green Articles
Dailies
A dummy's guide to electric motorcycles, part two
In part one of our dummy's guide to electric motorcycles we learned about general terminology and motor types. Now, Brett Gober, a self-described "knuckle-dragging redneck" that we discovered leaving suspiciously intelligent comments on HFL, takes us through the difficult stuff: batteries. -- Ed. >Electricity is weird. It isn't that hard to learn about, but there are some counter intuitive things ...
KTM FREERIDE leaks in German magazine
Das Motorrad has blown the embargo on pictures and info of the That price translates to around $13,500, considerably more expensive than the Zero X, which retails for $7,495. The KTMs produce 30bhp and 33lb/ft of torque and use a 2.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Weight is 90kg (198.4lbs) and the range is approximately 1.5-hours. While the battery pack carries .5kWh more capacity than the Zero,...
Dailies
Zero partners with Agni for inaugural US TTXGP
Zero Motorcycles CEO Gene Banman has exclusively revealed to Hell For Leather that his company will be partnering with Agni Motors to create a new motorcycle to enter the first American TTXGP race on May 16. The partnership makes a lot of sense; Agni's Cydric Lynch essentially invented the modern archetype for electric vehicle motors, while Zero has enormous expertise in constructing very lightwei...
Dailies
TTXGP Trust: own electric motorcycle racing
Seventy percent of ownership in TTXGP is being turned over to participating teams in a move designed not only to encourage new entries in the international electric motorcycle racing series, but also to give those teams a controlling interest in their sport. This will give participants a stake in the series' profits and also a say in its governance. You won't be able to buy into the TTXGP Trust, y...
Dailies
Removable battery packs, FTW
Why are we writing about a shitty little electric scooter? Because the e-max city 80L does something no other realistic means of two-wheeled transportation does: the battery comes out easily so you can charge it inside your house or office. Designed specifically for urban use, scooters like this offer equivalent performance and equivalent ease of licensing to 50cc ICE scooters -- long a staple of...
Dailies
Michael Czysz on streamlining and electric racing
In 1957 dustbin fairings were banned from road racing, now some people think it's a good idea to bring them back- They are seriously mistaken.Editor's note: Michael Czysz is the man behind When the best racers in the world arrive at a track with winds in the 15-25+mph range a modified fairing can be fitted to their bike. This fairing has less surface area, often a...
Dailies
MotoCzysz Electric D1g1tal Dr1ve: plug-and-play 100 HP electric powertrain
Competing directly with Here's the press release:MotoCzysz Electric D1g1tal Dr1ve SystemMotoCzysz announces the most integrated electric drive available. The first product from a family of integrated drives being developed by MotoCzysz is designed and engineered specifically for high performance electric motorcycles. The eDD system integrates advanced technol...
Dailies
Electric racing controversy continues
This morning, the Isle of Man government issued a bizarre statement intended to address "speculation and unsubstantiated claims" surrounding its decision to drop the TTXGP and replace it with its own event, TT Zero. You'll find the statement reprinted in full below, but essentially it reeks of desperation, making wild accusations to address unspecified criticism. Meanwhile, Azhar Hussain and the T...
Dailies
TT Zero: Isle of Man TT splits with TTXGP, launches own electric motorcycle race
The Isle of Man TT is splitting with TTXGP and launching its own zero emissions race. "This is an indication of how seriously we take ," says TT representative Simon Crellin, "we're bringing it under the same umbrella as all other TT racing." TT Zero will operating under the FIM's new electric racing rules. Where does this leave the TTXGP?>Without a flagship race at the Isle of Man, but with an in...
Dailies
Roehr eSuperbike: 96bhp, 210lb/ft, zero emissions
Illinois-based Roehr Motorcycles is planning a range of two electric motorcycles. The first, the Roehr eSuperbike produces 96bhp and 210lb/ft of torque using a 10kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack and an AC induction motor , will be entered in the TTXGP's US race series. The second, the Roehr eSupersport, should considerably more affordable and will use a 6kWh lithium iron phosphate powering ...
Dailies
TTXGP partners with UEM, announces eGrandPrix European Championship at Albacete
MC24 has broken news that the 2010 eGrandPrix race season will now culminate with a championship race organized by the European Motorcycle Union at Spain's Albacete circuit. The date has yet to be announced, but the addition of this championship gives the fledgling electric motorcycle racing organization not only four-race national series in the UK and Italy and three races in North America, but a...
Dailies
eGrandPrix coming to VIR, Brands Hatch and Mosport
Photo: Gary InmanLater today, TTXGP's electric motorcycle road racing series, eGrandPrix, will be announcing three additional venues for 2010. Virginia International Raceway, on August 13-15; England's historic Brand's Hatch on October 2-3; and Toronto's Mosport International on July 8-11. The addition of two more North American venues (added to Infineon in May) and a fourth UK round (Cadwell Park...
Dailies
Mavizen wasn't factor in FIM/TTXGP split
The FIM has definitively stated that Azhar Hussain's role as both the organizer/promoter of TTXGP and the CEO of Mavizen (a company producing electric racing motorcycles) was not a factor in its decision to part ways with TTXGP. Much speculation and rumor has inexplicably indicated that the perceived conflict of interest between Azhar's two ventures was what caused the split. We say "inexplicable"...
Dailies
Mission Motors will race in 2010 TTXGP
Adding another major player to the list of companies siding with TTXGP after its split with the FIM, Mission Motors has announced it will race in the 2010 TTXGP on the Isle of Man and the series' inaugural American race at Infineon in May. The team will be racing similar machines to last June's race, although this time we expect more performance, the Mission One set a 150mph speed record at Bonnev...
Dailies
Zero Motorcycles joins 2010 TTXGP series
Zero Motorcycles has announced it'll be joining Team Agni and CRP Racing next year in the TTXGP's electric motorcycle racing series, eGrandPrix. That's big news for the TTXGP, giving them and not the FIM e-Power series one of the industry's leading innovators and biggest names. It's expected that Zero will be using a Mavizen TTX02 (read KTM RC8) chassis equipped with their own batteries and motors...
Dailies
FIM e-Power splits with TTXGP
The FIM has announced its own electric race series separate from the TTXGP eGrandPrix. FIM e-Power has already put four dates on next year's calendar and left the option open to schedule more, but no details of the formula or rules have yet been released. TTXGP had been working closely with the FIM to plan next year's eGrandPrix series. While the eGrandPrix will still go forward, the presence of a...
Dailies
Brammo Enertia drops price to $7,995
"This is the biggest day for the company so far," says Brammo founder Craig Bramscher, "we've gone from early adopter to mainstream transportation." The Brammo Enertia powercycle has dropped its price from $11,995 to $7,995 ($7,195 with a 10% federal income tax credit). Additionally, financing is now available from four west coast Best Buy outlets, which means you can ride off on the zero emission...
BMW C1-E: enclosed electricity
BMW is returning to the enclosed scooter concept, this time with an electric motor. Sold from 2000-2003, the original BMW C1 was a wonderful idea -- a scooter that could protect its rider from impacts -- executed poorly with odd engine choices, too high a price tag and a major misjudgment of European traffic laws. Equipped with seat belts, BMW hoped the C1 could legally be ridden in most markets w...
Dailies
How to get 100mpg on a Kawasaki Ninja
A member of EcoModder.com reports his average fuel consumption on a 2003 Its a stock 2003 Ninja 250 with changed gearing (from 14/45 to 15/39 ). Even the carb jetting is stock. The only other change is the tires. Stock, the bike comes with 100/80/16 fronts, and 120/80/16 rears. My bike has 100/90/16 fronts and 130/90/16 rears. As of 05/15/09, my previous mpg ave...
Dailies
What the heck is this Yamaha?
Various sources claim that this mysterious new Yamaha is a successor to the Gen-RYU concept, is a gasoline/electric hybrid, uses an automatic transmission and will debut in production-ready form this fall. That the transmission is an automatic or a CVT seems evidenced by the large housing and the lack of a gear pedal, while the hybrid powertrain would seem to be verified by the dumpy styling. Far ...
Dailies
