Airbus Creates World's First 3D Printed Motorcycle; Priced at $56,100

APWorks, a subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, has created a motorcycle aptly named 'Light Rider' with the help of 3D printing technology. The world's first 3D printed bike is powered by an electric motor and is priced at a whopping $56,100 (approx. Rs. 37.77 lakh).

By Sameer Contractor

1 mins read

Published on May 23, 2016

Highlights

The Light Rider bike is made out of a special material Scalmalloy
The 3D printed bike weighs a light 35 kg and has a top speed of 80 kmph
APWorks is building only 50 units of the Light Rider 3D printed bike

While a motorcycle being carved out of metal and screwed together on an assembly line is a familiar sight; it certainly isn't a process as interesting as the one we are about to tell you. APWorks, a subsidiary of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, has created a motorcycle aptly named 'Light Rider' with the help of 3D printing technology. The world's first 3D printed bike is powered by an electric motor and is priced at a whopping $56,100 (approx. Rs. 37.77 lakh). The Light Rider does the 0-45 kmph in 3 seconds has a top speed of 80 kmph Weighing barely 35 kg, the Light Rider 3D printed motorcycle is held together by a special aluminium frame. In fact, APWorks choose to call this material 'Scalmalloy', a custom aluminum alloy powder with the strength almost equivalent to that of titanium. The company already uses the it to build larger structures by fusing thin layers of the material together and has used the same properties to create the motorcycle as well. As a result, the Light Rider makes for a very interesting bike visually sporting a minimal design, while the hollow frame parts contain the cables and pipes, making for a clean appearance. The battery rests in the middle allowing a lower centre of gravity and the spoked tyres add a retro-charm to the overall styling. Is it all show and no go? Well, APWorks claims that the Light Rider can hit the 0-45 kmph sprint in 3 seconds, while a top speed is about 80 kmph. The battery offers around 60 km on a single charge and can be swapped if required. APWorks is only producing 50 units of the 3D printed motorcycle As interesting as it gets, APWorks is keeping their appreciable creation pretty exclusive with only 50 units to be manufactured. At $56,100 a piece, the Light Rider isn't even close to being cheap, but does give a glimpse of the company's component fabrication capabilities. So if you have been absolutely smitten by the 3D motorcycle and want to be one of the few who own it, APWorks has opened its books and is asking for a $2200 deposit.