How To Watch The 2011 TT Zero Live
Update: TT Zero has been cancelled due to rain for today 6/8. Unofficial word is it will run 6/9 at 5:15 PM BST (Isle Of Man time), 11:15 AM CST.
The TT Zero race at Isle Of Man is happening some time today. Rain and various scheduling confusion has forced most interested fans to wait and see when the leccy bikes hit the track. When it does start there are a few ways you can track progress and see pics and rankings as they show up.
1) pull up http://ttlive.iomtt.com/ and click on “TT Zero” in the lower left corner of the page. This will show rider rankings as they happen. Sometimes the transponders fail so don’t worry if a rider does not show up at a checkpoint.
2) pull up http://www.manxradio.com/ and hope they actually announce the whole TT Zero race. They had great commentary leading up to TT Zero practice but did not cover play by play action during practice.
3) Follow @amadeus_iom, @asphalt_rubber and @caferace on twitter. They are on the Island and posting pics as they happen
4) Follow has tag #ttzero on twitter
5) Any other tips? Please leave a comment.
Thanks to @BrammoFan for reminding me of 1 and 2 in the list early enough to catch the practice sessions. If your not following him on twitter it is highly recommended. He follows the entire electric scene very closely. Not just Brammo.
Image: Amadeus Photography
In: TT Zero · Tagged with: 2011, coverage, IOM TT, Isle Of Man TT, live, TT Zero, watch live
Lightning Motors 2011 TT Zero Entry
Richard Hatfield (left), Jim Race (middle), Mark Miller (right) look over the 2011 Lightning Bike
Richard Hatfield and the Lightning Motors team pulled it together for a good showing on during Monday’s practice. According to an email update from Richard, they missed the first practice because their Ener1 batteries had been stuck in customs in London with the next fairy leaving the day of the race. Lightning’s Rider and well connected IOM native John Borrows pulled some strings to get the cells to the Lightning Team so they could begin final assembly.
After a series of long days that seem to be the norm for electric motorcycle race teams at the Isle of Man, the bike was ready to roll just before the qualifying lap scrutineering.
In: TT Zero · Tagged with: 2011 TT Zero, 2011 TT Zero Teams, Jim Race, Lightning Motors, Mark Miller, Richard Hatfield, Video
2011 TT Zero Podium Contender – Ecotricity Ion Horse
UPDATE: Tons of detailed Ecotricity Ion Horse pics here.
The Ecotricity Ion Horse. At first glance this brightly colored bike with gigantic motor and beefy swingarm seem to have come out of nowhere to contend for the TT Zero podium. There are three big factors that might get the team across the finish line in the top three.
First, Ecotricity have been working with TT Zero veterans Kingston University London who are on their 3rd year of eRacing on the Isle Of Man. So, they have the experience. Second, the motor. The bike is powered by an Oxford Yasa DD500 Motor with 400 Nm of continuous torque and 800 peak Nm. Serious power at ~51 lbs. Third, it seems Ecotricity and/or a large unnamed investor put £ 150,000 (just shy of $ 250,000 USD) into making the bike happen.
During yesterdays practice, rider George Spence kept the bike close to the performance of MotoCzysz rider Mark Miller on the 2010 e1pc. Spence was .5 mph under the average speed (81.133 mph) and seconds shy of Miller’s lap time. However, they were not quiet as fast as the newer MotoCzysz e1pc piloted by Michael Rutter which was said to have hit top speeds of 150 mph during Monday’s practice.
The Ecotricity Ion Horse is claiming a 140 mph top speed so without some gearing changes they probably will not win the TT Zero. With the TT there are many factors that can quickly change the math so stay tuned Wednesday morning when the bikes hit the Snaefell Mountain Course for the final.
Click the break to see a video of the Ecotricity Ion Horse testing at Jurby on the Isle Of Man and the full specs of the bike.
In: TT Zero · Tagged with: 2011, 2011 TT Zero Teams, Ecotricity, Ecotricity Ion Horse, Kingston University, Kingston University London, KUL, Oxford Yasa electric motor, TT Zero, Yasa DD500, Yasa ebike
The MIT EVT eSuperbike At Isle Of Man TT | 2011 TT Zero
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Electric Vehicle Team (EVT) has their #11 “eSueprbike” on the Isle Of Man this year for TT Zero. Lennon Rogers is leading the MIT EVT team as they attempt to win the ‘University Prize’ of £5,000 for being the fastest University or College team. This is MIT’s first TT Zero but Lennon and team are not EV motorcycle novices.
MIT are running a twin Agni 95 Motor setup with A123 LiFePO4 Prismatic cells in a BMW s1000RR chassis.
In: TT Zero · Tagged with: #11, 2011, 2011 TT Zero Teams, A123, BMW s1000rr, Lennon Rodgers, MIT EVT, MITei, TT Zero Teams, University Prize
Brunel X-Team Is Back For A Third TT Zero
The Brunel X-Team BX-10 never saw the circuit for last years TT Zero. Not because of a mechanical or electrical failure which is fairly common in these early days of electric motorcycle racing. Instead, it was a heroic act by their rider, Paul Owen that caused him to miss the TT Zero race. They did however race in the 2009 TTXGP at Isle of Man where they took 9th place overall and 6th in the Pro Class.
The Brunel University Team are back in 2011 with a much improved iteration of their electric race bike dubbed the BX-11. This years rider is Russ Mountford.
In: TT Zero · Tagged with: #19, 2011 TT Zero Teams, Brunel X-Team, Brunel X-Team BX-11, BX-11, Dr. Koen Matthys, Koen Matthys, Paul Owen, Russ Mountford, TT Zero Teams
2011 MotoCzysz e1pc First Teaser Pic
Michael Czysz and MotoCzysz team understand there is a very small group of folks dedicated to snapping the first pic of the 2011 e1pc. This year Czysz has done a great job of keeping the bike well hidden from eSavey photogs like IOM native Amadeus Photography.
@MotoCzysz posted the first pic of the 2011 e1pc. Looks like MC plans to milk this one and by the looks of the Seqway / Dow Kokam sponsored machine I can’t blame him.
In: MotoCzysz · Tagged with: 2011 MotoCzysz e1pc, 2011 TT Zero, IOMTT, leccy, Mark Miller, Michael Rutter, MotoCzysz, pics, pictures, TT Zero, TT Zero 100 Club
TTXGP 2011 Kicks Off This Weekend At Infineon!
This weekend TTXGP North America kicks off the season at Infineon. The list of teams is a little shorter than last year but Lightning Motors is doubling down on last year’s championship with two bikes.
Lightning Motors
Michael Barnes #80 is back with Team Lightning Motors and will be on a much lighter bike than last year’s EV1 powered Yellow Banana. As Motoelettriche mentioned in some A&R comments, the bike sounded awesome. It also had serious power but had some ground clearance issues.
Mike Hannas is moving from the Electric Race Bikes team to Lightning Motors. Last year at Infineon he rode the bike built by the late Matt Dieckmann to third at Infineon. I hope he keeps last year’s leathers, they rocked.
Moto Electra #37
Thad Wolff is back in the saddle of the feather bed framed Moto Electra bike. Midwest nice guys Brian Richardson and Moto Electra team have been riding TTXGP since Mid Ohio and have put in some strong finishes. Check out the new Moto Electra bike on The Electric Chronicles.
Brammo Racing #58
Brammo is not just racing dirt this year. After taking 3rd place in the IOM TTXGP in 2009, Brammo stepped back to concentrate on building bikes and skipped the 2010 race season. They are back for 2011 with the Brammo Empulse RR and have teamed with Motorcycle USA and racer / editor Steve Atlas.
Proto Moto Racing #18
Ely Schless has been in the electric motorcycle scene for a long time. He designed the Electric Moto Blade and has worked on many electric motorcycle projects afterwards. He was at last year’s 2010 Infineon TTXGP hanging out in the pits. It will be interesting to see what he brings to the grid.
VOLT #19
Kenyon Kluge, a Zero Motorcycles employee, raced last year at Infineon on a modified Zero S under the name K Squared Racing. Loren Crotty and Eland Eggers of VOLT Motorcycles were also there as competitors bringing the extensive EV knowledge of Thunderstruck Motors to the track. It appears the two groups have joined forces.
Mission Motors #17
Mission has a new bike for the 2011 season and they scored the talent of Steve Rapp to ride the bike. Unfortunately I hear Mission will not make it to the grid at Infineon.
I had a blast at last year’s TTXGP (that’s me on the right next to BrammoFan!) at Infineon. I’m bummed I can’t be there this year. The feeling of walking around the pits of TTXGP is amazing and has a unique energy you can’t find often in a lifetime. If you’re into electric and you can get there you should. The number of EV motorcycle people you will meet with big time skin in the game will be worth the trip alone.
Get your discount TTXGP tickets here. Take pics and post them up. Make me jealous! :D
Also, don’t forget Laguna Seca this year. TTXGP and FIM have come back together after a year breakup to run 3 races together, Sears being the first.
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- The #58 Brammo Empulse Ready for TTXGP
In: Racing, TTXGP · Tagged with: 2011, 2011 TTXGP Teams, electric motorcycle race series, Electric Motorcycle Racing, TTXGP, TTXGP Infineon, TTXGP Teams
Zero Sweeps 2011 Minimoto SX Electric Race | With Video
Zero took the top 3 spots at Minimoto SX last Friday.
Rave left a comment on my last post and wanted to know the results of the 2011 Minimoto SX.
Rave, now you know, see below. It’s nice to get comment from someone besides BrammoFan, Hollywood Electrics, Ted, James or Christian every once in a while. ;)
2011 Minimoto SX Electric Bike Class Results
1: Blake Mitchell (Zero)
2: Chris Green (Zero)
3: Jamie Lanza (Zero)
As an added bonus, below is a video showing Zero tearing up on some gassers. Kris Keefer on the Brammo collided with a Zero rider at the start of the race. You can see Keefer moving quickly but later in the race but obviously joy riding and toying with a Zero rider, Doniak. Harry over at BrammoFan.com hints that the Brammo Encite gearing was not right for the tight minimoto track.
The Brammo Encite gets its second go on the track this weekend at the Monster Energy Grand Prix.
Click the break for the video and more photos.
In: Brammo, Zero Motorcycles · Tagged with: Blake Mitchell, Brammo, Brammo Encite, Chris Green, ebike racing, Electric Motorcycle Racing, electric pitbike, electric vs gas, ePitBike, Jamie Lanza, Kris Keefer, MiniMoto SX, Zero Motorcycles
Brammo Gets Dirty, Long Live The Wheelie!
After multiple years of street only electric motorcycle production I’m not sure why Brammo decided to go to the dirt and I won’t speculate. I am just happy they did. Electric makes sense for the dirt for a wide variety of riders. Desert Racers and guys who love epic rides through the mountains are obviously gonna pass on electric but for MX tracks, riding parks and backyard hooligans electric is better than gas in many ways. But that is another blog post.
True to Brammo style, they went big with the prototype Engage and Encite. A six speed gear box will allow more torque, top speed and range but more importantly, “the wheelie” is not just for gas bikes anymore. Wheelies are a critical skill when riding offroad. If a 12” log sits in the trail and your buddies are close behind you gotta get over it. Without huge power of a modern dirtbike it’s nice to have a clutch to help make that happen. More importantly, if a kid is watching you ride by you are obligated to wheelie if no cops are around. Regardless of what people say, that is what brings kids into the sport and allows the industry to survive. If you can’t wheelie, that is fine but you gotta wave or honk at least. But that is another blog post.
It appears the Encite MX has fullsize wheels and full MX spec travel. If not, pretty close. If you want to run with the big bike this is very important. Logs, whoops and general trail gnar requires full size wheels and full travel suspension to clear the nasty stuff. Otherwise you depend on above average skill or stick to moderate trails.
There has been lots of chatter in the forums about gears and whether or not they will help and electric bike move faster or farther. There are great arguments for and against. I mentioned in some comments on The Kneeslider last year when SMRE introduced the geared system that I hoped someone would experiment with it. I’m glad Brammo decided to dive in.
Tonight we will see what Kris Keefer can do aboard the Brammo Encite in the 2011 Minimoto SX. He will be up against Zero motorcycles in the electric class. Quantya unfortunately will be a no show this year. Watch the finals of Mini Moto SX live at Ustream. Racing starts at 7:45 PM Pacific and Brammo will be in the MM16 Stock mod/Electric final which is race 13.
See the press release after the break.
In: Brammo · Tagged with: Brammo, Brammo Encite, Brammo Engage, Brammo Engage MX, Brammo Engage SMS, Brammo Supermoto, electric motorcycle clutch, electric motorcycle gearbox, Gear Box, gears, Mini Moto SX, prototype
Roehr eSuperSport New And Improved For 2011
Roehr Motorcycles is upping the ante for 2011 and moving from the Hyosung GT250 platform to the beefier GT650 chassis. Roehr is rocking the Hyosung bodywork for the 2011 electric bike instead of rolling his own aerodynamic design as they did in 2010. The new frame is not have a perimeter frame like the previous. The Hyosung 650 frame is designed to use the engine as a stressed member. This probably presented some challenges for Roehr but most likely allowed more room in the end to hang the motor and battery pack off the frame.
Power on the 2011 eSuperSport is up to 67 HP (peak) from last years 48 HP. Weight appears to be up 75 lbs from the 395 lbs I had reported last year.
The choice to stick with the stock bodywork of the Hysoung GT650 should bring the production cost of the bike down. It will also allow customers to utilize the decent supply of aftermarket parts available for the GT650. Windscreens, race wheels, brake upgrades, aftermarket exhaust are all readily available.
The press release below mentions “shunt balancing”. If you are wondering what that is have a listen to episode 11 of the eBike Nerd Cast. Hosts Troy Rank and Greg Crist interview Richard Flechter and Gary Goodrum who built the Zephyr BMS. Skip to 34min 30sec where they explain Shunt circuit cell balancing. The whole episode and all the previous are great too.
Looks like a nice progression for the Roehr ebike line. Hopefully we will see the eSuperSport or eSuperBike on the TTXGP circuit this year.
See the pictures and press release after the break.
In: Roehr · Tagged with: 2011 Roehr eSuperSport, BMS, GT650, Hyosung, Roehr, ROEHR eSuperSport, Roehr Motorcycles, shunt balancing, Troy Rank
