Electric Motorcycle Plans

Extreme electric racing

Rider Allan Brew takes the eSuperbike, an all-electric motorcycle developed at MIT, for a test drive during a qualifying round. Credit: Susumu Sugitani

This week, the Isle of Man was buzzing -- not just with anticipation for its yearly Isle of Man TT Race, one of the most treacherous in motorcycle racing, but also with the decidedly subtler sound of electric bikes cruising through the racecourse.

A group of MIT students led by PhD student Lennon Rodgers was among 32 teams who entered this year's all-electric race, bringing their custom-designed eSuperbike to the famous competition on the small island located between Ireland and Great Britain. Several practice and qualifying rounds whittled the field down throughout the two weeks leading up to the race; on Thursday afternoon (June 9) the team's motorcycle hummed across the finish line, coming in fourth with an average speed of 79 miles per hour.

"It was a great experience," Rodgers says. "I think the teams with the most reliable motorcycles were able to finish … we focused on reliability, and that's what saved us in the end."

Throughout the Isle of Man's 37.7-mile circuit, riders streak through villages and mountain passes at speeds of up to 180 miles per hour, navigating hundreds of kinks and bends in the road while trying to avoid obstacles including lampposts, phone booths, manhole covers and tram tracks. The racers zoom up and down mountain roads, summiting more than 2,000 feet above sea level before gunning down to the finish line.

Since the island's first race in 1907, gas-powered bikes have dominated the course, roaring to the finish in clouds of exhaust. In 2009, in an effort to green up the course, race officials opened the circuit to electric motorcycles with TT Zero — the island's first zero-emissions race. To spark competition, race coordinators put up a prize of £10,000 for the first electric bike to finish with an average speed of 100 miles per hour or more.

To date, the purse remains unclaimed, though entries have come close: This year's winner, MotoCzysz, missed the mark by a hair, with a record lap speed of 99.604 miles per hour. While this record lags the gas-powered best of slightly more than 130 miles per hour, it far outpaces most commercial electric bikes. Rodgers says competitive venues like the Isle of Man may yield the next generation of electric-vehicle design.

Electric Motorcycle Maker Zero Plans Expansion (Video) - Driver's ...

Electric-motorcycle maker Zero Motorcycles says it plans to open a new manufacturing plant next to its Scotts Valley, Calif., headquarters that will more than double the company’s production capacity. The company says keeping its manufacturing operations “shoulder to shoulder” with research and development will give it an advantage over rivals by helping it get new bikes to market faster.

The company also recently announced a $1.84 million project to develop what it calls its next-generation power train. Zero says its continued growth will result in a broader variety of options for motorcycle shoppers and more green jobs in the U.S.

“With this exciting new expansion, we reconfirm our commitment to building the best electric motorcycles in the world as well as creating U.S. based manufacturing jobs”, said Steve Salyer, Zero’s vice president of operations.

The new factory will boost Zero’s production space to 34,000 square feet and reflects an increase in demand around the world for electric motorcycles, the company says. While sales of electric motorcycles in the U.S. are relatively small, there is enough global demand to sustain Zero and other electric-vehicle companies. Renovation work on the new plant is scheduled to begin soon, with the first production motorcycles expected to roll out by late February 2011. The company plans to add twenty-five employees by mid-2011.

You can watch videos of Zero’s electric bikes by clicking here.

Driver’s Seat is a blog featuring news, views, and advice about cars, auto safety, driving, and transportation. Driver’s Seat is written by Jonathan Welsh with contributions from auto critic Dan Neil, Wall Street Journal staffers and others.

Jonathan Welsh joined The Wall Street Journal in 1994 on the spot news desk. He began writing auto reviews and features for the Weekend Journal section in 1999 and joined the Personal Journal staff in 2006.

Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle

National Science Council review

NSC review

Popular mechanics magazine, written so you can understand it

Build Your Own Electric Vehicle