Riding-Season Reasons

It’s 2014, and 238 years for the US.  For motorcycles, and technologic motorcycles at that, might as well be Year Zero.  On hand already, we have:

Zero Motorcycles
Brammo Inc.
Agility Global Ltd.– UK delivery only

And on tap, supposedly this year :

Mission Motorcycles Inc.
Lightning Motorcycles
BRD Motorcycles

This is besides later, more-tentative motorcycles from Yamaha, Energica, Harley-Davidson, KTM, and Voxan, possibly Mugen/Honda, Saroléa, and Tacita.  Plus scooters.  So, one’s a freak, two’s a coincidence, three’s odd, and four’s a fad, right?  Then seven, ten, or more must be a movement.  “There is that sense of being at the beginning of something new, and part of our future… It’s coming,” says American Motorcyclist Association chair Maggie McNally-Bradshaw.  A new way of working has reinvigorated a stale field, perhaps most importantly by enabling new entrants.  Young blood will invite even more young blood.

High (St)Isle? Actually Zero Isle

Credit: Isle of Man TT

It’s Memorial Day weekend, time for race fans to focus on… the UK!  Yes, it’s the Isle of Man TT.  In particular for this blog, it’s EV race time.  Qualifying’s already begun (subject to rain); motorcycles will actually race in coming days, with the TT Zero race Wednesday, June 4.

This year’s event is one to watch, if not hear.  Last year’s winners, MotoCzysz (and the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that), won’t compete; founder Michael Czysz’s cancer has worsened.  Without its dominating competitor, the 2014 running will be up in the air.  Sometimes literally- this is no dumb oval.  It’s a road race, on old European streets, including hills.  Officially, it’s dubbed the “Mountain Course.”

So, what does the coming week hold- and what does it mean for the coming year or so in EVs?  After MotoCzysz (who offered their EV skills as consultants to automotive companies), the next favored team is Mugen, with their Mugen Shinden.  After coming in second to MotoCzysz, this year’s Shinden San would be a logical bet.  Never heard of Mugen?