top speed Articles
23 January 2013
News
54bhp, 46lb/ft, 100mph and 77 miles: official Brammo Empulse R specs
The upcoming Brammo Empulse R will top 100mph and be capable of exceeding 100 miles in range at city speeds, according to official specs just released by the company. Unveiled in concept form two years ago, we’re now seeing the slow release of details in the run up to the model’s May 8 production debut. Let’s get those specs out of the way: Drivetrain Motor Type: Permanent Magnet AC (PMA...
18 April 2012
News
Chip Yates plans speed record for final electric motorcycle act
As the final act in what’s sure to go down in history as one of the most significant careers in electric motorcycling, Chip Yates plans to set a new land speed record. So far this year, the defense contractor emerged from motorcycling obscurity to achieve performance parity with ICE in WERA racing, outpace liter bikes at the Mojave Mile and successfully race up Pikes Peak. An attempt at the offi...
12 August 2011
News
What’s faster? 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R vs BMW S1000RR
Make no mistake, the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R has one goal and one goal only: to dethrone the BMW S1000RR from its liter bike throne. As far as evaluations of its ability to do so go, top speed is utterly irrelevant to real world riding, yet makes a compelling number anyways. Especially when it’s tested by New York’s most notorious pack of illegal, immoral street racers. So, in the hands of Skank ...
06 June 2011
Putting Chip Yates’ 190mph electric land speed record in perspective
The impressive thing about the unofficial 190.6mph land speed record that Chip Yates set at the Mojave Mile two weeks ago wasn’t necessarily that outright speed — he was aiming for 200+, but faced charging and crosswind problems — but rather that he reached it in a one-mile drag race, not on the open expanse of a dry lake bed where courses can reach 10 miles in length. To put that speed in p...
25 April 2011
102 high-res images of the Aprilia Tuono V4R
Compared to the old v-twin Tuono, this new Aprilia Tuono V4R makes 41bhp more and weighs 10kg less. It’s also fitted with Aprilia Performance Ride Control which incorporates traction control, wheelie control, launch control and quick shift. That makes this the most powerful and most electronically sophisticated naked bike ever mass-produced. Oh, and this is the first time you’ve seen it in yel...
13 April 2011
The fastest electric motorcycle in the world
For the second time this year, Chip Yates has made history. In January, he placed second in a race against ICE superbikes using his homemade electric superbike and yesterday he unofficially set a new land speed record by a comfortable margin. Racing at the Mojave Mile, the garage inventor reached a top speed of 190.6mph. This is made extra impressive not only because he exceed the official electri...
11 April 2011
Zero XU gets removable battery
As urban transportation, all current electric motorcycles share the same achilles heel — if you don’t have a garage with a plug, it’s difficult to charge them. No longer. The Zero XU’s 2kWh battery pack slides out of its frame and can be brought inside for easy charging in just two hours. Genius. Update: cost, weight and other details on the removable battery pack. The rest of the XU...
01 March 2011