Comments on: 8.168 @ 155.78 MPH -> Getting close to the magic 7′s

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:39:23 +0000

I giddy thinking about the electric vehicles.

In Hong Kong China, we havenâ€™t this dragn trasseâ€¦itâ€™s very good Thank you for blowing my mind..

By: josh

josh — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:59:14 +0000

What if the wings worked like a plane’s wings, creating lift and reducing weight .But not effecting the control of the bike. Ifeel like an ass thinking the bike should be heavyer. perhaps it could be an affordable way of weight reduction.

By: josh

josh — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:19:14 +0000

I watched your bike on discovery ch>tonight it’s too fast for it’s design. If you can change the power source to electric, then why can’t you change it’s design.? A formula 1 car needs fins to hold to the ground. Why can’t your bike have 2 fins in the front, 2 in the back, with pre-set trim.(or variable driver controled trim} I believe this could add substancial weight to your bike as it accelerates. putting your green machine within the 6 second 1/4 mile record.

I’m glad you enjoyed watching the show. We certainly enjoyed filming it.

There are many factors at play, not just traction alone. The biggest factor is the HP to weight of the bike as a whole. We see weight reduction as the prime path to increased performance. The total weight of the bike is about 650 lbs, plus the rider’s weight. The bike could lose a lot of weight if we had the money to pay for lighter components. The wheelie bar weighs 17 lbs and could easily weigh 7 lbs, if we were to buy a more expensive replacement. The drive motors weigh 87 lbs each. If we manage to find the funding to go to an AC drive, the motor weight would cut in half. We could swap out the $1800 fiberglass body shell for a $12000 carbon-fiber body shell that was half the weight, if we could afford to do so.

The typical Prostock bike that makes qualifying (and runs in the low 7′s or high 6′s) has an annual budget of $500,000 to over $1,000,000. The KillaCycle annual budget is less than $20,000 per year. The impressive performance of the KillaCycle in relation to our tiny racing budget tells you just how much potential there is in the battery technology we are using. If a person were to spend the money on an electric bike, that they spend on a Pro Stock bike, the electric would be MUCH faster than the Pro Stock bike.

The reason the Killacycle goes faster every year is that I pay for the improvents I can afford every year.

Because of the total weight of the bike, we are not traction-limited beyond about the 200 ft mark. We are HP limited beyond that point. To get benefit from fins or aerdynamic down force generation, we would have to be traction limited at high speed, not at low speed. We would need to lose weight on the bike to be in that position.

By: sl

sl — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:14:01 +0000

with gas at european prices, cant your bike be mass marketed with less hp and more batteries? Heck id take this over the smart car any day.

By: Tim North

Tim North — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 08:10:01 +0000

My son and I are planning an ultralight car/conveyance and I’m having a tough time finding a motor/power supply. I saw yours and wondered how your controls work, if it was 3 phase AC, what voltage???? We are hungry for info. We will understand if you are holding back due to patent stuff. Your bike was cool in the video segment on the green machine shows. Thanks ~ Tim ~

We are an open book. All the major comonents that we use are listed on the “about” page. You can see details of the drive train and the motor set-up on the “motors” section of the photo album.

By: Matt S

Matt S — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:49:15 +0000

Hello, What kind of batteries are used in the Killacycle and how can I get some. The batteries in the KillaCycle are made by A123 Systems. You can buy an engineering developer's kit here: http://www.buya123systems.com/prdeki.html You can order an A123 Systems battery and chargre for your radio controlled model here: http://www.a123racing.com/ A description of the features of these batteries here: http://www.a123racing.com/html/technology.html Thanks

By: Cris & Aleksandr

Cris & Aleksandr — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 19:31:19 +0000

Hi, I am from Russia, I have question…. HOW any mechanical transport can go opposite without phisical????
In our country we haven’t this dragn trasse…it’s so bad…. becouse our bikers can do it too, Welike it & we want do it.

With best wishes)

Cris & Aleksandr

By: Josh K

Josh K — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:39:57 +0000

First off, I’m SUPER pumped for what you have accomplished, I get giddy thinking about the electric vehicles that I will see in my life time (i’m 22)

Can you tell me how you are rating your HP? is it Electric Horsepower, or converted to “standard” horsepower like an internal combustion engine. Because “Home Power” magazine states that 1 electric horse is roughly equivalent to 4 internal combustion horses….

Thank you for blowing my mind.
(please email me because I have more questions that I would like kept alittle more hush hush, thank you)

By: Vic Nittolo

Vic Nittolo — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 19:49:41 +0000

Bill Dube, I am truly impressed. You’ve taken it to the nth degree. Nanophosphate batteries. I’ll have to look that one up. A long way from the Volkswagen or do you still have that?

Keep up the research. Very impressive.

Vic (formerly of CO, now of Naples, FL)

By: Wayne

Wayne — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 18:57:42 +0000

I have two questions.

1. Why didn’t you put the motors in to the wheel assembly instead of the direct drive system? The direct drive system with a chain seems to me a direct loss of power and takes up more space and weight.

We consider all configurations. The weight of the motor is set by the maximum torque (turning force) it will produce. By choosing a reduction via chain, we reduce the maximum torque and thus the motor weight. This reduces the efficiency slightly, but greatly increases the power to weight ratio of the bike.

2. If you put a Alternator and regulator on your system the bike could charge itself up as you drive it, instead of going 7 or more runs then having to charge the bike.

The energy must come from “somewhere”. It requires mechanical energy to turn an alternator to make electrical energy. This mechanical energy turns up as a greater load on the motors which increases the electric energy we must feed them.

Each of these transformations of energy is imperfect and results in losses. If you pour water from one bucket, to another bucket, and then back to the orgiginal bucket, you lose a little bit of water with each transfer. In the end, you have less water than you started with, not more.

Bill Dube’