Battery Power for muscle bikes.....

[Old and In the Way]

A person I know who works at a123 Systems sent this link. Pretty interesting.

<snip>

Competing in the "High Voltage Nationals," Dube' was hoping his "Killacycle," which already holds the record as the world's fastest electric racer, could top the quarter-mile mark of 9.450 seconds (152.07 mph) that he set in six years ago.

Dube' had hoped to make at least three runs to "warm up" his special Lithium-Ion batteries. His plan was to send 340 volts to a direct-drive electric that would rewrite the record book and give designated rocket-jockey Scott Pollacheck all he could handle on the super-smooth Route 66 racing surface.

Why was Dube' so optimistic about a new milestone in electric racing? "Like we always say, it's in the battery," he explained earlier this week. "I have a brand new sponsor, A123 Systems batteries. The company is based in Massachusetts and this particular product was developed in partnership with MIT."

Of course, Dube' doesn't take anyone else's word for the performance of parts that go onto his bike. He says he "tortured" the batteries until he was confident that they could hold up. "There wasn't a Lithium-Ion battery that I couldn't turn into a road flare — until these came along," he said.

<snip> full article here:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/sports/4_2_JO13_ELECTRIC_S1.asp

[phantom power]

1. You know... it takes some stones to turn batteries into "road flares" ...

when they're on a vehicle that sits between your legs.