Motorcycle Racing and Riding

You heard it here first folks… Unless you didn’t.  Scott Harwood— ASRA National Endurance Champion and AMA Pro Racer— is looking for an ride in the 2010 Isle of Man TT and the 2010 Isle of Man TTXGP (alternative fuels: hydrogen, electric, etc.) He will be eligible for all classes (TT SBK, TT STK, SeniorTT, TTXGP, etc.)

Scott is currently working with AMA Pro / DMG, to obtain an FIM International race license (DMG is the FIM’s representatives in the United States). If you would like to present a sponsorship opportunity, then please go to www.go-scooter-go.com to contact Scott.

We wish Scott all the luck, and hope to be there when he rides the TT!

Don Emde shared this beautiful Isle of Man TT video with us on facebook, and mentioned that he wants to go next year as a spectator. The music is “Now we are free” by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, from the movie Gladiator. It was uploaded by Mirko Guzetta. Thank you Don and Mirko!

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy 2009 Steve Plater Onboard:

Scott Harwood shared this 2009 Isle of Man TT video with us:

Scott also shared a video from this year’s TTX with us:

Mavizen was created to support electric-vehicle motorcycle racing teams. (I believe that Mavizen is also the name of Azhar Hussain’s iPod accessory company.) Mr. Hussain founded TTXGP: a motorcycle race that took place at the Isle of Man TT in 2009.

Mavizen will be producing the Mavizen TTX02 electric racing motorcycle. The powertrain includes twin Agni motors, and a computer (Linux or Windows). The motorcycle will cost £25,000 (about $41,500 USD) with the Circuit Pack battery pack. Here are the battery pack options:

• Circuit Pack: 6kw/h, 25 miles track use, 38/60 miles hard/gentle road use
• Snaefell Pack: 11kw/h pack, 40 miles road racing, 75/130 miles hard/gentle road use, hot swappable power packs
• Sprint Pack TBA. 3kw/h, 6 miles track use.

Click on the thumbnail images to see larger versions. Click on the larger versions to close them.

This looks like a great project, and we hope for this company’s success. We are suspicious about some of the claims  though:

• The winning bike, the AGNI X01, was produced by Agni Motors.  The AGNI X01 was a converted Suzuki GSX-R 600.  The Mavizen TTX02 is a converted KTM RC8 1190. Claims that the TTX02 is based on the winning-bike are potentially unfair to Suzuki and KTM. Apparently Mr. Hussain is making the claim based on the fact that both bikes have twin Agni motors. (sources: mavizen.com, egrandprix.com, agnimotors.com)
• Mr. Hussain claimed that the bike makes 90 horsepower. Agni Motors claims that the twin-motor AGNI X01 made less-than 50 HP max, and only 12HP-per-motor at peak efficiency  (source: agnimotors.com).
• Top speed is claimed to be 130+MPH. Rob Barber, the TTXGP winner, and an experienced racer, only averaged 85 MPH at the TTXGP. He was clocked at 102MPH at the end of a downhill segment. We have to assume that Mavizen’s 130+MPH claims are based on a very different gearing ratio. EVs are not geared for high speeds, because that would either make them too difficult to control at lower speeds, or make them too inefficient to reach their destination. Speeds over 100MPH could be obtained via a transmission that was designed to keep RPMs relatively low. Modern motorcycle and automotive engines are designed to keep RPMs relatively high. This motorcycle does not have a transmission.

Here are eGrandPrix’s goals for 2010:

• TTXGP UK Championship 2010 (four round goal)
• TTXGP at the Isle of Man TT, May 29 2010 – June 11 2010
• TTXGP USA Championship 2010  (four round goal): May 14-16, 2010 (AMA Pro weekend)

Here is the Mavizen TTX02 Launch Promo:

Here is the eGrandPrix.Tv – TTXGP 2009 DVD trailer. Fun! And the bikes go weeeee:

Here are the Mavizen announcements from SEMA, November 3 2009:

130mph ‘laptop on wheels’ unveiled in Vegas

The much heralded Mavizen TTX02 came out from under the covers today to meet the brave new world

The bike has been nicknamed a ‘laptop on wheels’ and is being produced by TTXGP founder, Azhar Hussain, an entrepreneur with a background in consumer electronics. “We are living in a click culture and connectivity is the key, across the board. Our approach was to find how we could make a laptop go racing. We think electric vehicles have more in common with consumer electronics than traditional automotive.”

TTX02 is the first factory production vehicle to be delivered with a dedicated IP access and connectivity to the network. Each bike can be connected from any browser through an on board web server and WiFi.
Hussain continued, “By building on the open standards of the internet and the PC, we unlock the creativity and lower the costs of innovation for teams, enthusiasts and riders. TTX02 is a development platform that invites the potential for success previously seen in electronic hardware and software, into the automotive industry. We need to pick up the pace of innovation and make it real fast; TTX02 is a key marker in that journey”
Azhar Hussain founded TTXGP, the world’s first zero carbon, zero emission motorcycle race which took place at the Isle of Man TT in June this year. The TTX02 is inspired by the winning bike, the Agni X01. It has been built by TTXGP’s manufacturing arm, Mavizen, on a chassis supplied from the factory of one the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers.

Hussain continued, “The limited production bike, the Mavizen TTX02, gives potential participants a chance to acquire a bike that they can develop themselves to make it competitive and unique to them. Racing is brutal but at least with the Mavizen TTX02, the racers can start with a proven platform. Mavizen is about growing the grid by being an enabler by those who want to take part.”

The Mavizen TTX02 uses the rolling chassis of an FIM homologated and road legal bike. A world class manufacturer is supporting Mavizen by supplying direct from the factory, frames ready to be worked over by the Mavizen engineers.

Every owner will have the option to apply to their national vehicle licensing agency under various single vehicle type approval regimes.
Mavizen TTX02 will be available for delivery in Q1/2010 with a limited production of 50 units. Target price for complete bike with a Circuit Pack is £25,000. This will be a complete platform to take part in any national or FIM championship. To place your deposit and discuss options, please log onto www.mavizen.com.

Honda’s Motorcycles for the Tokyo Motor Show 2009

Honda Motor Co. announced which products (real and concept) it will display at 41st Tokyo Motor Show on September 30, 2009.  We will focus on the motorcycles.

Scooters

The EV-Cub electric motorcycle is absolutely beautiful.  It looks enough like a Honda Dream (or Super Cub) to elicit feelings of nostalgia for the vehicle that made Honda a global success, while at the same time looking ultra modern.

The EV-Cub and EVE-neo are electric vehicles.

EV-Cub

EV-Cub

EV-Cub

EV-Cub

EV-Cub

EVE-neo

EVE-neo

EVE-neo

EVE-neo controls

PCX

PCX

VFR1200F with Dual Clutch Transmission

A VFR1200F equipped with the world’s first Dual Clutch Transmission for large-displacement sport bikes will also be on display. Many more VFR1200 images are available on our SkyDrive. We will be releasing an article about the VFR1200 soon.

VFR1200F Dual Clutch Transmission

VFR1200F Dual Clutch Transmission

CB1100 Series

Rumors abound about the CB1100, 4-cylinder, air-cooled universal Japanese motorcycle (UJM) coming to America.  They are just rumors though.  Yamaha has had a model like this in their lineup for sometime, but they won’t sell it here.  The truth-is: this motorcycle would be a smashing hit here. Here are various versions. These are some of the most beautiful retro-bikes ever.

CB1100

CB1100

CB1100 Customize Concept

CB1100 Customize Concept

CB1300 Series

CB1300 SUPER FOUR

CB1300 SUPER FOUR

CB1300 SUPER TOURING

CB1300 SUPER TOURING

CB1300 SUPER BOL D’OR

CB1300 SUPER BOL D'OR

New twists on current bikes

SHADOW Phantom 750

SHADOW Phantom 750

CBR1000RR

CBR1000RR

CBR600RR

CBR600RR

DN-01 Touring Concept

DN-01 Touring Concept

Honda’s Raked-out Choppers and Cruisers

VT1300CX

VT1300CX

VT1300CS

VT1300CS

VT1300CR

VT1300CR

Honda’s “The Riding Simulator” motorcycle VR unit

How about some virtual reality training in a Honda stylee?

Want to see more?

Go to my SkyDrive to page see more Honda images from the 2009 Motor Show!

October 6th, 2009 by Matthew Homyak
Please see: a note about “press releases, news releases, and public service announcements”.

Please see: a note about “press releases, news releases, and public service announcements”. Thank you.

Edward R. Murrow established a tradition of calling up Stanley Marcus each holiday season to inquire about the most unique gift offered by Neiman Marcus so that he could mention it on his radio show. Famously, the retailer once offered a Black Angus bull that could be delivered either live or in steaks, with a sterling silver barbecue cart. This began the unique tradition of Neiman Marcus offering a list of “Fantasy Gifts” to their loyal customers.

This year, Mission Motors is pleased to announce the inclusion of the Mission One in the 2009 Christmas Book’s Fantasy Gift List. Neiman Marcus has offered limited edition Ducati’s, Maserati’s and Bombardier Learjets in the past, but the Mission One will be the first electric motorcycle to be featured by Neiman Marcus, which makes this partnership even more historic.

The Neiman Marcus Mission One will have a production series limited to just 10 motorcycles. Like our 2010 Premier Limited Edition, the motorcycle will reach a top speed of 150 miles per hour and allow for 150 miles of driving between charges, but there are some important differences: The 2010 Neiman Marcus Mission One will feature an exclusive gloss black & anthracite color scheme and forged magnesium Marchesini gold wheels. Included in the package is a visit to the Mission Motors headquarters in San Francisco and an on-track instructional session with one of Mission’s professional racers at a racetrack in the Sonoma wine country.

Mission Motors is very pleased to introduce new customers to the world of electric performance.

Stay tuned for new images of the Neiman Marcus Mission One.

Read about the Enertia Electric Motorcycle.

Most folks will think of this product as a replacement for gas powered scooters.  Brammo doesn’t say that in their marketing material, but “60 MPH, efficient, two wheeled vehicle for urban use” = “scooter”.  The Enertia doesn’t have the storage capacity— or the step-through design— of most scooters, but we certainly understand if Brammo wants to avoid the s-word, because scooter = low price expectations.

We would like to see off-road vehicles (enduro, MX, mini-bikes, trials, etc.) go this electric route, because it solves the noise and fire-hazard problems.

A few years ago we had the opportunity to drive Micah Silverman’s Ford/Th!nk City electric car.  The acceleration was amazing.  It was a rocketship until it hit 55 MPH, but it didn’t go much faster than that.  Everybody was checking-out the car, and this was before our current fuel-price issues.  The car was an older model that looked like this.

Here are our thoughts about who will have the fastest electric bike next year: DC electric motors make maximum torque close to 0 RPM. James Parker (in Motorcyclist Magazine, October 2009)  makes the case that transmissions will be used for different reasons in electric vehicles. Internal combustion vehicles use transmissions to keep RPMs high (in the max torque range for internal combustion). Electrics vehicles could use transmissions to keep RPMs low (in the max torque range for DC motors). Nobody had transmissions this year, but whomever does next year, will have a much faster bike.  The potential is huge.  What we are doing with electrics these days is the equivalent of driving a car in first gear only.  How fast will we be when we get to fifth gear?

Here is what the newest Th!nk City looks like:

CycleWorldMag sent the following link via Twitter: “Two-wheel electric vehicles get Department of Energy development funding. MPM“  The link includes the actual law.

Please see: a note about “press releases, news releases, and public service announcements”. Thank you.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15 — Mission Motors, a San Francisco based company redefining the world of performance motorcycles, announced today that its zero-emissions Mission One electric superbike has claimed the national AMA top speed record for an electric motorcycle, achieving a record 150.059 mph two-pass average run sustained for one mile at Bonneville Speedway on September 1st, 2009. Lead up to runs for the record saw one-way speeds across the mile stretch at 161mph.

The record-breaking top speed was achieved at the annual BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials at the Bonneville Speedway, approximately 90 miles west of Salt Lake City, UT. This event offers world and national record setting opportunities to top contenders in many classes. The Mission One achieved a top speed higher than 70% of the gasoline powered entrants.

“I give the credit for this achievement to our extraordinary engineering team. We set this record on our first visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats on poor salt conditions and in high cross-winds. And to set it with our production prototype vehicle, not a custom Bonneville bike is truly amazing,” said Edward West, Mission Motors Founder and President. “We’ve all known what was possible for the Mission One for some time, and to set this record is very gratifying. It’s a watershed moment for electric vehicles and further proof that the era of the electric superbike has begun. Electric is no longer the future of high-performance motorcycling; it is the present.”

Since returning from the TTXGP, Mission Motors’ engineering team has been working hard to improve the Mission One, resulting in this performance milestone. Its top speed puts the Mission One into a category all alone: the world’s fastest street-legal pure-electric motorcycle, and adds to the list of firsts that the young company has already achieved.

“The Mission One is just an incredible motorcycle,” said Jeremy Cleland, the AMA and AFM racer who shares duties as both Product Manager and Test Rider at Mission Motors. “This is a bike that can rip up the track at Infineon Raceway, do power wheelies at 80 mph, and then come out here to Bonneville and dismantle the prior electric world speed record. It pulls hard all the way from 0 on up to 161mph, all in one gear, with incredible torque. It’s a riding experience like no other. The important thing to understand is this is not a one-off race vehicle, this is a production prototype. It is the same bike that we raced at the Isle of Man and features the same powertrain that we will be delivering to our customers in 2010.”

Mission Motors has targeted high performance and iconic design in the development of its first vehicle, the Mission One. With a top speed of over 150 mph, a 150-mile range and unparalleled access to torque, the Mission One surpasses the performance of other production electric motorcycles and rivals gas-powered incumbents. The Mission One’s design, created by Yves Behar and fuseproject, blends traditional racing elements with a modern pioneering sensibility. The motorcycles are produced in San Francisco, CA with a radical commitment to environmental sustainability.

The company is selling 300 Mission One electric motorcycles in the 2010 model year, with the first 50 Premier Limited Edition models available for reservation now.

About Mission Motors
Mission Motors is building the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company combines innovative technology, iconic design, and superb performance with the freedom of a zero emissions riding experience. Mission’s elite team of engineers is creating the first motorcycle company built on the innovative spirit of the Silicon Valley. The concept is simple: Redefine the world of performance motorcycles. For more information on Mission Motors, visit www.ridemission.com

Yes Virginia, there really is a street-legal electric motorcycle for under $3000, and Lennon Rodgers is the man that designed it. The catch? You have to build it. Still, if Lennon can do it for this price, then why are companies trying to sell them for more than engined models cost? I don’t know, but that question isn’t what’s important to me: motorcycles and cool inventors are. To read more, please go to www.electricmotion.org If you are planning to build one, and you are capable of doing so, then you really must see this site; he lists the parts, prices, vendors, steps, specs, etc. Amazing.

Zero Motorcycles is producing the Zero X electric offroad motorcycle.  I would really like to see these bikes take-off.  I also hope that the prices eventually come down.

Electric vehicles solve motocross’ noise problems.  To be sure, the noise issue is more of an “I don’t want you to have any fun” issue.  After all, many of the municipalities that outlaw riding-off-road-vehicles-at-home due-to-noise, don’t outlaw lawn mowers, and leaf blowers.  That said, the noise-issue/excuse won’t exist if the bikes are silent.

…and then there is performance.  I touched on this briefly in my Enertia Electric Motorcycle post.  My experience with electric vehicles is limited to Micah Silverman’s Ford/Th!nk City electric car.  (Micah’s car was an older model that looked like this.)  Anyway, the acceleration of that car was very impressive at lower speeds.  Dirt Rider magazine’s July 2007 article about Zero Motorcycles does a great job describing what this is like.  DC motors are simply torque monsters.  Unfortunately most people think golf-cart, when they think all-electric, but thankfully the success of the Prius is starting to change that.  So, let me be clear about this: electric is not a step-backwards.  Not sure that you agree?  Then check out these videos about the Zero X: