Companuies prepare for the TTXGP zero-emissions grand prix to be held in June during the famous Isle of Man TT race.
On display at the Grand Prix will be an electric sport bike capable of zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds. A San Francisco firm led by former Tesla Motors engineer Forrest North will compete with an electric motorcycle capable of going 150 mph.
Also on display will be the EV-O RR, seen above. Evo Design stands out for the depth of its experience. The iconic British motorcycle company Triumph is among its biggest customers, and its five employees have worked on “everything from submarines to glass bottles,” Simpson said.
The EV-0 RR has a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, as is propelled by a forkless single-sided front suspension and twin electric motors.
Although the first monocoque bike hit the track in 1967, single-sided front suspension appeared in 1949 and the earliest patents for electric motorcycles were filed in the late 1860s, everything is just coming together now – just in time!
This motorcycle will be running in the TTXGP zero-emissions grand prix in June, and Evo hopes that if it runs well, their company will stand out in the growing field of high-performance electric motorcycles.
One of the biggest challenges is getting all the electric bits to fit and packaging them so the weight doesn’t throw the handling off. A traditional frame limits the placement of the battery pack and motors, so Evo opted for a monocoque that encloses the drivetrain like a shell.
“A monocoque doesn’t use a frame, so you’ve got a lot more room,” designer Simpson said. “It’s almost mandatory for an electric motorcycle because it gives you much greater latitude in placing the batteries. It’s also incredibly stiff.”
Ensuring the bike has enough juice to finish the race will be the biggest challenge. The TTXGP will use the same winding 37.73-mile course as the famed Isle of Man TT race, where riders maintain an average speed of more than 120 mph and navigate more than 200 curves.
“Range is always an issue with anything electric,” the bike’s designer said. “We won’t have the option of recharging or replacing the battery, so we’ll have to do one complete circuit. That’s going to be one of the challenges, but then, everyone’s facing the same challenge.”
