Lightning Electric Superbike wins Pikes Peak
The first time an electric superbike has won the famous Pikes Peak “Race to the Clouds” event in Colorado, and it did so with nearly 21 seconds to spare over a Ducati MultistradaHistory has been made in the motorcycle division of the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, with 2012 winner Carlin Dunne swapping from a Ducati Multistrada to a Lightning Electric Superbike to easily take home the 2013 spoils.
Dunne completed the course in 10 minutes, 0.07 seconds (10:00.07) at an average speed of 115.7km/h. Frenchman Bruno Langlois (Multistrada, 10:21.30) was second, ahead of road racing star Jake Holden on another Lightning (10:24.1).
According to Gizmag, the Electric Superbike runs a monocoque chassis, and the company claims 0-160km/h in three seconds from a motor that produces around 125hp – and with the wherewithal to go much higher. There’s also regenerative braking. Total weight is around 225kg, with the battery pack accounting for about half of that figure. Lightning’s moto is “innovation through competition”, and we can see why.
The American-based Lightning Motors Corporation is a six-year-old company, and in addition to the Superbike is also building prototypes of electric commuter bikes, scooters and ATVs.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is situated in a range of the Rocky Mountains, 16km west of Colorado Springs. The startline has an altitude of 2862 metres, and climbs to a finish line at 4300 metres – an altitude where normal petrol-powered engines are really in struggle town compared to electric fare.
Other motorcycle class winners at Pikes Peak were:
• 250cc, Codie Vahsholtz, Kawasaki KX250, 11:24.792 at 105.3km/h
• 450cc, Jeffrey Tigert, Honda CRF450, 10:32.964 at 113.9 km/h
• 750cc, Michael Henao, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 10:31.499 at 114.0km/h
• Heavyweight Supermoto, Jeff Grace, KTM 525, 10:57.928 at 105.7km/h
• Exhibition Powersports-Z (electric), Jeff Clark, Zero FX, 12:00.978 at 96.4km/h
• Sidecar, Wade Boyd, Suzuki, 11:26.987 at 104.8km/h
• Vintage Marc LaNoue, Triumph Bonnie, 12:39.782 at 94.7km/h
• Quad modified, Michael Coburn, Walsh 450R, 11:05.874 at 108.3km/h
Meanwhile, the 91st running of the event saw Sebastien Loeb set a new outright course record of 8:13.878 in a Peugeot 208 T16 – annihilating the previous benchmark by over 90 seconds.
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