Electric bikes return to Isle of Man

From the Isle of Man TT

Following the success of the inaugural clean emissions motorcycle race on the Isle of Man in 2009, the Isle of Man Government Department of Tourism and Leisure, the promoter of the TT Races, confirmed on Wednesday that a clean emissions race would again take place on the TT Mountain Course, as part of the 2010 TT Races programme.

The clean emissions race in 2009 has been widely credited with accelerating the development of clean emissions transport and many of the technical innovations that were introduced in the Isle of Man are expected to become an integral part of future mass market transport.

The event was conceived with the support and involvement of numerous Departments of the Isle of Man Government as part of the Island’s Freedom to Flourish programme.

The 2010 clean emissions race on the Isle of Man has been renamed ‘TT Zero’ and the race will become part of the core TT programme. It will feature riders who are also competing in the other TT classes. The one lap race will be open to clean emission motorcycles and will take place on Wednesday June 9.

As with the core TT Races programme TT Zero will be run by ACU Events Ltd, using the latest FIM regulations. However TTXGP Ltd, who promoted the 2009 event, will not be involved and the Isle of Man Government’s Department of Tourism and Leisure will become the race promoter for the clean emissions race as well as the core TT Races programme.

As well as the usual prize money available to teams and riders, the Isle of Man Government has also created a £10,000 prize fund for the first TT Zero Race team to record a 100mph lap (160.93km/h) around the 37 and 3/4 mile course. This landmark was achieved for the first time by a conventional bike in 1957, when Scotsman Bob McIntyre lapped the TT Course in 22 minutes 24.4 seconds for an overall average of 101.03mph. Rob Barber and Team Agni recorded a fastest lap time of 25 minutes 53.5 seconds (87.434mph) in the 2009 clean emissions race.

Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government, commented: “We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with TTXGP Ltd and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work last year. We look forward to welcoming many of the electric bike teams and riders back to the Isle of Man in 2010 as well as to seeing new challengers pitting their wits against the Mountain Course.”

Regulations and entry forms for the TT Zero Race will be released on Friday, Jan. 29 and the forms will only be available in electronic format, and can be downloaded from the official Isle of Man TT Web Site, iomtt.com. The closing date for entries has been set as Friday, March 26.