The battery-powered motorbike that does 0-60mph in under ONE SECOND

The battery-powered motorbike that does 0-60mph in under ONE SECOND

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:41 AM on 02nd January 2009

A blistering new motorbike can blast from 0 to 60mph in less than a second - using power from the same kind of battery as a cordless drill.

The KillaCycle is powered by a series of more than 1,200 special batteries which are the same as those found in De Walt tools.

The batteries feed two motors which together churn out a whopping 500bhp and can propel the machine to a top speed of a staggering 168mph.


The KillaCycle is powered by a series of more than 1,200 special batteries

The bike's makers claim that the G-force which the rider has to contend with is three times more than that faced by a skydiver during freefall.

KillaCycle has now been crowned the world's fastest battery powered vehicle after hurtling down a quarter of a mile track in under eight seconds.

The silent bike is also totally emission free because its makers use a wind power generator to recharge the batteries.

One charge takes four minutes and will provide enough power to propel the bike to seven runs down a quarter of a mile drag track.

The bike was originally designed and built in 1999 since when it has held the world speed record for completing a quarter of a mile track in the shortest time.

But the record tumbled again in November, last year, when the KillaCycle, being ridden by Scott Pollacheck, blasted down a track in just 7.8 seconds.


The bike batteries feed two motors which together churn out 500bhp and can propel the machine to a top speed of 168mph

Racing team owner Bill Dube, 55, said the secret of the bike's speed is the battery cells, which are made by American firm A123 Systems.

He said: "I used to race my electric Cabriolet car, but I got tired of it breaking on the drag strip.

"I couldn't afford to build a dragster so I built a bike instead. The secret of the KillaCycle is the batteries.

"The powerful nano-phosphate battery cells are what makes the the bike go as fast as it does.

"If you think about it, the KillaCycle is just a giant cordless drill with wheels."

Mr Dube said the team are now working on a version of the KillaCycle which will be capable of producing an incredible 1,000bhp.

Mr Dube added: "The KillaCycle is the result of years of effort. It was the first electric vehicle to break the eight seconds barrier in drag racing in November 2007.

"And it was the first electric powered vehicle of any kind to go over 150 mph in a quarter of a mile in August 2000.

"Since then it has been the world's fastest electric powered vehicle of any kind."

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1104067/The-battery-powered-motorbike-does-0-60mph-ONE-SECOND.html