Electric Motorcycle

Honda’s LOOP and HELLO vehicle2vehicle and vehicle2driver infrastructure

By Gizmag Team

10:55 October 1, 2009 PDT

Honda issued a press statement and images of its Tokyo Motor Show exhibits yesterday, raising far more questions than it answered with the brief and cryptic release. One of the primary announcements involved a car2car and car2driver and car2infrastructure communications system named HELLO! (Honda ELectric mobility LOop) and a LOOP portable communication tool that fits in the palm of one’s hand and “allows people and mobility devices to communicate with each other.” The various components of the system look fascinating. Read More

Honda to exhibit 2WD electric motorcycle at Tokyo Motor Show?

By Mike Hanlon

18:19 September 30, 2009 PDT

Honda has released images of several new eco-friendly two-wheelers it will present at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, including the EV-Cub electric motorcycle, the EVE-neo electric scooter and its previously-announced PCX global scooter, the first two-wheeler to employ an 'idling stop system'. The most interesting of the new eco-bikes is without doubt the EV-Cub, which employs what appears to be car2car and car2driver communications dubbed HELLO! (Honda ELectric mobility LOop) and a LOOP portable communication tool that fits in the palm of one’s hand and “allows people and mobility devices to communicate with each other.” The EV-Cub also appears to have electric motors in both front and rear wheels, indicating that it is almost certainly a two-wheel-drive (2WD) motorcycle. 2WD motorcycles are expected to become commonplace in the future as, like their 4WD automotive cousins, they offer traction advantages on loose surfaces and wet roads and improve rider safety, especially for learners. Read More

Mission One sets electric land-speed record with production prototype motorcycle

By Loz Blain

05:20 September 15, 2009 PDT

Electric motorcycles, while economical, technologically fascinating and environmentally friendly, are unlikely to light a fire under the average petrolhead until they start tickling our inner hooligans... Which is why we're hanging out to throw a leg over the Mission One electric superbike. Fresh from its first run at the Isle of Man TTXGP, this battery-powered beast pulls power wheelies from faster than freeway speeds, handles like a dream and can top 150 miles on a battery charge. And the latest feather in the Mission One team's cap is a national AMA land-speed record for electric motorcycles. Product Manager and test rider Jeremy Cleland pushed a production prototype - with the same powertrain that customers will get off the shelf in late 2010 - to a top speed of 161mph (259kph) and a two-way land speed record of 150.059mph (241.5kph) in poor conditions and high winds at Utah's Bonneville salt flats. Excellent. Read More

Electric Motorcycle World, U.S. and U.K. Championships for 2010

By Gizmag Team

00:40 August 19, 2009 PDT

The success of the TTXGP for electric motorcycles held on the Isle of Man on June 12 has quickly spawned a world championship, feeder series in the UK and United States, a UKP10,000 Technical Package for teams, and the likelihood that a complete electric racing bike will be on the market in Q1, 2010 for under USD40,000. Having been sanctioned by the governing body for motorcycle racing, (the FIM) to create a world championship in 2010, TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain is working to create a five-race global series with rounds in Europe, Asia and the Americas. A four-round U.K. National series and three-round American National series for 2010 are being planned, with the biggest news being the availability of a technology starter pack later this year - the UKP10,000 kit will include an AGNI electric racing motor, race batteries, controllers and all electronics – just add your own frame and running gear. Read More

The quietest Orange County Chopper yet: the electric Siemens Smart Chopper

By Loz Blain

03:13 August 14, 2009 PDT

The beefy gents at Orange County Choppers have surprised us a few times before, going out of their normal raked-out design brief to customize a Ducati Monster 1100, for example - but they really turned heads this week when Paul Teutul, Snr, presented the company's - and perhaps the world's - first all-electric chopper. Commissioned by Siemens and built using recycled steel, LED lighting and environmentally-friendly water-based paints, the Siemens Smart Chopper features a 27hp brushless motor good for a top speed in excess of 100mph, and enough battery life for a 60-mile range. And it's going up for auction. Read More

Zero releases dual purpose electric motorcyle

By Jeff Salton

01:09 July 30, 2009 PDT

Electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero has followed up the success of its X and S ranges with the Zero DS – a combination dirt/street machine the company says can “handle any surface you can throw at it.” This new option for those looking to ditch their noise-polluting, emission-spewing internal combustion bikes looks very similar to the S model, but has a bigger front wheel (17 inch), chunkier tread on the back tire and a nobby on the front, specially-designed wheels and suspension and a distinctive naked round headlamp without the windshield found on the S. Read More

Electric power proves its worth in first TTXGP practice session

By Mike Hanlon

15:25 June 9, 2009 PDT

The era of electric motorcycling began today when entrants in the first clean emissions Grand Prix proved their viability by lapping the famous IOM TT circuit in excess of 80 mph during the first practice session for Friday's race. The honours in the first ever session went to the Indian Agni Motors entry based around a 2007 model Suzuki GSX-R600 road bike frame and fitted with two Agni 95 motors and 63 70AH Kokam lithium-polymer batteries. Rated by the team at around 40-50 bhp, the bike was the first electric motorcycle to complete a lap of the 37 mile course, with Team Agni rider Rob Barber averaging 84.81 mph to the time sheets. Read More

Electric Car Grand Prix announced

By Mike Hanlon

05:56 June 8, 2009 PDT

TTXGP, the world’s first clean emission eGrandPrix has announced plans for a return to the Isle of Man in August 2010. In a development on the TTXGP 2009 event to be run later this week, plans for 2010 include an extended motorcycle race with two laps including pit-stops and hot-swappable batteries and plans to include a class for electric cars. It is an enormous irony that the first electric car race is looming at exactly the same time as the myopic Formula One circus hurtles towards self destruction with talk of strikes, alternative series and erratic governance. Read More

Electric Dreams – first ride impressions of the TTX01 electric superbike

By Mike Hanlon

03:16 June 1, 2009 PDT

In less than a fortnight (June 12), the world will witness the FIRST clean emissions Grand Prix. Known as the TTX GP, the race represents history in the making - the modern day equivalent of the landmark Paris-Rouen Horseless Carriage Competition (Concours des Voitures sans Chevaux) of 1894. The winning bike and its rider, will claim an eternal place in the history books. In the build up to the race, TTX GP founder Azhar Hussein built a demonstrator electric superbike based around a Suzuki GSX 750 and dubbed it the TTX01. It's the first prototype of what he hopes will become a production motorcycle within a year or three. Long-time motorcycle writer Stuart Barker journeyed to the Isle of Man to become one of the first people in the world to sample the battery-powered TTX01 and his impressions are our first glimpse into the future of motorcycling. Stuart discovered that riding a silent motorcycle is an eerie experience, but not completely devoid of fun. Welcome to the future! Read More

World's first all-electric 24-hour endurance motocross race to be held in California

By Loz Blain

20:36 March 18, 2009 PDT

When the flag drops, the bullsh*t stops, as they say in racing, and few sectors in the auto market have as much to prove as electric motorcycles. The performance potential of electric bikes is almost unbounded, with massive advantages over petrol bikes in so many areas - and battery technology is starting to catch up with the market's needs - but until recently, there's been no international competitive showcase for the top level of electric motorcycles. Just this week, the FIM announced a zero-emissions TT Grand Prix on the Isle of Man in June - and paved the way for electric bikes to compete in the future against top-level petrol bikes. Now, off-road specialists Zero Motorcycles are gearing up for the world's first all-electric 24-hour endurance motocross race in California on April 4. The flag has dropped on electric racing. Time to see who's got the goods, and who's been telling porkies. Read More

FIM endorses TTXGP - the world's first clean emissions motorcycle race

By Mike Hanlon

21:48 March 15, 2009 PDT

In a landmark move, the world governing body for motorcycle sport, the FIM, is endorsing the upcoming TTXGP, the world’s first clean emissions motorcycle race which will be held on the Isle of Man on 12th June 2009. In making the announcement, FIM President, Vito Ippolito, said, “ FIM recognizes the importance of this area that is evolving very quickly. The future of the sport depends on our capacity as well as that of the manufacturers to innovate quickly. We are convinced that very shortly the motorcycle World Championships will be accessible to non-polluting engines.” For motorcycle manufacturers wishing for a place in history, this is now IT! Read More

Robotic Electric Motorcycle concept capable of MotoGP speeds

By Paul Evans

17:11 February 8, 2009 PST

We're familiar with the soccer playing exploits of intelligent machines in Robocup and have been treated to a taste of what autonomous robotic systems are capable of in events like the DARPA Urban Challenge, but could a rider-less motorcycle robot compete with the speed demons of MotoGP? That's the vision of Japanese computer graphics designer Yutaka Igarashi who has conceived a new robotically controlled motorcycle design aimed at beating the lap time of a MotoGP bike around a circuit. Read More

KTM reveals production plans for electric enduro motorcycle

By Paul Evans

00:14 February 6, 2009 PST

In more big news on the electric motorcycle front this week, KTM has started development for series production of a sports enduro with electric drive. The company has been testing a fully functional electric, zero local emissions enduro prototype motorcycle since mid 2008 and has now announced that mass production is set to begin in 2010. Read More

The GBP20,000 TTX01 - 86 BHP, Electric 2WD Motorcycle

By Mike Hanlon

01:18 November 27, 2008 PST

UPDATED It’s the first electric superbike and though its range is considerably less than the first modern four-stroke superbike, the 1969 Honda CB750, its top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) is almost identical. Yesterday the first prototype of the TTX01 Electric Superbike was showcased at a press conference for the 2008 NEC Bike Show. Built to demonstrate the potential of electric sports motorcycles for the first emissions-free Grand Prix, the initial prototype is based on a Suzuki GSX750 frame and running gear and runs two 43 bhp Agni Lynch Electric motors arranged in line with the frame. Together, the motors produce 125 Newton Metres of torque and both have been modified to withstand high RPM using Kevlar-reinforced armatures. The vision is to create a lightweight, carbon fiber framed 2WD TTX02 with "hot swappable", 20 kilowatt hour battery packs, regenerative braking and a production run of 50 machines in 2010 with a target price of GBP20,000. Read More

KTM 2WD hybrid dirt bike

By Mike Hanlon

17:37 November 11, 2008 PST

Patents lodged by Austrian Competition Motorcycle Manufacturer KTM indicate that a hybrid 2WD dirt bike is not far away. Common sense dictates that a motorcycle with both wheels driven (2WD) will go around corners faster and with greater surety than one equipped only with the motorcycle’s traditional rear-wheel drive, much the same as 4WD cars offer superior traction to their rear or front wheel drive brethren. A lot of interesting development work has been done over the last decade with Yamaha offering Ohlins 2WD system on selected enduro bikes in Europe, Christini developing mechanical AWD (aka 2WD) kits for Honda and KTM dirt bikes and KTM talking publicly about its hydraulic 2WD development. Now it appears KTM is to employ a small electric motor on each wheel to supply additional torque when it’s needed. A recently filed set of patent applications heralds some exciting prospects. Read More

KillaCycle electric-motorcycle sets new drag record

By Noel McKeegan

23:31 October 27, 2008 PDT

The KillaCyle has again caused record-keepers to reach for their erasers with a world beating run of 7.890 seconds for the quarter mile at the Bandimere Speedway in Colorado. The day out for owner/designer Bill Dube’ and his team was topped off by an earlier run in which the 500hp two-wheeler set a new top speed mark 174.05 mph. Read More

The Toyotron Hunter Electric Motorcycle

By Mike Hanlon

22:22 July 30, 2008 PDT

REVISED July 31, 2008 Given the reluctance of the big four Japanese motorcycle manufacturers to sacrifice their existing markets by introducing electric motorcycles, the window of opportunity for small and innovative manufacturers to work with the Chinese manufacturing powerhouse to create pollution-free motorcycles that run at negligible cost is wide open. A new electric-only motorcycle manufacturer hit the scene this month in Thailand, moving the country ahead of many first world countries in the quest for sustainable transport. It borrows quite a bit from what has been before, but it looks the goods. Read More

EV-X7: the electric future-cruiser

By Loz Blain

15:03 November 25, 2007 PST

November 26, 2007 With a style unlike anything that’s come before it, the EV-X7 is an electric streetbike with a 92mph top speed and a range of up to 110 miles. It looks like it runs some sort of hub-centre steering arrangement, and the prototype is now on display in Japan. Axle Group, the makers of the bike, will release a US$2100 mini-scooter using similar technology in the next 12 months. While 92mph represents quite decent performance for a zero-emissions, electric vehicle, we’re sure if you thrashed this oddball motorcycle along at that sort of speed for any length of time, the battery range would be closer to 25 miles than 110. Read More

Vectrix Electric Superbike unveiled at Milan

By Loz Blain

17:40 November 22, 2007 PST

November 23, 2007 Hot on the heels of its excellent electric maxi-scooter, Vectrix has finally delivered on its promise of an electric superbike, and it’s amazingly close to the concept drawings we saw a couple of years back. Unveiled at the Milan motorcycle show, the Vectrix Electric Superbike has a top speed of around 125mph, a range of around 70 miles and it’ll eat up the quarter mile in around 12 seconds, so it’s clearly got some punch behind the throttle. It'll go into production if interest is high enough - can this be the first true production electric performance motorcycle? And if so - how long 'til they start racing it? Read More

KillaCycle electric motorcycle breaks eight second quarter mile at 168mph

By Noel McKeegan

20:20 November 14, 2007 PST

November 15, 2007 Upping the grunt to a huge 500 horsepower courtesy of a new 186 pound battery pack, the KillaCycle has reached speeds of 168mph in becoming the first electric-vehicle in history to enter the “magic sevens” in the quarter mile. The KillaCycle made two runs of 7.824 and 7.991 seconds (with a 0-60mph time of under one second) at the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) California Bike Week event last weekend at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, making the new official quarter mile record 7.991 seconds - the sixth occasion on which the KillaCycle has set a new world mark. Read More

Suzuki’s hydrogen-powered Crosscage motorcycle

By Loz Blain

01:23 October 25, 2007 PDT

Here’s one of the more radical concept motorcycles we’ve seen in a while – Suzuki’s Crosscage concept is a fuel-cell powered electric bike with single-sided suspension front AND rear. The brushless electric motor’s mounted inline with the rear wheel, and looks-wise it’s so far out there that it’s on its way back again. Seems like Bridgestone’s even developed a special futuristic-looking tyre to match the bike’s oddly tesselated discs. We’ve just encountered the amazing concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, where our heads are still spinning from all the ground-breaking technology on show. Read More

First ride: the Vectrix Electric Maxi-Scooter

By Loz Blain

21:56 September 16, 2007 PDT

It’s a special sort of road test when you get to try out not only a brand new bike, but one of the first viable examples of a whole different engine technology. Loz Blain and Noel McKeegan get their hands on the Vectrix Electric Maxi-Scooter, an Italian/American beauty with a 100kph top speed, a 110km commuting range, and a two-way throttle that engages a very handy regenerative braking system. It’s a promising early taste of what’s in store when electric motorcycles hit the market in force. Read More

Yamaha’s iPod ready compact electric motorcycle

By Noel McKeegan

00:32 August 17, 2007 PDT

August 17, 2007 Yamaha first unveiled the EC-02 electric motorcycle as part of a range of sustainable machines in 2005. Not wanting to be left behind in the age of the ubiquitous personal music player, the latest incarnation of the short-range commuter features a tank mounted iPod dock. Read More

US$15,000 Carbon Fibre Enertia electric motorcycle to hit stores in early 2008

By Loz Blain

The era of the electric roadgoing motorcycle is upon us and it’s ironic that it should come from a company that looked set to make its mark in automotive history in the supercar stakes with the Brammo GT, an American-designed and built V12 Supercar. That Craig Bramscher has since become one of the foremost evangelists of light weight performance motoring via the Ariel Atom might have foretold the direction, but the Enertia is a perfect commuter machine built with the same philosophy as the Atom. Using a rigid light weight carbon fibre chassis to contain the battery pack (and most of the weight), a small electric motor is all that’s required to see the Enertia accelerate harder than any automobile to its 50 mph top speed – all that’s needed around town. Most significantly in terms of its credibility as a motorcycle, the Enertia could best be described as an electric motard, and comes with impeccable handling credentials - fat tyres, disk brakes front and rear, quality suspension and a very compact centre of gravity – a trait that we’ve seen before in bikes with exceptional flickability and precise handling such as the Aprilia 250 and Buell. The Enertia’s secret is its weight -at just 275 pounds ready to roll, it’s 100 pounds lighter than the featherweight Aprilia Grand Prix Replica . With the carbon footprint of a few lightglobes, and sports motorcycling capabilities to medium speeds this looks like the first viable electric motorcycle to us –the US$15,000 limited edition "carbon" model will be snapped up as collectors items no doubt because it is a landmark machine in personal transportation. At US$12,000, the standard machine is only pricey until you consider how much it costs to run. You plug this sucker into any powerpoint and it'll be ready to go a few hours later for another 45 miles. If the transport authorities encourage responsible road usage as seems likely, ownership costs could be minimal. The Enertia is a landmark motorcycle and its coming heralds the dawn of a new era of electric motorcycles. Read More

evDaytona: battery powered sportsbike does 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds

By Loz Blain

July 3, 2007 Although the technology is still relatively new, motorcycles are emerging as a great platform for the launch of the electric engine revolution. While high-powered, light and compact electric engines (like the 350hp monster Killacycle Drag Bike) are already available, battery range has typically been an issue. This is perhaps more acute in relation to electric cars, whereas motorcycles are often used as joyriding fun toys and short-to-medium-range commuters, so a 100 mile range still leaves for plenty of practical and fun uses for electric road bikes. With major manufacturers being slow to put electric sportsbikes on the market, smaller enterprises are blazing a trail - like GoBike, who are awaiting DOT approval on a converted Triumph Daytona, with a max speed around 93mph, a cruising range of 143 miles, and a blistering 2.7 second 0-60mph acceleration time that should make it a blast to ride. Read More