This article is about the updated lightcycle seen in Tron Legacy. To read about the 1st generation lightcycle, go to Lightcycle.
The 5th generation Lightcycle is the latest upgrade of the original lightcycle. Originally, lightcycles completely covered the driver in a "canopy" but that has been removed in the new version of the lightcycle, making the vehicle resemble more like a motorcycle from the real world. Also, jetwalls were originally disabled when a cycle drives off a Game Grid. Now the jetwall can be toggled on or off in almost any environment; toggling the jetwall off also turns off the glowing circuitry on the cycle and driver, thus creating a stealth vehicle. Another unique feature is the ability to gain higher speeds by "stretching" the lightcycle's length. This is done by pushing the front section of the cycle away from the rear section.
The Lightcycle's rider will not Derezz when crashing into an obstacle; they will instead fly off the bike as it disintegrates and skid along the ground, as in a crash in the real world.
Unlike the lightcycles in the original film, the 5th Generation Lightcycles have built in headlights so drivers can see their way in dark environments.
An interesting fact to point out is when the Lightcycle crashes and shatters, a mysterious liquid spills out, indicating that the new Lightcylces are powered by Energy.
Behind the scenes
Many of the features of the new lightcycle are actually from the original Tron lightcycle design by Syd Mead, such as the length of the cycle increasing as the vehicle goes faster and the original canopy-less design. The reason why these features were dropped because the money and the technology were unavailable at the time to combine CGI objects with live action footage. This is why the original cycle completely covers the driver so that the driver cannot be seen.
Daniel Simon is the vehicle designer for the new Tron Legacy film, responsible for creating the new 5th generation Lightcycle.