Two students of the American University of Purdue, they presented an electric Superbike, with a top speed approaching the 200 km/h and with an impressive autonomy.
It seems that electric motorcycles will have their due in 2012, since there are already enough fresh proposals in high-performance motorcycles, with electricity. From the big companies in the field, Brammo and Zero definitely stand out, as both have presented models with high performance, but also satisfactory autonomy.
Nevertheless, until we see these motorcycles stealing sales from their petrol counterparts, we will have to wait a little longer. But beyond the big companies, the individual proposals made by independent engineers are also of particular interest, or even… students. So, while a few days ago, we had presented the electric streetfighter Brutus 2, now two students of the American Purdue University have released their own proposal for an electric Superbike. Naturally, due to scarcity of financial resources, the students did not build their motorcycle from scratch, but they "borrowed" a Yamaha YZF 600R, which they converted to electric.
Sean Kleinschmidt and Jim Danielson have a history with electric vehicles, since the 2009 they had converted a Porsche 924S into an electric one – with lukewarm performance though, since they had used a lead acid battery and motor from a forklift. Alongside, the two founded the 2010 along with a friend the "Purdue Electric Vehicle Club".
But back to their attempt at an electric Superbike, after they bought the YZF 600R cheaply (the box was damaged), they stripped it of its gearbox and engine, and proceeded to replace them with a powerful electric motor. Friends were lucky, as Kleinschmidt did his internship at Tesla Motors (electric super-cars), so he managed to get a sponsorship 1.512 lithium ion batteries, to make a 10.6kWh/117V battery. The 2 students also collaborated with Delphi and AllCell Technologies, with the latter donating PCM materials (Phase Changing Material), that surround the batteries and keep the temperature low, so as not to affect battery life. And when the electric YZF 600R was prepared, its technical characteristics were more than impressive. Horsepower 100 horses, top speed 193km/h, and autonomy that exceeds 160 kilometers!
Source : mototriti.gr