Will there be an "electric bike" race at the 2011 TT ?.

I was wondering that myself, there are a number of issues going on here, TTXGP and the FIM e-Power series are going along quite well whereas I was particularly disappointed with the TTZero race this year, especially with regard to TT Spectator reactions 'prior to' the race.

I just wish the various factions involved in ZEV racing would finalise both a standard and race series to allow both circuit and pure road racing to progress quickly with the best ZEV motorcycles competing.

I covered the 2010 TTZero event here:

http://www.deejay51.com/tt2010_tt_zero.htm

As you might expect Deejay I'm going to challenge you on a couple of things

I would disagree that TTXGP and the FIM ePower series are going well. The FIM version started out with just 6 entrants, now trimmed to 5 after that ridiculous scooter (the same one that turned up at the TT...) got booted out.

Despite the first round of the American TTXGP being in the industry's back yard in California there were only 10 entries. This had dropped to 7 for the second round at Elkhart Lake (the one that clashed with the TT) and fell again to just 6 for the third round in Canada. The Hussain fans in the internet blogosphere that had mocked the FIM series for having so few entries were mysteriously quiet after that

The British series also has entries in the single figures - 9 for the first two rounds.

The FIM round at the Laguna Seca Moto GP was arguably the biggest platform so far for this type of racing and combining the FIM entrants with some of the American series runners the grid just staggered into double figures (11) despite, again being in the industry's back yard.
My belief is that electric bike racing needs to go away and prove itself to be a viable long term proposition on short circuits before it gets anywhere near the TT again. Of the 8 machines that left the TT grid I would say that only 4 of them were what could be called credible racing machines. I honestly don't think the Manx Govt should be spending £100k a year on what is, to be honest, a very poor spectacle. That money would be better spent helping out the sidecar guys at the TT and subsidising entries for the MGP.

For it to be a worthwhile exercise around the TT course there needs to be at least 45-50 machines capable pf performing to at least the level of the first 4 home this year. I would say that currently, if you look at all the teams currently involved in ZEV racing worldwide, the number of machines capable of fitting the above description probably doesn't reach double figures. So, my guess is that ZEV racing is years away from being viable at the TT.

Well said Sticky, I have to accept the entry numbers you are quoting external to the TT, maybe those numbers would be improved with the one overall driving force (FIM?) and world championship status. I myself was totally disillusioned when I witnessed the 'scooter' entry at TT2010, it was simply not appropriate, and I am a huge fan of ZEV racing but there is a limit!

Reading race reports and reviewing images on line suggests the Laguna Seca field consisted of higher quality machinery overall, albeit smallish in numbers. One major player had to withdraw when their 'water cooled' electric motor lunched itself.

The chances of the TT (or anywhere for that matter) in the foreseeable future witnessing a 45+ field of ZEV machines is to say the least remote. Personally I doubt there will be a ZEV race at the TT in 2011 and that is a great pity really.

The sooner they forget the electric race the better. Let them go back to the drawing board. From what little I know (and it IS little to be fair), there appears to be quite a few supporting the Hydrogen engines, as the way to go in future. Few would dispute that eventually there will HAVE to be alternative modes of transportation. Whether we will want to see them raced is another matter. I reckon that "we", that is those that support the present form of racing, will disperse into other hobbies once the petrol powered racing ceases. There ARE plenty of other things to do in this world.
Right now I'm looking forward to the Manx, which in my opinion is the best motor cycle event in the world. Long may it continue.

I'm fairly sure there will be an electric race at next year's TT. Not because there's demand from competitors or visitors (there plainly isn't) but because this whole thing came about at the behest of politicians. Despite the fact that it obviously isn't working, if they bin it after two years they will lose face and how many politicians can you think of that will be prepared to lose face or admit they made a mistake? That would be a number less than one...

Also, it's in the public domain that they've spent quite a lot of money on it (I've heard on the grapevine that privately it's an awful lot more) so if they stop it, the intelligentsia within the Manx chattering classes will want to bring them to account over it.

It's a no-win situation frankly. Thanks for that Mr Hussain

The thing is, in my opinion, it's a different group of people that it's attracted to the sport. It's not motorcyclists branching sideways into electric bikes as a way forward for the future, it's a group of boffins who are having fun making these things work. There isn't going to be the same demand when the interest is coming from an "outside" group, for want of a better term.

I have no problem with trying new things out, but it does irk me that a grid of 20 or so two strokes is deemed too small to hold a race but 7 electric bikes is OK?

Sticky, I think you're right though, despite it being time to say we tried it and it hasn't worked, it is likely to continue.

The way I see it is by comparing the light bulb I use today to the light bulb promoted a few years back as being indistructable.......

The technology was there but manufacturers wouldn't produce the new bulbs because people would only buy one and that would be that.

In a simple comparison, manufacturers prefer to sell things that use expensive fuel, use expensive engines, and have to have expensive servicing etc etc......Thus making money !

I must say that I was pleased to be in at the beginning of the Electric TT but I feel that without investment and having more manufacturers involved, we won't see an Electric TT in 2012 even though petrol and diesel prices are shooting up. How about Methane ?

Let's get 250cc four stroke racing up and running..................

(14-08-2010, 10:48 AM)ian huntly Wrote: The way I see it is by comparing the light bulb I use today to the light bulb promoted a few years back as being indistructable.......

The technology was there but manufacturers wouldn't produce the new bulbs because people would only buy one and that would be that.

In a simple comparison, manufacturers prefer to sell things that use expensive fuel, use expensive engines, and have to have expensive servicing etc etc......Thus making money !

I must say that I was pleased to be in at the beginning of the Electric TT but I feel that without investment and having more manufacturers involved, we won't see an Electric TT in 2012 even though petrol and diesel prices are shooting up. How about Methane ?

Let's get 250cc four stroke racing up and running..................

Always plenty of methane tt ,curry and Okells beer, new lap record.