VOL. 52 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 27, 2015 P89
be redesigned to give a better
steering lock, a fact Richard
Hatfield says he's well aware of.
But no doubt about it, this
is a true landmark motorcycle
that'll capture those looking for
alluring performance coupled
with show-stopping looks, and
exclusivity. Kawasaki plans to
make 500 examples of the
track use-only H2R, but the first
street legal series of LS-218
E-Superbikes will be capped
at 150 units. This isn't merely (if
you obtain the solar panels to
recharge it with) a zero emission
sportbike in every sense of the
term, which doesn't just export
emissions to the fossil-fuelled
power station that generates the
current, but a motorcycle which
ranks comparison with any oth-
er member of the 200 bhp Club
and just happens to be powered
by electricity. It's a bipolar Su-
perbike that's gloriously green-
is-good, while at the same time
delivering mind-altering straight
line performance in a way that's
so, so thrilling and so, so ac-
cessible. See, you can have it
both ways, after all! CN
S P E C I F I C A T I O N S
LIGHTNING L S-2 18
Engine: .....Electric 380V oil-cooled IPM/
interior permanent magnet DC motor
with liquid-cooled inverter/controller
Batteries: ................Lightning high-power
battery packs with integrated thermal
management system, and real time
data collection for managing state of
charge/state of health of each indi-
vidual lithium polymer cell
Horsepower: .......... Over 150kW/201 bhp
at 10,500 rpm (at output shaft) with
12kWh battery (claimed)
Torque: . Constant 228Nm/168 ft-lb from
1rpm upwards (claimed)
Range: .......Maximum 150 miles at road-
legal speeds with 20kWh battery pack
Recharge from zero: .. Under 40min from
zero charge with DC charger
Transmission: ....................... Single-speed
Chassis: ..............Integrated battery shell
aluminium monocoque frame
Front suspension: 43mm fully-adjustable
Race Tech fork
Rear suspension: ..... Machined billet alu-
minium swingarm with fully-adjustable
Race Tech cantilever monoshock (no
linkage)
Front brake: .... Twin 320mm Brembo steel
discs with four-piston two-pad radially-
mounted Brembo Monoblock calipers,
no ABS
Rear brake: ......... Single 245mm Brembo
steel disc with twin-piston Brembo
caliper, and supplementary adjustable
regenerative braking, no ABS
Front tire: .............................. 120/70 ZR17
Front wheel:.... 3.50in Marchesini forged
aluminum
Rear tire: .............................. 200/50 ZR17
Rear wheel:..... 6.00in Marchesini forged
aluminum
Rake: ......................................................24°
Trail: ...................................................4.1 in.
Wheelbase: .......................................... N/A
Seat height: .......................................32 in.
Overall height: ..................................... N/A
Weight: ................498 lbs (curb, claimed)
MSRP: ....................... Starting at $38,000
Handling still
needs some
improvement,
according to
Sir Al, who
feels the
chassis is a
little top heavy.
