Wanna rip your face off on a motorcycle? Then get hyped for the Lightning Tachyon Nb, an EV built to reach speeds over 250 MPH!
The Tachyon Nb is a modified and streamlined version of the Strike, with the name being inspired by the hypothetical particle that travels faster than the speed of light – which fits, in a way, since Lightning is trying to see if it can tackle electric motorcycle land speed record with this bike.
Meanwhile, the “Nb” is an abbreviation of the metal niobium, which is used in the bike’s brake rotors. According to Daniel Wright, an engineer at CBMM, the world’s largest niobium producer and a collaborator on this project, the niobium-containing brake rotors are being implemented “for improved high temperature performance, several niobium components in the on-board charger that allow the entire system to be more reliable and efficient, and finally niobium-containing steel tubing in the swing arm and chassis that allows us to meet the demanding strength and weight requirements of the application.”
Niobium alloys can also strengthen and reduce the weight of metal components, which helped this bike become lighter in new ways. Lightning Motorcycles founder and CEO Richard Hatfield said that by introducing this metal, the charger alone dropped about 20 lbs. without losing any power or overheating.
To help with aerodynamics, Lightning has been working with aftermarket saddle-making company Corbin on a new aerodynamic fairing. They have designed a carbon streamlined fairing with a teardrop rear end, a large front screen for the rider to tuck down behind, and a front fender design that blends in so well with the main front fairing that there’s about only an inch-wide gap. This maintains the overall shape and allows only a small amount of the front wheel to jut out into the airstream.
The teams involved in making the Tachyon Nb have plans to take it out to the Bonneville salt flats and try for a new, two-wheeled electric land speed record.
Lightning Tachyon Nb Electric LSR Bike
SOURCE | IMAGES: LIGHTNING MOTORCYCLES, VIA NEW ATLAS.
