The American company Lightning has unveiled their new project: a high-speed electric motorcycle called Tachyon Nb, on which they are going to set a land speed record.

California-based Lightning Motorcycles decided to go beyond developing electric motorcycles for short commutes home. Their latest project, Tachyon Nb, aims to break the 400 km/h mark on the Bonneville salt marshes.



In order for the Lightning Tachyon Nb to reach such breakneck speed, the aerodynamics must be right. Like most high-speed cars and motorcycles, Tachyon Nb is completely covered with fairings.

The body has been optimized in a wind tunnel and is made of a special material, niobium (Nb). It is a rare metal found predominantly in Brazil and some other South American countries.



To work with niobium, Lightning Motorcycles has partnered with the Brazilian company CBMM, which owns one of the largest deposits of niobium on earth. The rare metal is used as an alloy in Lightning Tachyon Nb for many components such as brake calipers.

The advantage is that niobium is extremely heat resistant, so parts made from it are less prone to overheating, which means they can be made more compact.

The top goal on the agenda for the company is a new speed record for electric motorcycles. The Lightning wants to beat the current record set by Max Biaggi in the Voxan Wattman, which is roughly 455 km/h.

However, the guys at Lightning are convinced that the Tachyon Nb can break the record because the Lightning must weigh less than the 300 kg Voxan and have more power (429 h.p. for the Voxan). However, the company has not yet provided exact data.