Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels, USA



Looks like 3rd of June will be a red-letter day for electric motorcycles. Not only are we to have our hearts unbroken by Mission Motors, but it is also the exact same day that another of our two-wheeled favorites will ride into the spotlight. Moto Electra Racing has announced it will begin a journey from coast to coast with its Norton-styled retro-electro machine in a bid to make the record books for the quickest continental crossing by an electric vehicle.
Inspired by a film about the first gas-powered automobile cross-country trip in 1903 - a time before gas stations and, for the most part, paved roads - the team plans to set out from the beach in Jacksonville, Florida and quietly hum their way to the Santa Monica Pier in California in about 3 days. That's about 2,500 miles along Interstate 10 at, or slightly below, the 70 mile-per-hour speed limit with an estimated 20 stops for charging and cat-napping.

In the saddle will be team stalwart Thad Wolff. The former AMA Superbike racer has lots of experience with the bike, having raced it in the TTXGP and claiming 2nd place overall in the North American 2011 season. He will be supported by team principal Brian Richardson and a group of students from James Madison University who will bring along a portable generator. The general strategy is to ride for two hours, then charge for one, being careful not to tax the batteries.

The bike itself is one sweet piece of work. Built around the famous Norton featherbed design, it is powered by an air-cooled AC motor and holds a battery pack which, while somewhat old, still holds an amazing 19 or 20 kilowatt-hours of energy (most comercially-available electric motorcycles offer about half that capacity, it's more than the 16.5-kWh in the Chevy Volt). While copies are not yet officially offered for sale, the team hinted in an email that it may be a possibility in the future

You can follow the effort on the Moto Electra Facebook page where it will post plenty of photos and keep fans abreast of its progress. You can read the official press release by simply scrolling below. Godspeed.Continue reading Moto Electra Racing will drive electric mototcycle coast-to-coast in record-setting 3 days

Moto Electra Racing will drive electric mototcycle coast-to-coast in record-setting 3 days originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 22 May 2013 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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