Noted Honda tuning company Mugen has revealed the second generation version of its electric racebike which will race in the TT Zero at the 2013 Isle of Man TT. The Shinden Ni (“Shinden” meaning “God of Electricity” while “Ni” is the number two in Japanese) will once again be ridden by 19-time TT winner John McGuinness.

Mugen has been working on the Shinden Ni since last year’s TT Zero, using data collected in the race and during tests at circuits in Japan. Mugen worked on making improvements through optimizing motor output and increasing battery capacity. Mugen engineers also managed to remove a significant amount of weight. According to the specs sheet (see below) the Shinden Ni has a curb weight of 240 kg (529 pounds), which is 44 pounds lighter than the first Shinden. Continue Reading »

Zero Motorcycles has announced a new model designed for military use. The 2013 Zero MMX was designed specifically for the U.S. Special Operations Forces who could take advantage of a silent-running vehicle capable of moving rapidly over rough terrain.

The MMX is based on the Zero MX but was developed under contract with the U.S. military to add a number of features not available on the civilian model. An undisclosed number of Zero MMX models are currently undergoing full operational testing.

The Zero MMX uses a keyless ignition system for quick departures, integrated wiring for front and rear infrared systems, a switchable headlight for running stealthily at night, a safety override switch and reserve power capabilities. The MMX also offers improved water protection so it can continue to operate even when submersed in up to a meter of water. Continue Reading »

KTM announced it will bring its E-Speed electric scooter to production, with plans to introduce it to he European market in 2015.

Originally unveiled last month at the 2013 Tokyo Motorcycle Show, the E-Speed made its European debut at this past weekend’s Bike Austria show where KTM officially announced the scooter will enter production. The E-Speed will follow the Freeride E as the second electric model offered by KTM.

The E-Speed uses the same battery and motor as the Freeride E, but retuned for urban commuting rather than off-road riding. KTM claims 14.8 hp and 26.6 ft-lb. for the E-Speed compared to 29.5 hp and 30.9 ft-lb. for the Freedom E. Continue Reading »

Canada’s Amarok Racing has secured quite a coup in signing six-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb winner Greg Tracy to ride its P1A electric superbike for the 2013 edition of the event.

Tracy has six class victories in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, winning in 1996, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010. His victories have come riding motorcycles from several manufacturers: Honda, Yamaha, BMW and, more recently, Ducati. In last year’s Hill Climb, Tracy and his winning teammate Carlin Dunne became the first motorcycle riders to complete the event in under 10 minutes riding Ducati Multistradas in the 1205cc class.

For 2013, Tracy had been considering a switch from motorcycles and competing in a car, but decided instead to try his hand in event’s new electric motorcycle class after meeting with Amarok’s co-founder and chief designer Michael Uhlarik. Continue Reading »

The new unified electric racing series run by the International Motorcycling Federation and TTXGP has a new name: the eRoadRacing World Cup. The new World Cup, announced last month, unifies the FIM’s ePower championship with the TTXGP’s eGrandPrix series

As previously announced, this year will follow the TTXGP’s traditional format, featuring two separate series in Europe and North America, and a best-versus-best final championship event to be held in Asia.

The FIM released a provisional calendar for the World Cup featuring three rounds each in Europe and North America. The schedule isn’t complete however, as the FIM and TTXGP previously announced plans to have four rounds in each series. The series will only use this World Cup format for the 2013 season before switching to a more traditional racing series format. Continue Reading »

Zero Motorcycles announced the addition of Pieter De Waal as the newest member of its board of directors.

De Waal provides Zero with more than 30 years of experience in the automotive and motorcycle industries. Formerly of Nissan, Delta (General Motors), Mercedes Benz and, most recently, BMW, De Waal has experience dealing with many facets of the industry, from engineering to sales.

In addition to joining Zero’s board of directors, De Waal will also be a consultant on future business strategies including powertrain initiatives. The move follows Zero’s pattern of attracting experienced motorcycle industry executives. Previous additions include hiring AMA Hall of Famer Scot Harden as vice president of global marketing. Continue Reading »

Icon and Brammo made a big splash last year with eye-catching livery for their TTXGP racebike, with Steve Atlas riding the black-and-white patterned “Stack” graphic Empulse RR to a TTXGP world championship. The riding apparel maker returns to sponsor Brammo’s team again for 2013, introducing two new designs for Atlas and teammate Eric Bostrom.

Atlas’ Team Icon Brammo Empulse RR will be clad in a red cheetah-themed “Sauvetage” livery (pictured above). It features a red-on-red spotted pattern with a gaping mouth with fangs running from under the seat to the belly resembling the design of fighter planes of  the World War II era “Flying Tiger” 1st American Volunteer Group. The livery is paired with red wheels and frame.

Bostrom’s race bike keeps the black and white with florescent green from last year’s Empulse RR but features a new zebra-themed design called “Big Game” (pictured below the jump.) Continue Reading »

KTM unveiled a new electric scooter concept at the 2013 Tokyo Motorcycle Show called the E-Speed. The E-Speed is the second electric model from KTM, following the Freeride E dirtbike.

The E-Speed actually shares the same electric battery and motor technology as the Freeride E, but repurposed for urban mobility. The E-Speed’s motor isn’t as powerful as the Freeride E’s however, with KTM claiming 14.8 hp and 26.6 ft-lb. compared to 29.5 hp and 30.9 ft-lb. for the Freedom E.

According to KTM, the E-Scooter weighs 309 pounds and has a top speed of 85 kph (53 mph). The E-Speed’s lithium ion battery has a capacity of 4.36 kWh which KTM claims offers a range of 40 miles can be fully charged within two hours from a normal household power outlet. Continue Reading »

Electric Brammo motorcycles will share the grid with gas-powered motorcycles in American Federation of Motorcyclists competitions. The AFM, America’s oldest motorcycle road racing body, announced Brammo riders can compete head-to-head for championships against those riding internal combustion engine motorcycles.

The Brammo Empulse R, Empulse TTX and Empulse RR will be eligible for competition. The AFM has yet to define which classes they will be eligible for, except to say they will be determined by power-to-weight ratios. The key point however is Brammo’s electric motorcycles will be integrated into existing classes instead of being segregated into an electric-only class.

“What caught AFM’s attention about Brammo’s approach was that they were not asking for a separate class, but were instead looking to have a chance for their bikes to compete within the existing class structure and go head to head with gas-powered bikes of similar performance and power-to-weight,” says Berto Woodridge, president of AFM Racing. “We believe this to be a historic moment in motorcycle racing and are happy to have made it possible.” Continue Reading »

The great schism in electric motorcycle has been mended with the TTXGP‘s eGrandPrix and the International Motorcycling Federation‘s e-Power series unifying to form a new world championship. We caught wind of a potential merger last June and it finally looks like electric motorcycle racing is ready to put on a united front.

After running opposite each other for three years, the two formerly rival series are uniting to form a new championship. Specifics still need to be worked out but the 2013 championship will follow the TTXGP’s usual format, featuring four events in both Europe and the U.S. (the TTXGP’s Australian series has been dropped) with a final best-against-best world championship final in Asia.

From 2014 onward, the championship will revert to a regular world championship format featuring six events supporting other FIM World championships with no final. Instead, the winner will be decided in the conventional manner, through points accumulated through the season. Continue Reading »