This story is brought to you byGas 2.0Today’s the TTXGP - the Time Trials Xtreme Grand Prix. And don’t let that misspelled word fool ya. It’s going to be one heck of a ride! In fact, it’s going be the world’s first zero-carbon, clean emission Grand Prix.With twenty-three different electric bikes and sixteen riders, seven different countries will compete in this inaugural race. The event take place in the Isle of Man with teams from the UK, Italy, USA, India, Germany and Austria.An e-Grand Prix? Um…I wanna go!And if you’re bummed that you can’t make it, don’t worry. Organizers plan to showcase their contestants here in the States too. It will be at this year’s American Motorcyclist Association Vintage Motorcycle Days festival at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.Here are 15 hot bikes racing today.Brammo BikeMedia Platforms Design TeamBrammo was one of the first commercial teams from America to enter the TTXGP. Their entry is a modified version of its Enertia motorcycle, which is designed for inner city commutes. You can pick up one for yourself at BestBuy.MotoczyszMedia Platforms Design TeamThis bike goes 120 mph and its dashboard is an iPhone. So you can only ride the thing if you are an AT&T customer. Sorry Verizon folks.KillaCycle RacingMedia Platforms Design TeamKillaCycle Racing/Lightning Motorcycles are the makers of the the world’s quickest electric bike (and one of my favorites). The KillaCycle group is bringing a bike built especially for the TTXGP.Team AgniMedia Platforms Design TeamTeam leader, Cedric Lynch built his first electric competition bike from plywood in 1981. For the TTXGP, they converted a 2007 Suzuki GSXR 600 fitted with two Agni 95 reinforced motors and a Kokam lithium-polymer battery of 63 cells totalling around 16 kilowatt-hours of energy. This will give 40 to 50 horsepower averaged over the length of the race.Imperial TTXGPMedia Platforms Design TeamThe Imperial TTXGP team is made up of seven undergraduates from Imperial College London who are building the racing bike as part of their degree. It has ten Valence battery modules and two electrical motors mounted on the swingarm.Mission MotorsMedia Platforms Design TeamForrest North had a dream…wait, that’s been over done. Well he first dreamed of building an electric motorcycle when leading the Solar Car Team at Stanford University. The dream stayed with him, even when he joined Tesla Motors to help engineer the company’s cutting-edge battery pack. Then in 2007, Forrest launched Mission Motors. And we are quite happy he did!HTBLAUVA-TGMMedia Platforms Design TeamFounded a decade ago to research the high-speed properties of non-conventional driven motorcycles, the team set an acknowledged world speed record over 10km and came close to achieving the record for over 1km.Electric MotorsportMedia Platforms Design TeamSan Francisco-based Electric Motorsport is a green transport company and also a licensed US motorcycle manufacturer. Their GPR-S is a light electric commuter motorcycle. The team’s TTXGP entry is a modified version of the GPR-S production model.Kingston UniversityMedia Platforms Design TeamCourse Director for Motorsport and Motorcycle Engineering, Paul Brandon is leading a team of six students to develop a bike for the TTXGP.Evo DesignMedia Platforms Design TeamThe team’s two bikes, the EV0-R and the EV0-RR, use renewable and sustainable materials for the construction of the chassis and bodywork. And hey, they look like something Evel Knievel would drive.eRockitMedia Platforms Design TeamFrom Berlin in Germany, the eRockit team has already made a name for itself with the commercial launch of its innovative electric motorcycle that uses a novel control system whereby the rider controls the throttle through a pedalling action.Barefoot MotorsMedia Platforms Design TeamBarefoot Motors is a `green’ off-road utility vehicle company based in Ashland, Oregon.Team TorkMedia Platforms Design TeamThe Tork was built by four students in the final year of their Mechanical Engineering degree at D.Y Patil College of Engineering.XXL Racing TeamMedia Platforms Design TeamThe German XXL Racing team, led by Thomas Shcoenfelder, believes the TTXGP will inspire battery suppliers with to accelerate the development of new battery technologies with greater capacity and less weight. I hope they’re right.Brunel X-TeamMedia Platforms Design TeamThe team’s chief designers for the BX-09 bike are four entrepreneurial Masters of Engineering students from School of Engineering and Design at Brunel University West London.For more on the Grand Prix, check back in next week with Popular Mechanics and Gas 2.0.RELATED STORIES* PLUS: The Brammo Enertia Electric Bike Test Ride* GAS 2.0: For The Latest in Green Automotive Coverage* TEST RIDE: The Electric Zero S MotorcycleThe 2009 Brammo Enertia.
