[Electric Racing Motorcycle Test Ride Report] Unprecedented Acceleration! The First Prize Winner of the Pikes Peak: “IDATEN ZERO”

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Webike News Chief Editor/Kenny Sagawa

Performed a test ride of the electric motorcycle "IDATEN ZERO", the Pikes Peak champion

This weak, I went down test riding the electric racing motorcycle, "IDATEN ZERO".

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As many of you may already know, TEAM MIRAI is a project team that participates in major public road races all over the world with its original electric motorcycle. Its representative, Yoshihiro Kishimoto himself is an active racing rider. He actually participated in the TT-ZERO class of The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race.

This time I was given the privilege to test ride "IDATEN ZERO" which won the championship in the electric motorcycle category at the 2015 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Race (PPIHC).

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At the race

In accordance with its concept to create the world's smallest sports electric bike, the team had altered its conventional DAYTONA 675-based body. They made it into a genuine racing machine by loading the US ZERO MOTORCYCLES high performance electric motor on the NSF250R frame body.

At the Pikes Peak, it broke its target 11 minutes and scored an awesome record: 10 minutes and 58 seconds. It became the champion of the electric motorcycle on its second try. Now, let me go on to its ability!

Compact, light, and demonstrates full power instantly!

And so I went down test riding. The first thing I noticed was its compact body size. Although it is actually based on a 250cc racer model, it doesn't feel as big as those mass-produced vehicles. It is more or less like the RS125 2 stroke racer.

It only weighs 104kg, but it exerts 75 horsepower. These values might not ring the bell, but its output characteristics are completely different from that of the general reciprocating engines. The torque rises up in an extremely linear manner, as if the throttle and the motor are directly linked to each other. You don't have to wait for the rotation rise like the reciprocating engines. With perhaps a bit of overstatement, you can regain its full power instantly.

Its reaction speed is really fast, in spite of the fact that it is controlled by the control unit. It is a racer model designed to win, after all. The front tire almost floats when not only starting from a still state but at 100km/h. This acceleration feeling couldn't be experienced when riding a bike with a conventional reciprocating engine. Of course, you don't need to operate the shift lever, as it uses an electric motor. All you can hear is its quiet humming sound, like the motor sound of the bullet train.

Sharp cornering like a 2-stroke racer

I didn't dare try to open full throttle on the short straight course of the Funabashi Auto Race, where the test ride was held. Its sharp cornering was like that of a 2-stroke racer model. The fact that their engine brakes are less likely to be applied makes them similar too. It accurately follows the trace with its solid body and suspension system.

I did enjoy performing full-bank, rubbing my knees for long hours at the high speed circuit course of the Funabashi Auto Race (LOL). For your information, the professional race riders who also tried this IDATEN were saying that its cornering speed was even faster than that of the bikes used for auto races.

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Its excellent quietness and environmental performance caught attention of the motorcycle race world

As I chatted over with the team member, I learned that the affiliates of the motorcycle race world had taken particular note on the quietness and the environmental performance of an electric motorcycle, and even planned to convert their racing vehicles into electric ones. This plan, unfortunately, hadn't put into practice. But nonetheless it's a great idea, so I hope someone takes over this movement.

That aside, TEAM MIRAI's "IDATEN ZERO" had shown me the great possibility of an electric bike. It was an awesome motorcycle that indeed made me feel the "future". I bet it would be fun to have an electric motorcycle category in Japanese motorcycle races too! How do you think about this?

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