Amarok Consultants, a leader in motorcycle industry consulting, presents it's prototype for an electric racing motorcycle that will compete in the 2011 TTX GP racing series. The Amarok P1, designed and built in Lennoxville, Canada, tips the scales at a diminutive 147kgs (325 lbs), with 7.5 KwH of lithium batteries and powered by two Agni 95R DC motors, making it one of the lightest electric sport motorcycles in existence.
Canada's first electric sportbike, the Amarok P1, will compete in the first round of the 2011 North American TTXGP series at Infineon.
To achieve maximum power-to-weight and optimize handling, Amarok uses proprietary Concentric Design methodology to rethink conventional motorcycle architecture and challenge preconceptions of motorcycle engineering. The Amarok P1 features a frameless aluminum monocoque design that incorporates the structure, enclosed battery storage and the aerodynamic fairing all into one, eliminating duplication, optimizing distribution of loads and reducing weight across the system.
Less is More – A Lightweight Electric Motorcycle that Uses Power Efficiently
“Ever since I saw the first modern electric
scooters in the mid 2000's, I felt that the time was ripe to approach motorcycle design like an aerospace vehicle, and integrate the body, frame and battery into the same structure.” says Amarok Consultants President and P1 chief designer Michael Uhlarik. “Since the 1930's, airplanes have relied on all-stressed skin, aluminum monocoques for superior strength, lower weight and packaging efficiency. Batteries already have strong and bulky structures, so why not design them into shapes that give them enough strength to support the entire motorcycle and rider vehicle system, while sculpting them into an aerodynamic package?”
The P1 is the result of over one year of design and fabrication, and although impressively light already, it represents only a starting point. “The P1 is far from perfected, with many compromises made for the sake of time and limited resources. It is our design target to achieve a weight of 125kg (275 lbs) with the next generation P2, giving us power-to-weight parity with a gasoline powered 250cc Grand Prix bike. I want Amarok to prove that with battery electric vehicles, less really is more. Less heavy, costly batteries, but more performance and better handling.”
Humble Roots
The P1 was born on the dining room table in February 2009, when Michael Uhlarik and Kevin O'Neil, partner and chief fabricator of the P1, sketched out the concept for a stressed-skin aluminum monocoque motorcycle built around the batteries. Lacking sophisticated CAD/CAM tools or a vast budget, the pair of aerospace enthusiasts looked to iconic aircraft construction for inspiration. “The DeHavilland Mosquito was made of plywood and glue, using (by today's standards) low precision tools, and resulted in one of the highest performance fighter/bombers of the Second World War. The Beaver and Twin Otter bush planes are legends of durability, handling and simple construction, that have plied the north country for decades. Like so many products of Canada, their strength is in intelligent application of the simplest technology necessary to achieve design targets”. The design was realized with hand rendered technical drawings, and built in a 140 year old coach house from aerospace grade aluminum. Subsequent stress calculations and tests were made using conventional, modern techniques.
Amarok will be campaigning the P1 in the North American TTX GP electric racing series this summer with support from Pro6 Cycle, Canada's largest track day operator, and Dunlop Tires, while continuing to develop the concept and upgrading the technology for the second generation P2, due in fourth quarter 2011.
