Sent to me by Aussie Baz.-- High Voltage - Drag RacingBy,
Trevor HedgeConversation concerning electric powered vehicles is normally the domain of green groups and eco warriors but more recently there has been talk of environmentally friendly motorcycles in drag racing circles. The slightest mention of the words electric powered are normally enough to send just about any revhead into a slumber but a small group of American innovators are turning that around and leaving mouths agape wherever they go.The subject of their passion is not some sort of uninspiring electric scoot that struggles to reach 60km/h but a truly awe inspiring creation they have dubbed the ‘KillaCycle’. That aggressive name alone may not be enough to perk the interest of motorcycle enthusiasts, but mention these numbers and even the most skeptical will sit up and take notice: 0-100 in under a second and a standing quarter mile in 7.8 seconds. And no that isn’t a misprint. The Killacycle can hit 100km/h from a standstill in under a second and the only thing to be heard is some tyre and wind roar as this silent assassin disappears in to the distance. Drag strips are never going to be the same again...Denver based engineer Bill Dube’ designed and built the KillaCycle as a private project largely funded by himself although as the rate of success increases a few minor sponsors have come onboard to lend a hand. A123 Systems provided 1210 of their nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries that powered the machine to its first seven second pass last month at Pomona Raceway. The 85 kilograms of batteries hold enough charge to power the Killacycle to more than half a dozen 7 second passes. And the running costs? Around ten cents worth of electricity is all it takes to refuel the Killacycle and the latest Manzanita Micro charger has the recharge time down to five minutes. Picked your jaw up off the floor yet?While the proven 7 second potential of the Killacycle is amazing, it is still a long way from the 5.7 second world record set by Larry McBride onboard a conventional Nitromethane powered Top Fuel motorcycle. But Top Fuel motorcycles have had many decades of development, need engine rebuilds between runs and cost thousands of dollars in fuel for each race meeting and those costs are continuing to escalate. However in the field of battery power, costs continue to tumble and the rate of improvement continues to accelerate out of sight. That first 7 second pass was achieved not by a well funded major enterprise but is simply the backyard project of a guy that designs pollution measurement equipment for a living with an annual budget around $13,000 USD. That should give the drag racing fraternity a major fright and clearly signals the potential of battery vehicles should anyone put some serious money behind such a project.While the batteries used in the Killacycle are currently state of the art, the actual drive unit is a relatively archaic brushed DC motor. Effectively the KillaCycle is nothing more than a big cordless drill but you certainly can’t buy this one at Target! Plans are afoot to move to a much more modern AC motor and A123 Systems are working on the next generation of their nanophosphate cells that produce twice the amount of power per kilogram as the current Killacycle battery pack. A new frame, bigger wheelie bars and better rubber will be in order to contain the potential of the new power pack but clearly the sky is the limit for the KillaCycle. Given the resources of a regular professional Top Fuel outfit it seems only a matter of time before a battery powered drag bike will be able to run times comparable to a quality Top Fuel field and, when technology allows, perhaps even surpass their fire breathing brethren. How far away is the first battery powered GSX-R? Clearly it’s not just around the corner but that day might be closer than any of us imagine. Either way it is fantastic to see that even an end to fossil fuels will not spell the end for performance and man’s sometimes unhealthy obsession with racing.
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