I've been fortunate to ride a lot of very fast, very sketchy machines. From turbocharged two-stroke backcountry snowmobiles, to superbikes with over 200 horsepower, and everything in between, speed and horsepower don't usually phase me. I once drove a Bugatti Chiron and allegedly saw 186 mph in less than a mile.
But there's something about when you just throw gobs of horsepower into a relatively lightweight motorcycle that terrifies even me, a lover of lunacy. And that's the feeling I got when I first saw the Langen LS12 Lightspeed Turbo, a liter bike with a turbocharger and a whopping 300 horsepower.
Oh yeah, did I mention it's a naked bike? Cause it is.
Good lord.
First reported on by our friends over at Visordown, Langen is a small motorcycling company out of Ashton-in-Makerfield in the United Kingdom, and has produced a series of small-batch motorcycles for a number of years. This motorcycle, however, is aimed at producing a monstrosity of epic proportions.
According to Langen, the LS12 Lightspeed Turbo will be centered around a turbocharged Rotax engine producing 300 horsepower in "full power" mode, though a more bodily-friendly "road mode" will offer riders only 250 horsepower. For reference, the current KTM 1390 Evo produces 190 and can barely keep its front wheel on the pavement.
The bodywork of the motorcycle will use carbon fiber, with aluminum and steel elsewhere in the chassis. Stopping all those rampaging horses is said to be a set of HEL Performance calipers with 320mm discs, while Ohlins-sourced suspension helps to keep everything rubber-side down. What's more, the company is looking to start testing this hellion pretty soon, with dyno work already completed, and real-world testing at the country's famed Santa Pod Raceway occurring later this year.
"We have now entered a significant milestone year where we are ready to move the company to the next stage,” said Christofer Ratcliffe, Langen Motorcycles' founder, adding, "The next step up for Langen means increasing production with our second model—the Lightspeed—along with entering new markets outside of the UK."
