We get asked about more powerful electric motorcycles for racing all the time at events like Daytona Bike Week, and a lot of the people on our email list are waiting for our next big project with more power and range at the same time. Well friends, the time is near! Battery tech has reached the point where it can match combustion performance, and that's why we're starting a race team. There's no better way to test and demonstrate your technology than the unforgiving heat of competition!
What does it take to set a world record on an electric motorcycle? That depends how you define your record. So we partnered with legendary endurance riders Wendy Crockett and Ian McPhee. They hold several world records together and individually, including the longest trip in a single country by a duo team: self-supported, over 80,000 miles. After so many contests on gas-powered motorcycles, Wendy is ready for a new challenge, setting records on electric drive, and we're converting a Yamaha FJR1300 for her next one. The data we gain from this project goes into the next round of Shandoka battery development and our distance-cruiser systems for large-displacement motorcycles.
As the world heats up, cooler-running motorcycles matter more to the sport than ever. Shandoka is proving that you can convert an old motorcycle from gas to electric in a way that honors the traditional trade skills of motorcycle building. Our race bike for this project is a 1982 Yamaha Virago XV920: very lightweight, with plenty of room for the motor and power systems we need to compete in a variety of races, from the cross-country Vintage Cannonball to the Bagger Racing League, SuperBike and even SuperHooligan. You gotta be part of this electric-driven, high-powered fun.
It's one thing to put together an electric motorcycle, but an entirely different thing to have it stay together. Everything we learn on the track and the road goes back into the systems we sell.
