Just a few weeks ago, Brammo began rolling-out their program to sell Enertia electric motorcycles at Best Buy’s along the west coast. Most companies would be content to rest on this accomplishment and catch their breath, but not the folks in Ashland, Oregon.
Maybe it’s all that clean-air they’re breathing, or there’s something in the water; either way, we’re happy to report that in the nexy 60 days or so, you’ll see a new product announcement from Brammo, secretly dubbed “The Anti-Scooter”.
When Mission Motors first came out of stealth mode, they used the slogan “The World’s Fastest Electric Production Sportbike”, and quoted a top speed of a 150 mph. It seems only logical then, that the company would have to back that claim up at some point, and apparently that time is now.
Last week we showed you a simple YouTube video entitled: “Electric Motorcycle 160 MPH”, and now we know the story behind that 160 mph run, and can report that the Mission One electric motorcycle is the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world, with an official land speed record of 150.059 mph. Video and more after the jump.
Looking to back up their claim as the fastest electric motorcycle in the world, Mission Motors was also in attendance at this year’s Bub Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Shod in their streamlined fairings from the TTXGP, the Mission One reportedly averaged 160 mph through the timed mile. Check after the jump for a video of their run down the salt.
Appalachian State University graduate Tom Miceli put together the ultimate resume when he built his all-electric Ion Sportbike for his Industrial Design graduate project. There are many folks putting together electric motorcycles, but many seem to overlook an important detail of the package. Good looks sell and we enthusiasts demand them. And if you can make it look unique at the same time even better.
Brammo has hit the sales floors of Best Buy with their electric motorcycle the Enertia. Debuting in the Portland Oregon area, instead of the previously rumored San Francisco/Bay Area, you can expect to see the green machine trickle its way down the west coast throughout the year’s time.
Right now, Brammo has their TTR race bike from the TTXGP on display at the Cascade Station Best Buy in Portland. Videos and pictures after the jump.
Orange County Choppers is at it again with another sponsored show bike. Getting the Teutul treatment this time is Siemens, who commissioned OCC to build an electric chopper, appropriately named the “Siemens Smart Chopper”. Let’s just sidestep the whole issue of why electric cruisers are a horrible idea, and get straight to the part where we tell you about the bike.
Underneath the streamlined bodywork, there is a 27hp Advanced DC motor, which should be good for a 60 mile range and 100mph top speeds. Charging time will be about 5hrs, or 7 mechanical bull rides, or about 1 college football game while wearing an inflatable helmet.
The founders of the TTXGP, that ran at the Isle of Man this last June, have announced that there will be a new racing class in 2010. Called the PRO2 class, participating teams will make two laps around the Mountain Course, with an optional pit stop in-between the laps. The pit stop is not mandatory, but will allow teams to swap-out their battery packs for new ones, if they so desire.
Zero Motorcycles recently introduced a 4th model to their electric motorcycle line up. The Zero DS is a dual-sport bike built on the Zero S supermoto platform. The front suspension of the DS gains 2″ of travel over the S for a total of 10”, while rear travel remains unchanged at 9”. A 50/50 street/dirt tire is fitted to the 17″ front rim and a 90/10 street/dirt tire is fitted to the 16″ rear. This is an unusual tire combination for a production dual sport but the semi-aggressive front is a welcomed change from the tires found on most dual-sports, which are more suited to street than dirt use.
Electric scooter manufacturer Vectrix is set to file for bankruptcy in 30 days, after failing to find the cash infusion they need back in April. The move to Chapter 11 doesn’t surprise too many people close the company, citing both poor business practices and customer dissatisfaction as being reasons for the manufacturer’s demise.
After the excitement of the TTXGP we were left wondering… What’s next for ? How can you beat electrics racing around the Isle Of Man in the legendary TT? Our answer comes from FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) who in 2010 begins it’s electric motorcycle race series.
The FIM is working with Azhar Hussain, founder of the TTXGP to plan the series which will exist inside Azhar’s Road Racing Grand Prix Commission. Travis Gintz, a consultant to the series informed us there will be multiple laps and all bikes will be required to have hot-swapable batteries similar to what we saw on the MotoCzysz E1PC.
Michigan based BlueShift Motorcycles is entering into the electric motorcycle business, but instead of the track bred entries we saw for the TTXGP, BlueShift is focusing on the cruiser end of the market. BlueShift describes the bike as a heavyweight and street fighter. At over 600lbs, we’ll agree with the heavyweight part of that statement.