Lito Sora electric motorcycle
With touch-screen sat nav and auto adjustable seat height, this Canadian electric bike makes a strong first impression
Canadian company Lito has taken the wraps off its street-savvy Sora, an electric motorcycle that will be setting its sights on green-thinking Harley-Davidson owners.
The new model is yet another electric motorcycle to emerge out of North America, which is quickly becoming an electric motorcycle mecca, what with Zero Motorcycles and Brammo making solid names for themselves.
However the Lito Sora will be different from its rivals in that it will be neither affordable nor light weight. The Montreal-based company has decided that power and style will win the day, creating a 240kg monster that has a top speed of around 200km/h (125mph).
The Lito Sora apparently achieves these lofty speeds via a large capacity battery system, the 12 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium polymer pack also good for a cruising range of 300 kilometres (185 miles). That figure is more than double what most of the current publicly available electric motorcycles can manage, and if the claim turns out to be true, Lito may well have a very desirable electric motorcycle.
Much of the feedback that comes to the Bikesales Network regarding electric motorcycles revolves around maximum travel distance. The first company that builds an electric bike with a 300km range will no doubt garner a lot of attention, and if Lito can back up its claims it could be that company.
Some of the other interesting elements that make up the Lito Sora include the implementation of a CVT or continuously variable transmission, not unlike the systems used in everyday scooters, which helps the Sora achieve its impressive top speed. Most electric motorcycles have no gearbox at all, just a single gear ratio, so this inclusion will make for a unique acceleration pattern.
The chassis is made from light-weight aircraft grade alloys while the bodywork is formed from carbon fibre. This motorcycle will be very expensive, but as yet no price has been announced. What would you pay for this electric machine? Leave your opinion in the comments section below if you feel like joining the conversation.
Other features of the Lito Sora include a clever touch-screen GPS system, which syncs with the Sora's battery pack to show riders how far they can travel, regenerative braking that can charge the batteries by small amounts, and Elka suspension. Add a belt drive, big petal disc brakes and LED lights fore and aft and you've got a very tidy contemporary cruiser.
The touch-screen interface can also be used by riders to adjust the seat height, which Lito claims can transform the motorcycle from low-riding cruiser to upright street-fighter in seconds. The strictly solo seat can be adjusted by an impressive 100mm.
As the world moves towards an electric future, with an electric car having just been voted the 2011 World Car of the Year, expect to see more and more electric motorcycles hit the streets. Niche products such as this one from Lito may find favour with cashed-up motorcyclists in the USA and Canada but until the major manufacturers such as KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha start selling electric bikes, the market will remain in its infancy.
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