ION Electrifies Sportbike World

ION Electrifies Sportbike World
By Kkelly8. 九月 2009 09:17
Diehard motorcycle riders will tell you there’s nothing like the feeling of having a V-twin between your thighs while carving through a back-country road, but when you have something as sexy as Tom Miceli’s ION electric sportbike you may be ready to rethink that power only comes from an internal combustion engine.

While earning his BS in Industrial Design at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, Miceli dedicated one semester to developing and designing the ION on a “minimal” budget. The results are astounding: the 84 volt lithium battery-powered bike uses an AC motor that generates 105 lb.-ft. of torque and 46 hp with regenerative braking. Range is estimated at 60 miles with a top speed of 81 mph.

Miceli displayed the bike at the Southern Energy and Environment Expo 2009…and actually took it out for a spin, where he called it “kinda scary.” Just watch the video to see what he’s talking about: