# SWIGZ Electric Superbike to Challenge Gas Machines



## RoughRider (Aug 14, 2008)

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 (Apr 12, 2008)

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 (Aug 14, 2008)

frodus said:


> 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 (Mar 29, 2009)

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 (Aug 14, 2008)

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


----------



## Jozzer (Mar 29, 2009)

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 (Feb 23, 2010)

RoughRider said:


> 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 (Aug 14, 2008)

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 (Apr 4, 2008)

Jozzer said:


> 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


----------



## drivin98 (May 9, 2008)

RoughRider said:


> SO WHAT?
> 
> 1. how much power does this pike has? 100kW PEAK?
> 
> a gasoline racebike has min. 180HP CONTINUOUS...


Actually, it supposed to be 194 hp peak. Going by power-to-weight, he expects to be mid-pack and, hopefully work his way up from there. He says they might be able to somehow increase hp by 20% after the first race as well.
I think it'll be an interesting race and I'm glad WERA will let him compete.


----------



## RoughRider (Aug 14, 2008)

everyone knows the saying: talk is cheap

so, let wait and see...


----------



## frodus (Apr 12, 2008)

Exactly.

I'm just as skeptical Roughrider. I'm not a racer but I have worked with some of the TTXGP teams and worked alongside other engineers at Motoczysz. I've seen some of the power curves of ICE compared to the power curves of this motor, Its going to be very interesting to see how this turns out.


----------



## RIPPERTON (Jan 26, 2010)

Theres no such thing as a 266kg race bike no matter what its powered by,
Lipo Gas or solid rocket fuel, that bike aint going no where.

My Lipo battery is going to weigh 45kg thats a build weight of 135kg
Thats the difference between Mechanical Design and Mechanical Engineering. 131kg


----------



## major (Apr 4, 2008)

RIPPERTON said:


> Theres no such thing as a 266kg race bike no matter what its powered by,
> Lipo Gas or solid rocket fuel, that bike aint going no where.
> 
> My Lipo battery is going to weigh 45kg thats a build weight of 135kg
> Thats the difference between Mechanical Design and Mechanical Engineering. 131kg


Hey RIP,

The Lightning #80 weighed in at about 275kg. Meet us on the track anytime and we'll see about that 

major


----------



## RoughRider (Aug 14, 2008)

on the track is weight very very important...it is important to have less weight...

take a look at the MotoGP bikes with 240HP and 160kg of weight...
and the 125ccm bikes with 100HP and 100kg...

at some tracks the 125ccm bikes are less than 2seconds slower than the MotoGP bikes...


----------



## drivin98 (May 9, 2008)

major said:


> Hey RIP,
> 
> The Lightning #80 weighed in at about 275kg. Meet us on the track anytime and we'll see about that
> 
> major


How has the Lightening team decided to address the weight issue? It has to lose 25 kg (55.12 lbs) to race in 2011 in either series.


----------



## major (Apr 4, 2008)

drivin98 said:


> How has the Lightening team decided to address the weight issue? It has to lose 25 kg (55.12 lbs) to race in 2011 in either series.


So you're askin' about lightening Lightning I think Richard will get something on the track next season. Not sure myself, so not going to speculate any further.


----------



## drivin98 (May 9, 2008)

major said:


> So you're askin' about lightening Lightning I think Richard will get something on the track next season. Not sure myself, so not going to speculate.


Ooops! Guess that turned out to be a slip of the pun. 

Speaking of slips, isn't saying that you "think Richard will get something on the track" speculating? 

Not having anyway knowledge of his plans, I would speculate he will compete and even be faster than last year.


----------

