I finally got around to reading the July issue of Rider magazine. Rider is a general-interest motorcycling magazine that is offered for sale at most newsstands. Rider has written a full three-page article (starting on page 20) about the effort by Brian Richardson to design, build and race their Motor-Electra (named after the Norton 400cc model of about 40 years ago) electric motorcycle racer, between early 2009 and September 2011, when they came in second at Miller Motorsports Park. After that race they lost their sponsors and are no longer racing. However, they have displayed their bike at the International Motorcycle Show in Washington, D.C. in January and at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. this year.
The Moto-Electra protype used an air-cooled motor of 118 vols, 62 hp and 120 lb-ft of torque. It had a top speed of 127 mph and a range of up to 80 miles on a charge. The battery pack was made from Kokam Li-po batteries, which were used on both the prototype and the final racing version of the bike.
Brian Richardson, the developer and builder of the Moto-Electra, says that "This is the golden age for electric vehicle racing and development." Richardson's next goal is to "establish a coast-to-coast race, to work on range issues and reliability. The goal is to cross the United States on our electric bike in under four days. This will challenge engineers to beat our mark and advance the technology". As for production: "We need to find a partner to take us to the next level."
The story finished up with: Looking back on three years of racing, Richardson says: "Moto-Electra finished 2011 ranked second in North America for the TTZGP season. The best part was my friendship with (his rider) Thad Wolf".
