Pomona (CA) - When TG Daily editor, Humphrey Cheung, captured some video of the inventor of the KillaCycle crashing at Wired NextFest, it raised a few eyebrows, and not just about safety concerns.  The KillaCycle is an all electric motorcycle capable of amazing acceleration.  0-60 times are less than 1 second, but there's a reason for this high performance.  The battery technology inside the motorcycle is what gives its electric motor the real oomph.


The Killacycle previously used 165 lbs, or 990 cells, of A123 Systems nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries.  The new battery system incorporates 1210 cells and now weighs 186 lbs.  These tiny power sources are all chained together in an undisclosed sequence of parallel and series links, resulting in an unknown voltage.  They were able to provide the motorcycle with enough power to set a quarter-mile world record for any batter-powered vehicle.  The sub-8 second runs were completed at a recent drag racing event sponsored by Harley-Davidson.  When everything was fully charged, the equivalent energy of a 500 hp gasoline engine surged through the electric bike (more than most high-end V8 engines), accelerating it to 168 mph in just 1,320 feet.  The previous battery solution gave it 350 hp.  The bike also has a new 27 inch tire and new gearing.



  
 
According to a press release by KillaCycle, "The spectators didn't clap or cheer [when the run was completed], but, simultaneously, let out a revenant, hushed, low-pitched 'whooooa' when the board lit up.  They too were completely awed and nonplussed by the historic event that we all had just witnessed."

The team completed two runs to make it official.  The second run was a little slower, at 7.991 seconds.  However, the KillaCycle has now been officially declared the fastest battery-powered vehicle on the planet, at least in the quarter mile.  A video of the fastest run can be seen on YouTube.
 
 

Wasn't this done already?

Nov 16, 2007 12:59     

I remember an article about this bike in which the owner/creator drove it into the side of a van accidentally. He was spinning the back tire, and let off the brake for a second. That was a cool video. [Yeah, it's linked in the first sentence of the article. -Rick]
Jay report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Yeah....

Nov 16, 2007 16:46     

That was the record for the fastest electric motorcycle stopped by van.
Captain Obvious report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

How does this compare...

Nov 16, 2007 16:51     

to regular drag bikes? [Fastest motorcycles are in the 5.8 second range, in excess of 240 miles per hour, at least according to Google. :) -Rick]
E report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Faster than any street bike

Nov 17, 2007 13:12     

The best street bikes would hit 1/4 mile in 9.7 seconds. This KillaCycle is quite quick! But I wonder if it could go the distance with a street bike and take you back home after a few launches at the track.
9Nails report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Breaking Stereotypes

Nov 19, 2007 08:17     

It not only broke a record but also broke a stereotype. A stereotype that indicated ev's were slow and cumbersome. :)
TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Take you back home?

Nov 19, 2007 08:38     

Sorry, but no drag bike will ever take you back home after. I'd sure love an EV Sports Bike that I could ride around (I kind of like the idea of a quiet bike) but this isn't it. It would be like driving a methanol-fueled funny car home from the track. It does raise a good question though - if you remove the 1000's of extra pounds a car requires over a motorcycle, can battery power provide an adequate motorcycle experience on the road?

Ciscoopa report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0