http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/fuel-economy/4321786-2

The Lowdown

Electric Motorsport's Todd Kollin is smiling when he tells us, "we sell electric vehicle parts and we've sold parts to a lot of these teams, but we kept the best for ourselves. We have a really high-power AC induction system and a good regenerative braking system. The only challenge we face is that the race bike is based on our stock bike." Electric Motorsport has sold 200 of its $4500 electric commuter bike, the GPRS. "This is a stock bike, not a racing prototype." Kollin adds. "We've basically doubled the capacity."

The bike is down on outright grunt compared to a lot of the competition, but the team is pleased with the bike's regenerative braking system. Kollin says, "When you come off the throttle the motor becomes a generator--the rear wheel is charging the battery."

What's Next?

Electric Motorsport plans to build a sportbike based on its TTX racer. It's called the Native and should sell for $12,500.

Why It Matters

With an Open class win, in a time of 34:17:30 and with an average speed of 66 mph, the Native prototype has proved that it's a proper motorcycle.

The Lowdown

Looking very much like a mid-'80s World Superbike, the Barefoot was one of the most thoroughly tested bikes in the race--and one of the least expensive. "Barefoot manufacturers electric agricultural vehicles, ATVs used primarily in wineries," explains project leader Ely Schless. He says the bike uses the same Chinese-made, large format, lithium-ion-phosphate cells as the company's production electric ATVs. But the motorcycle uses 30 of them for a potential top speed of 100 mph. He says, "We have a 50-kilowatt power system and a 10-kilowatt-hour battery pack." The battery powers a rugged DC motor. Barefoot created the frame and swing arm and used a number of used Ducati cycle parts, such as wheels and front forks, to finish the bike.

What's Next?

"There are no real goals to take this into production," Schless says. "It was a showcase of our design capabilities. We turned this around in three or four months. And we haven't had to put a wrench on this thing, just charge the batteries."

Why It Matters

Schless puts the cost of the bike at under $10,000, and the cells cost the team $3000. A fraction of what most other teams had invested, yet it lapped the demanding TT track at a 62.219-mph average and looked roadworthy (unlike some of the other budget efforts).

The Lowdown

This was the one bike that had everyone talking. The MotoCzysz E1pc was the most stunning creation on the grid. The race came just too early for the team, which struggled with teething problems. Still, the tech behind the MotoCzysz (pronounced "Sizz") was nothing short of incredible. "How exciting is it to get on a bike that has the equivalent of 30 hp and does 60 to 70 mph? It's not. I wouldn't buy one, so why would I want to build one?" says Michael Czysz, the mind behind MotoCzysz. Instead, his bike uses three low-slung Agni-style brushed pancake motors powered by an undisclosed number of lithium-ion cells. It's been reported that this bike could hit 120 mph. The cells' packaging is designed to be "hot-swappable," so cells can be quickly removed and replaced with charged packs, making this process the equivalent of filling a bike up with a fresh tank of gas. The bike's chassis uses technology from MotoCzysz's stalled C1 990 MotoGP project.

What's Next?

Czysz might have been embarrassed by his bike's DNF, but he shouldn't be. He never claimed to be an electrical expert and he took on the project with a very small team and a tight deadline. He avoided any post-race debriefs so it's hard to say what happens next, but this bike is way too exciting to be shelved.

Why It Matters

It's so early in the evolution of electric motorcycles, yet the visionary Michael Czysz has shown what can be achieved. His design is sure to inspire others.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/fuel-economy/4321786-2