportbike
on the planet! Hatfield is
understandably stoked, here
with a 380V motor.
(Left) Cantilever rear shock
mates to a swingarm that's
machined from solid billet
aluminum.
