Mission Motors has announced the very first details on the Mission R, an electric racing superbike that will compete in the TTXGP racing series along with other races, events, and demonstrations.
The Mission R is powered by a liquid-cooled 3-phase AC Induction motor that delivers 141 HP and 115 lb-ft of torque. The power is delivered by a massive 14.4 kWh battery placed beneath its carbon fiber skin. This will allow the bike to hit a top speed of 160 MPH. The MissionEVT 100kW motor controller, with customizable regenerative braking maps and throttle maps, allowing the rider to tune the bike to his or her preferences.
"Mission Motors participated in the historic first Isle of Man TTXGP in 2009. Later that year, we went to the Bonneville Salt Flats and set an AMA Speed Record for electric motorcycles in 2009. With the help of our sponsors, including Texas Instruments and Pectel/Cosworth, we are excited to be returning to the track in 2011 with the phenomenal Mission R. The crucible of the racing circuit is one of the key ways we advance our technology. Pushing the envelope for what is possible with electric drive shapes not only the future of motorsports, but the future of transportation."
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Before you start shouting ‘blasphemy!’ at the sight of this Ferrari motorcycle, we’re going to calm your nerves down and tell you that this bike wasn’t made by Ferrari, but is actually a custom-made bike made by David Kay and his people at Kay Engineering as a tribute to the father of the Prancing Horse, Enzo Ferrari.
Built in the mid-90’s after Kay received permission to put the Ferrari badge on the custom bike from Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s son, with a note including “the approval to place the Ferrari badge on your motorbike”.
After 3,000 man-hours of working on the bike, the final product is a beast that features a ’scratch built’ 900cc, transverse, double overhead camshaft, four cylinder, eight valve unit with magnesium and alloy casings, driven through a five speed gearbox. As for the body of the bike, Kay Engineering used hand-crafted aluminum while using magnesium black casings on the engine. The final product is a bike that produces 105 horsepower at 8,800 rpm with a dry weight of only 172 kg and an estimated top speed of 265 km/h.
So why exactly are we fawning over a Ferrari-badged custom bike made in the mid-90’s? Well, naturally, the bike is going to be auctioned off soon.
The Ferrari 900 bike is going to be on the auction block at a Race Retro event that’s set to take place at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry on February 25th-27th. So how much is this car going to cost? Estimates say that the custom bike is going to fetch a price of around £250,000, which, if you’re keeping count, is a shade under $400,000.
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H&R, in cooperation with Fat Attack Custom Bikes from Arlesheim in Switzerland, have developed a motor bike that has no equal. Called "The One", this motorcycle is largely made of carbon, titanium, aluminum, and aircraft steel. This helps to reduce weight by 60 kilos. The motorcycle is powered by a modified Harley Davidson engine that develops 110 HP.
Only real carbon was used for the tank, the seating and all other visible parts. A further highlight is the 300mm wide rear tyres which ensures sufficient grip from the very start – combined with a sensitive Erbacher chrome molybdenum support arm and a perfectly tuned front fork with H&R technology. Despite this the makers of "The One" ensured that the chopper can be checked for service in every Harley workshop without any problems. This super bike can thus be read out via the standard OBD connection despite all its high end modifications.
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The F3 superbike is the latest addition to MV Agusta line-up. If the F4, considered the most beautiful motorcycle in the world, set the styling and performance standards by which all others are judged, the new F3 has completely exceeded all previous conceptions of what a supersport motorcycle should be, redefining an entirely new category.
The MV Agust F3 is powered by a an inline 675cc three cylinder, described by MV Agusta as the most compact, incredible short and narrow engine ever seen in this category. For the first time on an MV and on any middleweight bike, there is Ride By Wire, with multi-maps controlling the fuel injection to optimize power output in all conditions.
The styling, as with its bigger brother the F4, is pure MV Agusta genius, but the F3 is even more unique, with incredible attention to detail. For example, the exhaust system has a fabulously distinctive triple pipe, side exit muffler – just one example of design and function in perfect motorcycle harmony.
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Next to the RS4, Aprilia also brought the Tuono V4 R supersports bike to the EICMA Show. The new bike features a new exhaust system with bypass valve, which is two kilos lighter than the system used on the RSV4 R and is powered by a V4 65° engine framed by the brushed aluminum elements.
One special feature of the new Tuono V4 R is the APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control) joystick, the second generation electronic dynamics control package developed by Aprilia to get as close as possible to the physical limits of riding. APRC is based on an automotive inertia sensor platform, with two gyrometers and two accelerometers allowing the ECU to determine the dynamic state of the motorcycle and control engine torque accordingly to help the rider exploit the full performance potential of the bike in all conditions.
The APRC package includes ATC traction control (Aprilia Traction Control), with eight selectable levels, which controls sliding when accelerating out of a curve in relation to bank angle and throttle aperture, AWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control), which helps the rider control extreme wheelying by gradually bringing the front wheel back to the ground, and AQS (Aprilia Quick Shift), which allows instantaneous upshifts without closing the throttle or using the clutch. Completing the suite of four functions is the most exhilarating of all: ALC (Aprilia Launch Control).
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