Langen reach for the stars: Brit firm go global with new LightSpeed

British firm Langen, famed for their naked Two Stroke café racer, have confirmed to MCN that they are planning to go global with their incoming V-twin LightSpeed LS12 muscle cruiser. 

Unlike the 249.5cc stroker that came before it, the £44,440 brawler will be powered by an engine based on Buell’s 1190cc ET-V2 V-twin, producing a claimed 185bhp in a package that weighs just 185kg dry.

With the bike limited to an initial run of 185 builds, meeting the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval (MSVA) test in the UK, the Wigan operation have plans to produce a further batch for world markets.

“Launching any piece of work or engineering, or art – it’s always nerve-racking – but the response has been fabulous. It’s been as good as the Two Stroke,” Langen founder Chris Ratcliffe told MCN.

“Because we’re extracting as much power and as much noise, this will be UK MSVA. And it’s good because that means we can almost commission 185 different bikes for customers.”

He continued: “We can change a lot more through the SVA system, but we’ve been designing this with global type approval in mind, so come 2026, 2027 we’ll be looking to deliver around the world from a batch of around 370-400 bikes.”

To work out where to sell these export market machines, the Langen boss said they are currently taking expressions of interest. Alongside this, a UK service network is being established, before turning attention to those carrying the Langen brand overseas.  

Further to this, Ratcliffe said: “We’ve got a handful of Two Stroke build slots left, which are scheduled for autumn next year. We’re well on with building now and ramping up production. “The best thing now is getting feedback from the customers riding their bikes, parking them up, and getting swamped by people,” he added. “It spurs us on to keep going through the sleepless nights.”