Jeff Clark Fastest Electric Motorcycle Up Pikes Peak This Year

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Jeff Clark has now become the now two-time champion at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, after a successful sub 12-minute run up the mountain on Sunday, June 29. Aboard the same Zero FX he rode to victory last year, Clark barely broke the 12-minute barrier by clocking a 11:59 time.

Outwardly, Clark’s 777 Zero FX may look similar to the one he rode last year. However, there’s one glaring difference. This year, Clark and sponsor Hollywood Electrics devised a liquid-cooling system to keep the motor cool — a problem encountered during last year’s run. The team are mum on details since it is still in its prototype stage, but claim it works as designed. The proof is in the results, as Clark recorded a better time than a year ago.

Perhaps the most impressive stat is Clark’s Section 1 time (2:06), which bested all exhibition motorcycles-gas and electric- including Guy Martin, winner of the Exhibition Powersports Division.

“We’ve shown that it won’t be long before the top riders in all classes at Pikes Peak will be on electric,” said Harlan Flagg, Founder of Hollywood Electrics. “There is no faster bike off-the-line than an electric motorcycle. We’re really excited to prove our tuning abilities on Zero Motorcycles up the mountain, besting all the prototype bikes and the talented engineers behind those.”

“Congratulations to Jeff Clark and Hollywood Electrics on a monumental victory. To break the 12-minute mark on such a challenging course is truly remarkable,” said Richard Walker, CEO of Zero Motorcycles. “It shows what electric motorcycle technology and entrepreneurial spirit can accomplish, and we are proud to be with them at the forefront.”

Asked about how the race went, Jeff Clark said, “I had a couple of close calls, but at the end of the day bested my time from last year. So proud to be the fastest electric bike up America’s Mountain [this year – TS]. Thanks to my crew and my sponsors, without whom I couldn’t have done it.”

You can visit www.zeromotorcycles.com for more information on the bike, or click on www.hollywoodelectrics.com to buy or modify a Zero.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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