Langen go global | Brit manufacturer targets worldwide reach with 185bhp V-twin LightSpeed LS12

British marque Langen is making the jump from bespoke UK-centric manufacturer to worldwide player with the launch of their new range-topping model. The LightSpeed LS12 – a muscular 1190cc V-twin producing a claimed 185bhp and 101lb.ft that we got our first glimpse of at Motorcycle Live last November – will, Langen say, be fully homologated through Type Approval to conform with markets in Europe, North America, Australasia, and Asia, allowing the Wigan based brand to go truly global for the first time.

Langen shot to prominence in 2020 after unveiling the Two-Stroke, a hand-built 250cc V-twin roadster. Although limited to a production run of just 100 machines, the Two-Stroke garnered worldwide interest from 2T fanatics keen to get their hands on the first all-new two-stroke in decades. Langen is hoping its first four-stroke will generate a similar impact.

“The LightSpeed has always been destined to become the first Langen to be fully homologated,” company founder Christofer Ratcliffe told MCN. “Although the launch edition will be limited to registration through the UK MSVA system, we have developed the components and electronics to have the ability to conform to the necessary homologation regulations.”

The new model, powered by a 72° Rotax V-twin engine, as used in the Buell 1190SX, is scheduled to reach its first UK customers by autumn 2025 – with a ticket price of £44,400. “We are currently seeking investment partners to help fast track the global version of the LightSpeed into production,” confirmed Ratcliffe.

“We have received a significant amount of interest about the LightSpeed from overseas, particularly from the US due to the Buell derived engine.”

Initial production for the LightSpeed is set at 185 bikes so, although available to a wider audience than the Two Stroke, exclusivity still plays a big part in the bike’s appeal. And, just like its 250cc stablemate, each LightSpeed can be built to its owner’s preferences in terms of colours, finishes and componentry.

Performance is expected to exceed that of the Buell. While power and torque figures for the British built bike match those of the 1190SX, the LightSpeed’s overall mass – at 185kg – is 5 kilos less than its American competitor.

Carbon fibre bodywork, lightweight forged aluminium wheels (made inhouse by Langen), and a high-tensile tubular steel space frame chassis all help to keep the LightSpeed’s weight to a class-leading standard.

Suspension is fully adjustable Öhlins front and rear – 48mm FGRT 301 upside-down forks and twin 36mm STX piggyback shocks at the rear. British braking specialists Hel supply the stopping power with a twin 320mm disc/4-pot radial caliper set up taking the strain up front and a single 265mm disc and 2-pot caliper at the back.

While we await the arrival of the first LightSpeed models (an MCN first ride on the prototype is planned for later this year) Langen’s Two Stroke is also making its mark abroad, with the first ever model exported overseas in March. “Two Stroke #10 landed in Fukuoka, Japan, to the delight of its new owner,” confirmed Ratcliffe. “This signified a landmark milestone for Langen Motorcycles as we look to grow the brand globally over the next few years.”