Light Rider: A Lightweight 3D Printed Electric Motorcycle!

It sounds like the name of a vehicle in some sci-fi tale, but that fiction is only a short leap from reality. Light Rider is, in fact, an electric motorcycle with a 3D printed frame that resembles an organic structure more than a machine.

Designed by the Airbus subsidiary [APWorks], the largely hollow frame was devised to minimize weight while maintaining its integrity and facilitating the integration of cables within the structure. The frame is printed by melting a sea aluminium alloy particles together into thousands of layers 30 microns thick. Overall, Light Rider’s frame weighs 30% less than similar bikes; its net weight — including motor — barely tips the scales at 35 kg. Its 6 kW motor is capable of propelling its rider to 45 km/h in three seconds with a top speed of 80 km/h, and a range of approximately 60 km — not too shabby for a prototype!

An initial production run of 50 has long since sold out, so we hope this will spur others to invest in lightweight, clean-running transportation.

If you have an electric bike already and are looking to extend its range, we got you covered.

[via Urdesign]

Filed under: 3d Printer hacks, transportation hacks

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