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It’s been a few years since 3D printing has taken the world by storm. Making objects, sculptures, or creative designs in the comfort of one’s home is easier than ever before, yet the limits are being challenged and pushed further every day. This 3D-printed electric motorcycle from APWorks, an Airbus subsidiary, illustrates the potential of the technology and how it can be applied in unlikely areas of manufacturing.
The bike weighs just 77 pounds and it’s aptly named “Light Rider”. The material is a custom made, aircraft grade aluminum alloy powder, set in layers that measure 60 microns in thickness. APWorks “programmed the algorithm to use bionic structures and natural growth processes and patterns as the basis for developing a strong but lightweight structure”, and the result is an organic design that reminds more of an exoskeleton than of a machine. A 6 kilowatt electric motor propels the street-legal motorcycle from 0 to 50 mph in just 3 seconds. It’s also silent, produces no emissions and has a range of 35 miles on a full charge. For now, only 50 bikes will be made and they are available to pre-order on the official website at a price of around $56,000, with a small deposit required to secure a place on the waiting list. Light Rider succeeds in combining style and power through innovative design; it’s an impressive first step in the company’s goal of creating the future of urban transportation. Images courtesy of APWorks.
