The 120 mph Sora electric motorcycle: A hot green ride (pictures)

The Quebec-built Sora electric motorcycle recently got its certification from the Canadian Ministry of Transport. The $41,000 bike is revving up lots of attention.

Tim Hornyak

April 22, 2013 3:06 p.m. PT

Tim Hornyak

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1 of 6 Lito Green Motion

Electric superbike

The Sora electric motorcycle from Quebec-based Lito Green Motion has a top speed of 120 mph and a range of 185 miles on an 8-hour charge. That's a long recharge time, but the bike will e-mail you when it's ready.

Sora, which means "sky" in Japanese, was inspired by streetfighter and cafe racer bikes, and has been drawing attention in design circles for years. Lito calls it "a unique style of motorcycle that is part custom, part sport bike -- combined in one super-machine."

2 of 6 Lito Green Motion

Fully licensed

The Canadian Ministry of Transport recently certified Lito Green Motion as a motorcycle manufacturer, and here's a shot of the Sora with its Quebec plate.

3 of 6 Lito Green Motion

Eye candy

The all-electric Sora has a number of interesting features, including a regenerative braking system that helps recharge the battery, very low vibration due to few moving parts, and continuously variable transmission.

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Lito logo

The Sora's chassis is made of lightweight aluminum. The bike is powered by a liquid-cooled three-phase AC induction motor.

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Electric seat

Billed as the world's only electric motorcycle seat, this crucial part can change from a low to high position depending on road conditions.

6 of 6 Video screenshot by Tim Hornyak/CNET

Touch-screen display

The integrated 5.7-inch touch-panel LCD, seen here at the bottom right, has GPS features and a Lito app that monitors battery charge use and range capabilities.