Bay firm at forefront of “eco” technology.
Artist's imprerssion of what the production version of the electric bike could look like.
Torquay based motorcycle firm Zip Motorcycles is poised to deliver a pioneering new “eco” electric bike in time for this years Isle of Man TT Festival this June.
Zip Motorcycles were approached by London-based electric scooter specialist, Ecolve, to build the motorcycle that will be entered into the annual TT race. The bike will be entered in a new electric class that has been introduced for 2010, the TT Zero.
The annual 37 mile TT race, which takes place on the Isle of Mann on public roads, poses many challenges for even the most experienced riders. With speeds often averaging 200mph, this adrenaline charged event poses many challenges and obstacles including manholes and street lamps.
The bike, which is using “state of the art” Lithium-ion battery technology that is not yet available on the open market, will be based on an existing sports bike, with carbon fibre wheels and ceramic brakes. It will have a top speed of 150mph and has a liquid cooled motor.
Owner of Zip motorcycles, Chris Chick, told me that they are on target for completing the racing bike by May. They were originally approached by Ecolve at a trade show in Birmingham NEC who had already developed the battery technology, but had no experience in building custom bikes so required experienced and proven engineers.
Both Chris and Mike Pallet, Zip’s technical manager, are excited at the prospect of further development opportunities.
There is also a road version of the bike being developed as part of the same project which will go on sale at the race. If the bike is successful, there is also the strong possibility that the Torquay firm could be used for the production of the £20.000 road version which could generate around a dozen new jobs to the area.
Zip Motorcycles specialise in building custom bikes as well as sales of new and used motorcycles and servicing. Mike Pallet is also currently building his own custom motorcycle in aid of the “Help for Heroes” charity which is due to be completed within the next few weeks.
The partnership between Zip Motorcycles and Ecolve is a positive for the Bay area which has often been overlooked by larger firms in recent years and proves that the smaller Torbay businesses still have a lot to offer.
Innovation doesn’t stop at the end of the M5 and I hope there are more opportunities like this for the Bay’s smaller businesses.
I wish Chris, Mike and the team all the best for the race which is scheduled to take place on June 9th.
