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40 mph top speed

That’s not a motorcycle. Its a scooter. I do not understand why this is a story. Is it because it has solar panels?

They have been racing EV bikes at the Isle of Mann TT races since 2010.

Gas vs. electric

“The EV bikes are also slower than the gas superbikes, but not by much. The fastest gas bikes do about a 130mph lap, while the EV bikes manage 120mph laps. The EV bikes are faster than the gas “lightweight” and “sidecar” series (*page has not yet been updated with this year’s EV record). The gas races are 4 laps long, the EV race is 1 lap long.

Gas engines still do hold advantages at extremely high speeds and can be built lighter than an EV motor + battery combo due to the high energy density of gasoline. The gas superbikes weigh about 80kg less than the winning Shinden Hachi, though both put out around the same amount of horsepower. This significant weight difference (EV bikes are about 50% heavier) makes for a big gap in lap times.

But battery tech improves by 5-10% per year and has been consistently doing so for decades. This was reflected in the rapidly dropping lap times of EV bikes until recently. As energy density improves, the TT Zero will be able to reach for faster speeds with lighter bikes or be able to start running multiple-lap races instead of the current single hot lap.
Times are tumbling

What’s interesting about this speed difference is how quickly it has closed. In the inaugural TT Zero race in 2010, the fastest lap was 96.82mph (155.8km/h) and 23:22.89. For the first several years of the competition, MotoCzysz dominated the races and managed to get up to 109.675mph (176.5 km/h) in 2013.

Team Mugen was close behind them, though, and soon took the reins. In 2014 they won the race and have won every year since. In 2015 they reached 119.279mph (192km/h), and speeds have plateaued a little bit since then, compared to the previous rapid development.”

One reason for this stagnation is due to the lack of competition. MotoCzysz pulled out of the race in 2014 after its founder was diagnosed with cancer and other teams have generally not had significant enough support to field a competitive bike. This has left Mugen alone at the top of the pack on their Shinden Hachi bike. When you’re assured of winning, it’s often hard to push yourself to go much faster.