AFM Allows Electric Motorcycles to Compete- Racing News

When Worlds Collide: Electric vs. Gas Motorcycles Electric motorcycles are eligible for lightweight and middleweight sportbike classes in AFM roadracing.

In an unprecedented move, the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM) is allowing electric motorcycles to compete head-to-head on track with conventional internal-combustion-powered machinery.

According to AFM President Berto Wooldridge, Oregon-based Brammo was looking for a way to showcase
its new Empulse sportbike. “They wanted to compete within the existing class structure against gas-powered bikes with similar power-to-weight ratios and performance,” he said. “We believe this is a historic moment in motorcycle racing, and we are happy to have made it possible.”

Wooldridge says the Empulse R and Empulse TTX are eligible for select lightweight classes. Empulse RRs qualify as middleweights. Brammo is offering contingency prize money.

Staging nearly silent electric motorcycles alongside screaming 600s is going to cause a ruckus. Having raced both types of machines, I am well aware of the rush of adrenalin that comes from the sound emitted by a high-rpm four-stroke. Electric-bike racers, however, may view that ear-splitting noise as an annoying distraction.

Electric bikes lack the traditional aural response of internal-combustion engines, such as the change in rpm that occurs with on-throttle wheelspin. I had to overcome this when pushing to the edge of traction on the Brammos that I’ve raced. On the other hand, feel for the road is unparalleled. Also, the controls deliver more direct feedback; even the jangling of floating brake rotors can be heard. Overall, the effect is greatly enhanced concentration on lines, braking points and the like, which means ICE racers may have to develop eyes in the back of their heads.

Still, the top 600s are going to be difficult to beat. Brammo’s Director of Product Development, Brian Wismann, was candid about the job ahead. “It’s going to be a challenge to be competitive,” he said. “Gas bikes have many years of development time. But we’re excited to pit our Empulse against the best efforts from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.”

So, will an army of ICEs prevail? Or will the victor be a foreign invader, diving, unannounced, up the inside of an established inline-Four? Battle lines are drawn for a merging of these very different worlds.

AFM races are webcast live at: http://www.axialvideo.com/afm-races-live/cat_25.html

2013 AFM Race Schedule (subject to change)

Date	Track
March 2-3	Buttonwillow Raceway Park
May 4-5	Infineon Raceway
June 1-2	Thunderhill Park
July 6-7	Thunderhill Park
August 3-4	Thunderhill Park
August 31/September 1	Infineon Raceway
October 5-6	Thunderhill Park

Brammo supported Shelina Moreda poses with AFM racers Alan Cunningham, Jonathan Forman and Mark McKinney.

Brammo's Brian Wismann, speaks with Bostrom.

Empulse TTX charging in the pits at Thunderhill.

Moreda aboard an Empulse TTX at Thunderhill.

jfc1

sounds very cool especially if they can get the recycling down pat.
of course the oil industry says that electric vehicles are worse for the environment…

Wayne

Not the oil industry but scientific studies. For example…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19830232

mehve

You’d actually have to read the source material instead of the sensationalist headline. While the study goes well into EV vehicle and battery production (including blasting and mining for metals, and such) and energy consumption (and the great benefits EV’s have over everything else if it uses clean energy), the study does not do the same for ICEVs — where does the gas come from? What are the GWP numbers for that and the HTP and all other toxic potentials? Factor that in please. And if one looks at the first chart, all EV’s are better than ICEV’s (in gas or diesel) (in Europe) in terms of being better for the environment except for those that are powered by coal.

Wayne

My point was that it is not the evil oil industry that says that electric vehicles are worse for the environment but that there is actual researchers that have made that claim. And coal does provide most of the energy in the US.

mehve

I hear ya. And my point being… that environmental impacts studies need to actually be more thorough. When considering such data, consider the whole infrastructure that get both EV’s and ICEV’s on the road. Sensationalist headlines like the one you linked does not encourage educated discussions.
bagelbites

Environmentalists abandoned the use of “educated discussions” and logic a long time ago. Look at what happened to DDT. If you look into the real facts behind it, even the presiding judge of the hearing at the EPA declared DDT was harmless to the environment and people. Yet it was still banned by a different EPA admin for political reasons. (The admin was a Nixon appointee.) DDT could be saving literally millions of lives from malaria and other insect-borne diseases, but it’s generally banned instead.

NexxWins

I really hope they get onto the podium this year. Eventually the big 4 will take notice and that’s when this tech is really going to take off.

http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Shaw/563412987 James Shaw

Billions have been spent already trying to make ev’s “take off”. They will take off when they are economically competitive, and not before. I don’t see that happening EVER. In racing they will manipulate the rules until E-bikes are competitive, but the consumers won’t spend their money (in big numbers) to own one til it makes sense to do so..

evmotorcycle

Cool! But there has been talk of a new ICE development in racing circuits recently. The BIG FOUR are planning to redesign the rear view mirror. That way the ICE riders can watch these Brammos overtake from all angles.
mehve

This is really cool. Your insight and experience as a pilot for both kinds of vehicles lend this article a credence I wouldn’t find anywhere else. Good luck to team Brammo!