ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
General Category => Electric Motorcycle Events => Topic started by: pres68y on November 15, 2013, 10:56:07 AM
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Last March we got a Zero MX and spent about a month preparing it for dirt track (wheels, tires, suspension, etc). In April we first raced it to find out where we were on the setup. In May I got our first win on it at Perris SCFTA track. Got another class win in June @Perris and a couple of wins in July at Ventura County Raceway. They are all fairly short tracks (under 1/4 mile) so using just one (45lb) battery is sufficient for the event. The 'all-up' weight is 228lb with one battery and 273lb with two. An extra 45lb up top does not help handling so we just run one battery. If we can get it hooked up well exiting the corners it runs comparably with 450s -750s down the straightaways.
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Good to hear from you again Preston. What has the reaction in the paddock been like? Do the other racers like the MX or is it seen as a threat to the traditional gas bikes?
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Most people are quite interested in this 'new' technology and remark about its silent operation.
Competitors remark that they can't hear me coming, but no real complaints...yet!
The announcers usually make mention that it's an all electric powered machine
so that gets spectators interest up.
It's kind of a 'thin edge' right now in that we want to be competitive but not display a
machine that they might feel has a superior advantage.
If/when that would occur we might have to only race it in an all electric class.
(problematic because we are the only electric machine out there)
No worries, for the time being, since the gas powered machines have the better part
of a century lead in machine development.
As battery power density/cost improves and better tuned power delivery from the motor are developed it will become the machine of choice.
But I think that will take years, not months.
In the meantime we will try to add a bit of improvement to electric dirt track racing.
Thanks for your interest in it.
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Side view of Zero flat tracker:
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Maybe I am the only one here not really knowing what Flat Track Racing is. I found the Wiki comparison very informative.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_racing#Flat_track (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_racing#Flat_track)
I only know Grasstrack, Long track and Ice Racing. I have always called Long track as Speedway :-[ didn't know it is different. I believe we don't have flat track races her, I watched some Youtube videos it looks like a lot of fun 8) - but it look not harmless.
Hope you can use the Zero for long and didn't be banned for racing an electric.
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I believe the difference is that flat track racers have brakes, speedway bikes aren't allowed brakes.
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What modifications were necessary to make the bike competitive?