What happens when aerospace specialists develop a motorcycle with bionic algorithms instead of calculating spaceship engines? According to Airbus subsidiary APWorks, the result is “the world’s lightest motorcycle,” AKA the 77-pound Light Rider.
3D printed with the company’s own Scalmalloy material – which they describe as being a 3D printing-optimized, aircraft-grade aluminum with the strength of titanium – the electric motorcycle is powered by a 6 kW electric motor that’s both silent and emissions-free. The resulting power-to-weight ratio is similar to that of a supercar, even if the result is more of a souped-up e-bike rather than a high-performance motorcycle.
Says lead engineer Stefanus Stahl:
“With the Light Rider, we are demonstrating our vision of future urban mobility using our know-how of optimizing manufacturing technologies used in aerospace applications to create new means of transportation that meets our expectations.”
The swappable batteries offer 35 miles per charge – meaning that the Light Rider is perfect for urban dwellers who use it to bounce around the city, but not so much for those looking to take it on an epic road trip. That said, the bike has a top speed of 50 MPH and can hit 30 MPH in just 3 seconds, so weaving between taxi cabs and hordes of tourists shouldn’t be a problem.
APWorks will manufacture just 50 of the Light Riders – each of which will be sold for $56K – and is currently taking deposits of $2,200 for pre-orders.
