It was only two days ago that Lightning Motorcycles teased its upcoming LS-218 superbike, complete with a shadowy look of the 200hp+ electric machine.
With the official debut scheduled for this Saturday at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, California, we don’t have long to wait for the full monty; but with a little Photoshop work, and a little sleuthing, we can have a pretty good idea of what to expect of the final design, or do we?
Raising the exposure and adjusting the levels on the press photo reveals a machine that is about 75% complete. Noticeably missing are the hand controls and instruments, a dash, and it seems some bodywork like the undertail, lower fairing, and windscreen (the photo shows an opaque windscreen, which we have a hard time imagining being a part of the final design).
With the overall aesthetic by Glynn Kerr Design, a quick reading through the designer’s Facebook page reveals some more build photos, and a tip that what is to debut at the Quail Lodge is still subject to change. Commenting on the teaser photo, the page said the following:
“Hmmm. The clay modeler had built the front overhang way too long, and we kept pushing it back go get nearer to the sketch. We’d got the front fairing design just right, but at the last minute it was decided to move the whole thing back yet again, and all the forms were lost. I didn’t see it again until the molds were done, and the result is not how I’d designed it. So we’ll see what turns up on Saturday. This is still a work in progress though, and the design will continue to be developed after the show. This is just a moment frozen in time.”
Lightning Motorcycles is no stranger to changing things at the last minute, something that caught out the company’s race team twice already at the Isle of Man TT (once with a DNF, and once with a DNS), so you might call this par for the course from the San Carlos company. That being said, let ye who hasn’t worked up until the last minute on a major project throw the first stone, right?
One thing is for certain, there is a great deal of anticipation for Lightning Motorcycles’ production debut, with many holding high hopes for the LS-218. At $38,888 for the base model, Lightning will compete head-to-head with Mission Motorcycles and the Mission R for the premium electric motorcycle market, which is some stiff competition.
For enthusiasts though, it means one more option when looking for an electric motorcycle that actually performs like a gas-powered superbike. We can’t wait to view it up-close, and see how the project came together. Leave your thoughts on the design thus far in the comments.
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