Oakland, California's Electric Motorsports entered a modified version of its $8500 GPR-S e
Difficulties-and a few disappointments-aside, the participants are still enthusiastic about the future of electric motorcycle racing. "The coolest element of this whole deal," Czysz said, "is that it's true run-what-ya'-brung, and you can bring anything. That's not happening in MotoGP!" It's reminiscent of the rise of the two-stroke in GP racing in the early '60s, when backyard privateers competed with high-profile, corporate-backed efforts on equal footing. If you value competition driven by innovation and hard work rather than cubic dollars (a rarity in modern motorsports), the new frontier of eGrandPrix (see sidebar) is very intriguing.
The first-ever zero-emissions roadrace is officially on the books, and there will be more to come. Electric vehicles are not going away. Governments around the globe are pumping billions of dollars into electric vehicle development and infrastructure (the carrot), and at the same time, drafting tough new laws that make EV technology more appealing by the day (the stick). Consumer demand has already influenced the automobile sector, where manufacturers must have electric offerings in their lineup or face oblivion. It would be ludicrous not to expect the same in the motorcycle industry.
MotoCzysz spared no expense creating the E1pc, based on the firm's C1 internal-combustion
Racing has historically been important to advancing new technology, and the situation is no different with electric vehicles. "That's the reason we're here at the TTXGP," Brammo's Brian Wismann said. "Truth is, if we hadn't had professional riders push our bikes as hard as they did, we wouldn't have found that limit. Now, we're ahead of where we would have been if we would have stayed home. This was why Honda came to the Isle of Man in the '50s, and this is why we're here too."
This competition-bred experience will only make electric motorcycles-whether plug-in or hybrid-more prevalent, and more desirable, in the coming years. Electrified commuters are a logical choice, given current battery range and recharge limitations. But what of racing, or other traditional sportbike applications? Will high voltage ever replace high horsepower as the ultimate performance measuring stick? Will the oil-soaked enthusiast population embrace this digital revolution?
Underdog Team TORK, led by four mechanical engineering students from India, landed their c
If spectator enthusiasm at the TTXGP was any indication, the answer is, surprisingly, yes. "Fook yeah, electric motorcycles are fine by me," slurred one particularly vocal, Honda RC51-riding Irishman in the Bushy's Beer tent on the Douglas promenade a few hours after the race. "As long as it goes fast, it's cool to me." When I asked about the lack of an exhaust note or any other discernable evidence of power production, his Suzuki GSX-R1000-riding buddy chimed in: "Who cares if they don't make any noise? The only screaming I need to hear should be coming from inside my helmet!"
Electric or not, it's hard to argue against logic like that.