Electric Motorcycles at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
During the 91st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) – the next longest running American race next to those at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1909) – history was once again made.
The 2013 edition say electric motorcycles capture the fastest overall times in the motorcycle division, with former Ducati Multistrada 1200 rider Carlin Dunne and Lightning Motorcycles finishing the race in 10:694.
Besides Lighting Motorcycles, though, Zero Motorcycles and its Hollywood Electrics counterpart equally made history. All together, six production-based Zero Motorcycles competed at the 2013 Pikes Peak race.
Taking top honors was Jeff Clark, who piloted a 2013 Zero FX. His time was the fastest of the production-based group with a 12:00 flat run up the mountain, setting a new record for production-based electric motorcycles.
This put him inside the top half of all motorcycles entered in this year’s event. Clark was closely followed by BE-EV.com sponsored rider Jeremiah Johnson, riding a 2013 Zero S and finishing in 12:05.
Rounding out the podium with a time of 12:24 in the special Exhibition Powersports Class – Z was Motorcycle.com editor and test rider Troy Siahaan, competing on a 2013 Zero FX. All three finishing times were faster than the previous electric motorcycle record time set by Chip Yates in 2011.
Harlan Flagg, of Hollywood Electrics, says “This week exceeded all expectations. We came prepared and ready to race, but were blown away by how smoothly it went all week. Even after several crashes during practices days, one that sent a bike flying off a 15 foot embankment, the motorcycles only suffered superficial damage, a testament to how well designed these machines are by the engineering team at Zero Motorcycles. We came to prove just how much fun and how competitive electric motorcycles can be, especially production-based motorcycles, and I believe we proved a point.
“A big thanks goes out to all the riders, sponsors and support crews for making this happen. It was truly a historic weekend for electrics and for Zero Motorcycles.”
This year marks the first ever Electric Motorcycle Division in PPIHC’s 91 year history. In addition to the top three finishing Zero riders, team members Ted Rich (12:53), Nathan Barker (13:14) and Brandon Miller (13:16) set impressive times as well.
Hollywood Electrics organized and managed the efforts with motorcycles and technical support from Zero Motorcycles, represented onsite by Media Relations Coordinator, TJ Aguirre. Hollywood Electrics entered several different model Zero Motorcycles in the event, including a number of stock and modified motorcycles. Hollywood Electrics has been an authorized Zero Motorcycles dealer for four years and is Zero’s number one dealership in sales.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb began in 1916 and is the second oldest motor sports race in America. The PPIHC is a long-standing tradition in the Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak Regions. The race takes place on a 12.42 mile course beginning at 9,390 feet with 156 turns and ending at the 14,110 foot summit of Pikes Peak. One of the main obstacles of the race is the increasingly thin air that slows reflexes, diminishes muscle strength and reduces the power of internal combustion engines by 30 percent as competitors advance up the peak. The electric motorcycle division has an advantage with the all-electric motorcycles because they do not experience power loss with increased elevation and thinner air.
Scot Harden (Vice President of Global Marketing for Zero Motorcycles) says: “This is a landmark moment for electric motorcycles and the electric movement in general.
“Our hats are off to Lightning Motorcycle and Carlin Dunne for setting the fastest two-wheeled time up the mountain. I am equally proud of the job Team Zero and Hollywood Electrics did at the event. A big thank you is in order for the Pikes Peak organizers for having the vision to include an all-electrics production motorcycle class at this year’s event. This was a great demonstration of the reliability and performance already available to the public at large. We are sure the electric motorcycle field will only continue to grow in the coming years.”
Zero Motorcycles has been working with Hollywood Electrics since they opened their doors in August 2009 as Zero’s first Southern California dealership.
This year, for the second year in a row, Hollywood Electrics was named “Top Dealer” by Zero Motorcycles. Hollywood Electrics has worked with Zero Motorcycles and consumers to push the idea that the electric revolution is here to stay. They have been designing and creating custom Zero Motorcycles to provide customers with unique and individualized motorcycles that still offer the exceptional benefits of owning an all-electric motorcycle.
In addition to Hollywood Electrics, Zero Motorcycles dealer network has grown to over 50 dealers in the United States and Canada alone, as well as a very robust and growing dealer base in Europe. For more information on Zero Motorcycles visit zeromotorcycles.com.
