Hybrid Hopeful

HYBRID HOPEFUL

JUST AS I WAS ENVISIONing myself zipping to and fro in hushed silence on a hybrid two-wheeler, doing my part to put the brakes on global warming, my environmentally friendly daydream came to a screeching halt. Cool concept drawings aside, eCycle, the Pennsylvania-based producer of the SolidSlot brushless motor/generator designed to work in conjunction with all manner of small-displacement gas and diesel engines, says it has no plans to produce complete, running versions of the models pictured here.

There is hope, though. Turns out the nifty art is the work of New Jersey’s

Machineart Industrial Design (www.machineart.com), the brains

behind the appearance-transforming mF3 bodykit for 1994-96 Honda CBR600F3s, not to mention the IngersollRand titanium chopper built by Orange County Choppers, the award-winning Kawasaki GPzl 100-powered MK9 and the custom graphics for the Ducati ST2 used in the 2002 Wesley Snipes vehicle Blade II. Baby strollers, computer peripherals, fitness gear and such may keep the lights on at MID, but these guys, principal Andrew Serbinski in particular, clearly dig bikes.

Basis for the 220-pound Honda 90-

esque

eC 1, the sportbike-like eC2 and the commuter-friendly eC3 is an asymmetrical chassis that combines an aluminum monocoque frame with single-sided swingarm suspension front and rear, Pirelli MT75shod 16-inch wheels and an inside-out front brake. Wheelbase is 50.0 inches, a full 5 inches less than a Buell Blast. The battery bank consists of three 12volt cells located centrally so as to provide a low center of gravity. Final drive is by toothed belt.

eCycle (www.ecycle.com) estimates performance would be on par with a conventional 250cc streetbike, with 0-60 mph coming in 6 seconds and a top speed of 80 mph. Fuel economy, however, would be drastically boosted, perhaps as high as 150 mpg. Now, if someone would just step up and build’em! Matthew Miles