Langen Lightspeed Turbo: 300 horsepower under the hood, motorcycle of the year

We are talking about the fastest production motorcycle in the world, or at least, the one vying for that title. The Langen Lightspeed Turbo comes with ambitious promises: an ultra-powerful turbo engine and a power-to-weight ratio that could break molds. Do you want to know if it really is the motorcycle that will rewrite the rules of speed on two wheels? Then get ready, because we are going to break this down together!

A supercharged turbo engine

When we talk about the Lightspeed Turbo, the first thing that stands out is its heart: the engine. The Langen team took the standard Lightspeed engine and gave it a major boost. Now, the engine is equipped with a custom turbo that not only multiplies the power of the motorcycle, but also maintains maximum responsiveness and maneuverability. This is where the electronic management system (custom ECU and ride-by-wire technology) comes into play: Langen seeks not only to optimize power but also to minimize the traditional drawbacks of a turbo, such as turbulence and imprecise handling.

The first tests showed that the Lightspeed Turbo can develop 250 horsepower, but the Langen team does not stop there. What’s their goal? To reach 300 horsepower in maximum power mode. If these figures are confirmed, we would have a motorcycle with a power-to-weight ratio that will catch attention, competing with monsters like the Kawasaki Ninja H2R and even the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

The power-to-weight ratio against the competition

This is where things get really interesting. For the Lightspeed Turbo to truly be a racing machine, it needs an amazing power-to-weight ratio. This ratio is the combination of the engine’s power and the motorcycle’s weight. The higher the number, the more “lightweight” the motorcycle is in relation to its power.

In summary, the Langen Lightspeed Turbo, with its improved turbo engine and an estimated weight of around 200 kg, could have an estimated power-to-weight ratio of 1.5 hp/kg. To give you an idea, here’s how it compares to other road monsters:

• Langen Lightspeed Turbo (estimate): 1.5 hp/kg
• Crighton CR700W: 1.69 hp/kg (220 hp for 130 kg)
• Kawasaki Ninja H2R: 1.5 hp/kg (326 hp for 216 kg)
• Ducati Panigale V4 R: 1.14 hp/kg (221 hp for 193 kg)
• Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo: 1.3 hp/kg (360 hp for 280 kg)

So, with 1.5 hp/kg, the Lightspeed Turbo could find itself in the same category as the Ninja H2R, which is already a power monster. Of course, this remains an estimate, but if the 300 horsepower materializes, it will be a true monster on the road. The dream for motorcyclists looking to push the limits of performance to the max.

Cutting-edge materials to maximize performance

If you really want a machine that stands out, there’s no secret: you need lightweight and ultra-strong materials. Langen understands this perfectly and has opted for a carbon and aluminum chassis to offer the Lightspeed Turbo maximum lightness without compromising strength. Additionally, the Öhlins suspensions will allow for optimal control, even at speeds where most motorcycles start to lose stability.

The combination of these high-end materials, along with the raw power of the turbo engine, should provide astonishing maneuverability and responsiveness, even on the most demanding tracks. It’s the kind of machine you wouldn’t dare push to the max on the road, unless you have a good dose of experience and courage.

A limited series that is going to cost a lot

Of course, with all that has been implemented in this machine, you shouldn’t expect a standard price. Langen plans to produce only a limited series of Lightspeed Turbo, and the prices will match the performance. To give you an idea, the standard Lightspeed, already quite an exclusive motorcycle, costs more than €46,000. For the Turbo version, you can expect a significantly higher sum, given the incorporated technologies and the quality of the materials. But hey, for a passionate motorcyclist, this investment could be worth it. Because frankly, a machine like this will have no trouble finding its place among the most extreme motorcycles on the market. And when you see what this machine can offer in terms of power and sensations, you realize that the investment could truly be worthwhile.