Airbus unit unveils 3D-printed electric motorcycle

Berlin: What weighs 77 pounds, goes 50 mph (80 kph) and looks like a Swiss cheese on wheels? An electric motorcycle made from tiny aluminum alloy particles using a 3D printer.

European aeronautics giant Airbus unveiled the 'Light Rider ' in Germany on Friday. Manufactured by its subsidiary APWorks, a specialist in additive layer manufacturing, the motorcycle uses hollow frame parts that contain the cables and pipes.The frame weighs just 13 pounds, about 30 percent less than conventional e-motorbikes.

AP Works chief executive Joachim Zettler said the complex, branched hollow structure wouldn't have been possible with conventional production technologies such as milling or welding.

The company is taking orders for a limited run of 50 motorbikes, costing 50,000 euros ($56,095), plus tax, each. They'll have a range of 37 miles (60 kilometers).