Remember Xenophya Design? We featured them recently and mentioned how they work on some really fascinating but sometimes secret ideas for various companies and Mark Wells, who works at the firm, has turned out the EV-0 RR for Evo Design Solutions, a motorcycle design for the TTXGP, the zero carbon fuel race to be held June 12th on the Isle of Mann. This design uses a composite monocoque chassis with a double wishbone front end. Power will be from twin electric motors.
Now, if electric motorcycles begin to look like this, I think people might come around to the idea pretty quickly, as long as battery life comes along, too. But, you have too admit, this looks pretty sweet.
Link: Mark Wells
Link: Xenophya Design
Link: TTXGP
Rick says
I don’t think carbon emissions are an issue in professional racing. I mean sure, they release a lot of carbon emissions, but they also lock down a lot of carbon in all that carbon fiber bodywork/helmet/HANS/watchband/etc. Isn’t it possible that they come out ahead in the carbon footprint game?
Just kidding,
Rick
hoyt says
It does look great, until the fairing comes off. A lot of liquid-cooled performance bikes are also a mess without their fairings, but many other liquid-cooled bikes are still stylish without body panels.
Are electrics going to require more body panels than the typical i-c engine and potentially alter (forever?) the look of the cafe racer & cruiser?
When the economy starts to turn around, so will the price of crude and at that time, hopefully funding for algae fuel will return in a big way.
taxman says
i’m all for electric bikes, and this one looks great. i think the fact that there is going to be a race will really help to mainstream electric bikes in the peoples eyes.
Azzy says
Zero carbon race… are they going to find silicone based life forms to drive the bikes?
Interesting for the engineering, stupid for the whole carbon footprint crapola.
wendell says
I can’t agree more Azzy. nice drawing…
B.Case says
Doug (hoyt),
I’m with you, I believe alternatives will alter the classic look of motorcycles forever, and younger generations will embrace it more than old school gear heads. I say, so be it. There will be plenty of demand for I.C.E’s for at least the next 20 years or so, whatever fuel they burn. I’m all for inevitable change, but I also believe there’s enough variety out there to suit everyone’s taste.
Not to knock the work that Xenophya is doing, because I think the work they do for their customers is top quality, and they style all bikes not just electric. But, in my opinion, and I think you’ll agree Doug, there is nothing on this earth that compares to the feeling of personal empowerment one gets with the twist of the grip, instantly conducting a symphony of finely tuned mechanical movements, meshing gears, ticking valves, sucking air, slurping fuel, all while simultaneously producing a staccato of firey explosions in one beautiful fluid statement of “leaving it all behind”.
While I’m ranting on the subject of electric power, here’s an experiment. Pick up your handy cordless 18V drill and listen to the sounds as you pull the trigger. With all the variable whining and sparks flying, now imagine yourself going down the road on a vehicle that sounds similar, only much louder. Electric vehicles are in no way “silent”, which I believe is a misnomer because of their constant comparison to exhaust noise from I.C.E’s lately.
I may have an electric bike someday just for kicks, but my garage will always be full of 20th century internal combustion hot-rods, too. I’d be willing to bet there’s quite a few people like me. Now, support your AMA so they can keep the government regulators at bay, and us enthusiasts just might be able to enjoy classic engines for another generation or two.
Sorry to rant, but I thought hoyt touched on a valid point.
-b
Pete P. says
Electric vehicles. Ha Ha. Where’s al the juice coming from, boys? President O says no nukes. How dumb is that?
JC says
“This design uses a composite monocoque chassis”
This implies those may not be fairings, but are in fact the chassis. Any confirmation on this?
What prevents a ICE motorcycle from doing the same? I know there are perimeter frames, so it doesn’t seem impossible.
I really like his flat tracker BTW, although wish it were air cooled instead of liquid cooled.
David Fisher says
When technology and price finally come together, and these silent, futuristic, high-torque electrics effortlessly leave the current crop of smoking dinosaurs gasping for air at the light, the world will change, and a lot of us can hardly wait.
taxman says
B. Case – my mother has had a toyota prius for a few years now. i’ve ridden with her many times. and when she is bopping around in town and the engine shuts off it really doesn’t make ANY noise. the only noise i hear with the windows down is the sound of the tires on the pavement. but then it’s probably insulated for sound. so we should look to something smaller for a comparable. when i was a security guard durring my college days we had electric golf carts that we would make our rounds on. that was basically just a fiberglass body over the frame and engine components. granted they only got up to about 25-30mph but i can’t recall even hearing a dull roar on those electric engines. i don’t know of any other engine that is as quiet as an electric engine.
does anyone know who will be broadcasting this race? i would like to watch it.
mortalez says
I think electric is the wave of the future,
so far the best I have seen can go up to 150-MPH, but hey its a new technology.
Mark Wells says
Firstly I should stress that the chaps who are behind this project are at Evo Design Solutions Ltd. It is the pure enthusiasm and determination of Rick Simpson, the project leader that is driving the project. Our brief was to create some evocative and exciting images which would get people/sponsors excited about the concept.
We really feel the trick with zero emissions vehicles, at this stage in their development, is to give motorcyclists (and petrol heads in general) what they know and more importantly love. This is why the illustrations we have made for the EV-0RR are very ‘MotoGP’ in proportion and stance. Up until now the problem with all zero emissions vehicles is they all appear to be emasculated, everything from the General Motors EV1 in the 90’s, to the Prius and the Seymour Powell ENV Hydro bike and even the Mission One TTXGP entry, are so desperately trying to communicate their innovation through semantics. I don’t look at a bike and get turned on or off by the measurement of g/km of carbon dioxide are emitted, I really don’t care it’s the complete sensory experience that bikes stimulate. For example I love 2 strokes for the way they only deliver power in a small powerband, you need to be ‘on the boil’ at all times. Equally I love big inline fours because of the ‘point and squirt’, ‘world goes backwards’ experience. I get excited by bikes; that’s my passion so give me a bike. If that bike has a torque curve like a table top (as an electric motor will) then I’m interested irrelevant of whether it runs on fresh air or by burning endangered tree frogs from the Amazon (I’m perhaps exaggerating a little to make a point).
I honestly feel that we haven’t yet had a chance to really understand what the experience could be. I love power tools, the sound they make, don’t tell me you don’t ‘blip the throttle’ on your cordless drill from time to time. Or think about the smell of a hot electric motor remember your days playing with Scaleletrics (slot cars). When you get of the bike it will still ‘ping’ as the disc cool down. I’m not saying EV’s will replace the internal combustion motorcycle, and I will always own a 2T, but in the future it could be another fun addition to the range of toys we can play with.
Based on the positive feedback so far I think we have managed to fulfil our brief, and people appear to like the proposal.
A considerable amount of work has already been completed, defining a package layout to accept the twin motors and battery packs that will be required. The theory of a monocoque is to dispense with the usual frame and replace it with bodywork which takes most of the stress. This is perfectly suited to an electric motorcycle because unlike a conventional engine the batteries and motor are separate components and can be packaged inside the body shell for the best weight distribution.
The carbon-fibre monocoque chassis that the Ev0-rr will run is an evolution of the planned Lotus superbike, which was seriously considered by the Norfolk firm in the late 1990s, designed by legendary racer and engineer Peter Williams. The bodywork for the Williams-designed motorcycle is made from two parts of carbon fibre, which clamp together around the engine. Once they are bolted together they form a stiff shell, providing all the rigidity the motorcycle needs. Based around an eggshell design, it is split vertically down the middle with an aluminium section to hang the electric motors and batteries from. Although Lotus stopped the project, Peter Williams continued to pursue the concept, and is now working with the team at Evo Design Solutions to adapt the concept for the EV0-RR.
Power will come from twin electric motors although the team are keeping predicted output details a closely guarded secret. The chaps at Evo Design Solutions have a huge task ahead of them, with less than 100 days to go until race day, there’s a lot to do but we very much look forward to seeing this exciting bike progress.
Mike Holgate says
Whatever view we currently have of the future of motorcycles, it might be that this one-lap time trial at this year’s TT will point the way. Even if it doesn’t, it should still be interesting enough to make the trip over the Irish Sea ( for those of us in the UK ) on 12th June even more worthwhile than ususal. More entries seem to be breaking cover every week and I have to say that come June there will probably be a lot of media interest in the TTXGP.
hoyt says
Thanks for joggling loose the good memory of slot cars and that aroma.
I’m not against electrics’ performance or progress (most petrol heads on this site would probably agree, but I don’t want to speak for anyone).
The ‘orchestra’ of gears, chains, lobes, valves, shafts, bearings, etc. to simply mix fuel and air together is going to be missed. In addition, all of this orchestrated movement is housed in very stylish packaging (e.g. Vincent engine, Panhead, countless singles, etc.). Even a modern liquid cooled motorcycle has a lot to look at & discuss when it is parked after the ride. That is part of the ownership experience. Will electrics offer the same experience or depth of conversation after the ride?
Nonetheless, progress is underway and I’m looking forward to the next 50-60 years. This TT is going be awesome. Something to talk to kids about generations from now.