Thursday, March 25, 2010

KTM To Reveal Electric Motorcycles At Tokyo Motorcycle Show

The Motor Report


KTM IS SET to reveal two electric motorcycles - which the company describes as "near-series prototypes" - at next week's Tokyo Motorcycle Show.

The Austrian motorcycle (and race-car) manufacturer has yet to reveal specific powertrain details for the two electric bikes - one a supermoto and the other an enduro model. A pair of teaser images have been released however, and from little can be seen, both bikes appear to be 'the real deal' when it comes to their road-readiness.

KTM describes the two bikes as "near-series prototypes which in one year's time will transfer the "Ready to Race" sporting spirit of the brand into a series model fit for the 21st century."

An earlier concept called the KTM Zero Emissions (no relation to the Nissan project of the same name) drew power from an electric motor offering 40Nm of torque, its lithium ion motorcycle battery packing around 40 minutes of charge.

The two KTM concepts aren't the first electric motorcycles to appear on the scene however, with other electrified motorcycles surfacing over the past few years - including the Mission One Electric Sports Bike, offering 135Nm of torque, a 240km riding range and a top speed of 240km/h.