The all Carbon-Fiber body, now complete, as Lightning Motorcycles made it’s first Streetliner appearance at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering.
Lightning Motorcycles and Richard Hatfield’s team are aiming to get back to record setting speeds, as the company just unveiled a streamlined version of their LS-218, the Streetliner, built in cooperation with Mike Corbin’s Corbin Design.
This hints at the previously spotted enclosed model, that Lightning has long been working on. The name Streetliner will probably be reserved for this upcoming model, while the company makes the next attempt at the land speed record.
Lightning Motorcycles recently came back to make headlines after almost 2-year of absence, when it announced a partnership with Niobium specialist CBMM for a new speed record run. Niobium is super-alloy, created by mixing small quantities (just 0.1%) with another metal, to form an incredibly stable alloy with increased strength characters and at varying temperatures.
If you still haven’t heard the name, Mike Corbin built electric motorcycles as early as the 70’s, and had set the land speed record in 74′. That record went unbroken for nearly 40 years, Until Richard and the Lightning LS-218 team finally broke that record! A great way to close the circle by designing together a streamliner bike that will make an attempt at the world record.
This new custom bike built by Lightning Motorcycle together with Corbin, is purposed for taking it out on US highways with a target range of 250 miles on a single charge, in addition to the attempt at a 250 mph run at Bonneville. This is going to take some incredibly slick and slippery bodywork.
It remains to be seen how the team at Lightning Motorcycles will fare with the creation of a brand new model, and how the demand side may react to the fully enclosed Streetliner that’s planned. Lightning’s record on the salt flat is indisputable, but the consumer market has proven to be a challenging aspect for their business.
Production delays due to the pandemic, and delays in the rollout of the LS-218 model as well as the lower cost Strike Carbon didn’t do particularly well with customers. Lightning has a long effort ahead in both making their fully-enclosed Streetliner and hitting the streets with it. Lightning will definitely have the help and support of some of the leading industry veterans at Corbin, to help adapt its speed record developments for the road – and possibly break target of the company at the salt flats.