LEM Thunder is the latest electric motorcycle built by the students from the Scientific Circle of Vehicles and Mobile Robots. In two weeks, they will take it to the competition Smart Moto Challenge held in Barcelona, while further plans involve taking part in the Dakar Rally

The students officially presented their latest project on Thursday. The vehicle is Poland’s first light electric motorcycle adjusted to races in difficult terrain such as the Dakar Rally. 

The construction works took eleven months, but before the concept of the vehicle was even devised a team had to be assembled. – We must build a team from scratch every year, choose the leaders, delegate tasks, and define the scope of the whole project. Only then does the design phase start. Next, we work together on what the frame will look like. It’s important that this component, apart from being functional, should look modern - explains Wojciech Pawlak, vice president of the Scientific Circle PIRM.

LEM Thunder weighs 120 kg, producing a power of 30 kW, which is about 40 HP - a very good power to weight ratio, very important in difficult terrain races.  The capacity of the battery fitted in the motorcycle, entirely designed by our students, allows a 90 km ride at the speed of 120 km/h. Thanks to a special system, a dead battery can be replaced in just a few seconds.

Also, the new motorcycle is heavier by 30 kg than last year’s model LEM Falcon,  which results not only from the requirements relating to vehicles that take part in the Dakar Rally but also the application of some modules - the engine, battery, and suspension – which are this time larger than before. When designing the construction, our students used technologies including 3D printing. Elements such as the chain guard and moulds for the electronics were made using specialised printers. 

Moreover, an application was developed for the purpose of the motorcycle project displaying information including motorcycle condition and its GPS location.

In less than two weeks, LEM Thunder will take part in SmartMoto Challenge 2018 in Barcelona (July 16-22). So far, our students have participated in competitions held in Spain five times and boast victories in 2014 and 2017, as well as reaching the third place three times (in 2013, 2015, and 2016).  Then, on August 22-26, the members of PIRM will for the first time organise a Polish edition of electric motorbike competition named Wrocław SmartMoto Challenge. The crowning moment of the LEM Thunder project will be its participation in the Dakar Rally 2019 (January 6-17).