Electric bike beats the best in USA
An electric motorcycle has beaten the conventional
competition for the first time in a challenging American hill climb. The historic event was the 91st annual Pikes Peak
International at which American Carlin Dunne triumphed over all comers on his electric Lightning motorcycle. The San Carlos- manufactured all-electric race recorded the shortest time to the top of the 14,110-foot peak on June 30, setting the fastest motorcycle time with a run of 10
minutes and 0.694 of a second. Dunne ran the 12.42- mile ascent faster than Bruno Langlois’ Ducati Multistrada, the next fastest motorcycle at ten minutes 21.323 seconds. For the American manufacturer Lightning’s Art Haynie commented, “We changed the history of the world yesterday and transportation will never be the same. “This is the first time in history that electric went against gas head to head on the same playing field in a major event, and we dominated them.” The race, started in 1916, was originally intended to advertise the Broadmoor Hotel, high up the peak. The course, considered among the most challenging of
American road races, features 156 turns as it climbs almost 5,000 feet (0.94miles).
All the torque all the time Dave French goes electric with the Zero in the USA
The route and the ride were great. Some urban commute with a little traffic then up the hills on Granite Creek Road behind Scotts Valley for some canyon carving. A deer crossed the road, some very wide firetrucks raced by in the opposite direction, a car nearly pulled out in front of me and I overtook a few cyclists and trucks.
I was on Zero’s 2013 DS model with a checklist of bike review stuff going through my head. Suspension was a bit out of adjustment with not enough damping, the front end definitely needed another disc and I was still wondering if the switch to a shorter wheelbase compared to my usual lengthy bike was the issue or if there really was something unusual about the weight distribution when coming into corners.
The bike was medium weight and comparable to a 600. Power felt like between 50 and 60bhp. Throttle response was good and I was having fun, a lot of fun, in fact this was probably my most fun test ride since BMW launched the 1200GS in 2004. And then the weirdness kicked in.
For the first few miles I kept kicking air where the gearshift should have been, like the clutch it had ceased to be. My left side felt redundant as this was all automatic. Just like my rental car. The throttle was all I needed. It was responsive when moving, gave predictable engine braking when closing and delivered a controlled getaway from a standing start. The second bit of distinct oddness was a lack of engine noise. I could hear tyres on the road and wind noise at speed but no throttle-modulated howl. When we stopped at lights we talked as if on bicycles with no noise and no engine heat. More subtly there was no vibration, at all. The bike never ever felt like stalling despite standing hill starts, super slow uphill walking speed sections and magically it always seemed to be in the right gear. Overtaking at 50-60ish was
40 The ROAD
effortless with the bike in an obvious sweet spot just where it belonged. I was flying through the forest with only wind noise in my ears, it was getting dreamlike. But hard reality was still there.
I braked hard and locked it up, lent low in corners, pulled hard out of them, sensed an incipient weave and gradually increased in confidence and speed as the characteristics and limits of the bike became clearer.
imminent power reduction to protect the system. Recharge time is the other variable and without special charging accessories or charging station options a regular overnight charge costing a few euros brings it back up to full. The vast majority of commutes fit inside this envelope and if they don’t then a recharge at work is worth looking into.
If you’re planning a solo ride ‘this was probably my
most fun testride since BMW launched the 1200GS in 2004’
The ride along the forested roads was exhilarating and all too soon we were back to base where we rolled the bikes into the showroom and plugged them into the wall.
Just try to imagine a motorcycle
where the starter motor and battery got bigger but the engine, petrol tank and gearbox just disappeared along with their running cost and maintenance burdens. That’s an electric motorcycle and after a few years of low power and limited range they’re finally a realistic proposition which can go up against conventional internal combustion engines at each level. There are now moped size bikes for city commuting and high cost race bikes setting records at the other extreme. In between are these, the counterparts to regular motorcycles, providing real-life performance, range and cost. Range is the traditional issue with electric vehicles. Real life ‘ride it like you stole it’ use gives around 75 miles which with some gentleness can be stretched to about half as far again. These naked bikes max out just under a ton for a quick blast, 70-75mph motorway use is OK but sustained 80ish mph is too much and triggers a warning of
across the Sahara then maybe this is better for your 9-5 ride to work days. On the other hand I’ve been to places in Africa where electricity wasn’t an issue but petrol was to queue for. In the US there’ve been several coast to coast runs already, both crew- supported record-setting efforts and solo unsupported runs. For the next few years some serious planning is needed for long distance electric motorcycling but in reality how much of your motorcycling is long distance? Purchase cost is way more than you’d expect for the performance but running cost is radically lower. A fill up of electricity is a small fraction of the cost of a tankful of petrol and with no regular engine to worry about it’s really just about brake pads and tyres. Service intervals at somewhere around 10,000 miles are mostly about checking bolts for tightness and having a look at the belt drive. In reality it feels like they made up the need for a service interval as an excuse to check in for owner feedback. The powertrain battery- controller-motor is a separate product and features in several different machines for which Zero have made their own frames. A motocross style bike
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