It’s a story as old as the electric motorcycle market. A startup oversells, underdelivers, and then promptly vanishes. That was the case with Lightning Motorcycles. After branding its LS-218 as the “fastest production motorcycle” and dropping the ball with its budget-friendly Strike model, Lightning disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During that time, the firm downsized its Hollister, California-based business, relegating itself to the corner of the Corbin saddle company headquarters. Those humble digs didn’t stop Lightning from shooting for the stars, though, as the brand partnered with Niobium specialist CBMM for a new land-speed record attempt. Headline-grabbing electric ADV and fully-enclosed motorcycle designs followed shortly after, but we still haven’t seen a production model materialize in 2022.
