[News Bot]

January 9, 2011 Chip Yates will pit his SWIZG.com superbike against the top gasoline bikes at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontant, CA.

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[RoughRider]

the weight of the bike is 266kg and they want to keep up with the gasoline racebikes, wich are just around 180kg(including fuell)??

how should this happen?

[frodus]

Because the torque that an electric has at 0rpm is much higher than a gas bike. Its heavy, but its also packing a LOT of HP.

[RoughRider]

Originally Posted by frodus

Because the torque that an electric has at 0rpm is much higher than a gas bike. Its heavy, but its also packing a LOT of HP.

SO WHAT?

1. how much power does this pike has? 100kW PEAK?

a gasoline racebike has min. 180HP CONTINUOUS...

greater torque at zero rpm...OK...but again SO WHAT?

you can start your gasoline bike at 5000rpm(or higher) and than hit the clutch and you will have a greater torque that this swigz bike...

what do you understand about racing?

if you have a bike like this swigz, you will be a loser on the track...thats for sure...

with a bike of 180kg, you will have MUCH more speed in the corners and therefor you will have more speed at the straights....and you can hit the brakes much later...because you have 80kg less weight...

again, more speed in the corners, more speed at the starights...and so on and so on...


dont get me wrong, i am a BIG FAN of electric bikes and cars...but dont tell me, that the swigz can hold up with a gasoline racebike...NO WAY

[Jozzer]

Electric bikes can already hold their own against smaller ICE bikes, the TTXGP lap times were certainly competetive with 400's, the better lap times closer to 600cc's.
I agree though, I think Chip will need to do a lot more work before he gets there with his first package. There is hardly any room for a pack on board, can't be bigger than 12KW/h (quite possibly less than 10, certainly at that high a drain rate). That's 15C+ discharge to make the power he claims, so he can achieve that for some 3-4 minites only. If he does manage to keep up with a 1000cc for a lap, he'll be pushing it home the second lap!

Steve

[RoughRider]

not even for a lap...no way...not now...maybe in 5years

[Jozzer]

Certainly for a lap it's possible now, though I don't know if Chip has the experience yet (I'd not try to put KERS on a bike made for this purpose, and he certainly is overestimating the power he can expect back from it), but I reckon the lightning could take a 750cc for a couple of laps already if properly unleashed (what do you think Major?).
The big problem is doing this for a race of decent length, and the main thing needed to do this is not more powerful battery's or motors, but better energy density cells to give enough range at high power. The reason most teams didn't go for 200HP motors this year was because it's useless to carry a heavier more powerfull motor if you can't afford to use the energy and still go the distance.


Steve

[jeff mccabe]

Originally Posted by RoughRider

not even for a lap...no way...not now...maybe in 5years

If you look at just the numbers, you are right he wont have a chance of keeping up with the bigger bikes. But roadracing is a lot more than just numbers. I roadraced for over 6 years and weigh 240lbs. I was competitve(spotting most by 80lbs.) riding everything from 350cc two strokes to 1000cc superbikes. The rider makes up much more of the equation. He wont win any straight line drag races( I never did), but roadracing is much more than that.
My prediction is......mid pack finishes

Jeff McCabe

[RoughRider]

my prediction is: he will be minimum 5seconds behind the gesoline 1000ccm bikes...

200HP and the controller in the bikes...there will be no place left for the batteries...

[major]

Originally Posted by Jozzer

Certainly for a lap it's possible now, though I don't know if Chip has the experience yet (I'd not try to put KERS on a bike made for this purpose, and he certainly is overestimating the power he can expect back from it), but I reckon the lightning could take a 750cc for a couple of laps already if properly unleashed (what do you think Major?).
The big problem is doing this for a race of decent length, and the main thing needed to do this is not more powerful battery's or motors, but better energy density cells to give enough range at high power. The reason most teams didn't go for 200HP motors this year was because it's useless to carry a heavier more powerfull motor if you can't afford to use the energy and still go the distance.

Hey Jozzer,

Good to hear from you I don't know how the #80 would stack up against a 750. Barney was able to get lap times good enough to qualify mid pack with the big Harleys at the VIR AMA race. Somebody put that in an article. Can't remember where that is now.

I heard Chip had removed his KERS system for this run. And it is a secret about what batteries and kWhr he has. As far as power on the bike, more is always better. I think Lightning proved that. Yeah, weight goes up, but you're faster and quicker in the end. I think you can actually "afford" to use the energy for more power because you get where you're going faster. Sure, if you're going faster, you waste more energy braking to your corner speed. So faster laps require a heavier bike. Or better battery

Be interesting to watch.

major