PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A DIRT RIDER BIKE TEST. THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE PROVIDED TO US BY THE MANUFACTURER.
Extreme Electric Motocross BikeFrom Electricross Inc
Electricross Inc has developed a lightweight intermediate sized motocross bike called the Drift with 19+ horsepower from an electric motor. This is no "toy" bike. It is a combination of the highest quality custom designed aluminum frame and advanced computer controlled electric vehicle motor. Every test rider has described the acceleration as "amazing" and many describe it as "just plain scary". The Drift is available for delivery in July 2006. Come and check it out at our newly opened walk-in store located at 3111 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA. or at selected dealerships across the country. See the web site for listings.
This is full powered motocross without noise. It opens up all kinds of "backyard" riding opportunities where noise is an issue. Electricross Inc. is also going to help sponsor special electric motocross events at several outdoor motorcycle races. The Drift is designed to be the ultimate electric race bike and Electricross Inc is committed to dominating the up-and-coming race series. The performance and quality of the Drift is miles ahead of the other electric conversion motorcycles that are usually just cheap Chinese made motorcycles converted to electric power. The Drift is an all new from scratch design.
Electricross Inc. was founded by Neal Saiki who is a world renowned mountain bike designer and aerospace engineer. His designs hold numerous National and World Cup titles and his most recent mountain bike design won "2006 Bike of the Year XC" by Mountain Biking magazine. All of Neal's mountain bike experience was brought to the Drift's frame design in order to create the lightest and most advanced electric motorcycle frames possible. As a side note, Neal also holds the World Aviation Record for the first successful human powered helicopter. This guy knows how to design strong and lightweight structures.
The Drift has been two years in development and the unique design is patent pending on several of the revolutionary design components. All of the frames and frame parts are made in America from American produced aluminum that is much stronger than foreign made material. The swingarm has a unique double diamond design that is patent pending and is lighter and stiffer than conventional swingarms. Most of the parts such as the hubs, spokes, rims, chain and sprocket are custom made for the bike. It would have been easier to use stock parts, however, motorcycle parts are generally too heavy and bicycle parts are too weak, so almost everything had to be uniquely developed. Weeks of computer analysis were used to optimize every component. It was a very long and expensive development process.
The Drift is weighs approximately 140 pounds with power pack and 80 pounds without. The power pack is easily removable for transporting. The off-road suspension features 7 to 8 inches of suspension travel in the front and 8 inches in the rear. The fully tunable motor controller allows a custom power and speed map to be loaded to tailor the throttle response from "trail riding" to "racetrack" or anywhere in between. The power can be easily turned down for younger riders making the Drift suitable for a wide range of abilities. The controller is adjusted by hooking a cable up to your computer and running a software program that is provided. The software is easy to use and the controller can even record data as you ride. A half power switch has also been installed for safety that reduces the speed of the motorcycle in half. The switch extends the range considerably and also makes the Drift "street legal" vehicle which can be ridden in the bike lane for commuting.
The quick-change power pack is the most unique feature of the Drift, because it can deliver up to 600 amps and yet a spent power pack can be replaced in seconds. Without this unique feature, the Drift would be totally impractical. Nobody wants to wait around for a dead battery to charge and with the Drift there is no waiting. In a few seconds you can slide in a fresh power pack and you are tearing it up again or letting your buddy have a turn. The unique modular power pack and protective frame design are patent pending. The power packs and chargers can be either fast charge or slow charge. The slow charger works in 3.3 hours and the fast charger works in 50 minutes. The power packs are reasonably priced so you can have a couple of them on hand for a full afternoon of riding.
A long range Lithium Power Pack is also available as an option. The doubles the range of the Drift to about 20 to 30 miles. The Lithium Power Pack uses a new Lithium Ion battery that is much safer and more durable than first generation Lithium Ion batteries.
There are power upgrades, suspension upgrades, and even charger upgrades to make the bike fully customizable. The controller, which limits the power from the power pack, can be either a 300 Amp controller or 400 amp controller. The higher powered controller makes the bike faster, but it also drains the power packs more quickly. Disk brakes are standard with the choice of single or dual piston calipers. There are two front fork choices from Fox. The rear suspension is handled by custom valved units from Fox. Fox and Electricross Inc are located near to each other and share years of experience working together. Different Fox shocks can be specified to range from 2 way adjustable to fully 5 way adjustable.
Not stopping there, Electricross Inc. has engineered the future right into the Drift, allowing for new types of batteries, controllers and motors to be adapted into the universal frame and modular power pack design. This sets up the Drift to handle any new technology as it develops. Electricross Inc currently has three different power packs available which are all interchangeable. This lets you adapt the Drift to any riding situation or budget.
Riding the Drift is smooth and deceptive. The lack of noise makes the bike seem less powerful than it really is. It's not until you race a gas bike that you realize how fast you are going. Great care has to be used not to give it too much power from a standstill or you will instantly be looking at nothing but sky. Electric motors produce huge amounts of torque at low RPM. Once you are rolling it's pretty easy to keep the front wheel on the ground, but you do have to get your weight forward under full power or the front wheel gets very light. You definitely have to ride this bike, not just sit on it.
The power is instantaneous and everywhere. There is no clutch and there is no need to be "in the powerband". Just twist the throttle and go. In fact, there really isn't a powerband since electric motors produce maximum power across their entire RPM range. The Drift leaps out of corners like a spring and nothing gets the holeshot like the Drift. The gearing is set low for track use with a top speed of about 44 MPH, but the sprockets are easily changeable to increase the top speed.
The stock tires are lightweight all-purpose tires with lots of small knobs. It's a good tire for general trail riding with the occasional paved section. The knobs are closely spaced and small in order to leave a barely noticeable trail in soft dirt. For track use, full knobby dirt bike tires are available.
The Drift has many unique safety features. The power pack is removable, but also completely perimeter protected by the frame in a patent pending safety design. In the event of a crash the power pack is retained in the frame and protected from damage. Each power pack is individually fused to protect against shorts. The main power switch has a plastic key that is tied to a wrist strap. The main power is turned completely off as soon as the rider's hand comes off the throttle. There is a half power switch installed that allows the rider to switch from full acceleration to a more tame half speed, as required.
Specifications and Detailswheelbase:seat height:ground clearance:peg height:front suspension travel:rear suspension travel:front wheel outside diameter:rear wheel outside diameter:head angle: weight without battery pack:weight of battery pack:total weight ready to ride: power:range - Standard Power Pack:range - Lithium Power Pack:top speed:charge time: 51 inches (129.5 cm)33 or 35 inches (84 or 89 cm)10.5 inches (26.7 cm)12.8 inches (32.5 cm)7 - 8 inches (178 - 203 mm)8 inches (204 mm)21 inches (53.3 cm) 24 inch optional21 inches (53.3 cm)67 degrees with 7" fork, 66 degrees with 8"80 pounds (36.4 kg)60 pounds (27.3 kg)140 pounds (63.6 kg) 19.3+ horsepower (14,400 watts)15-20 miles (24-32 km) per pack30-40 miles (48-64 km) per pack44 miles per hour (64 kph) as geared50 minutes or 3.3 hours depending on charger
Electricross Inc.3111 Scotts Valley DriveScotts Valley, CA 95066United StatesPhone (831)438-3500Fax (501)635-4965