Dream Ride - A 3D printed Electric Bike...

Airbus APWorks launches the ‘Light Rider’: the world’s first 3D-printed motorcycle

Dubbed the Light Rider, the new APWorks design has truly earned its name as a lightweight in its class. With a 6 kW electric motor powering it from zero to 80 km per hour in just seconds and a frame boasting a mere 6 kg, the world’s first 3D-printed electric motorcycle is 30% lighter than conventionally manufactured e-motorcycles.

The Light Rider’s design echoes the form of a conventional motorcycle – but looks like a distant relative of today’s motorbikes. “The complex and branched hollow structure couldn’t have been produced using conventional production technologies such as milling or welding,” said Joachim Zettler, CEO of Airbus APWorks GmbH. “Advances in additive layer manufacturing have allowed us to realize the bionic design we envisioned for the motorcycle without having to make any major changes. With these technologies, the limitations facing conventional manufacturing disappear,” he added.