Roehr Releases Details on Electric Models

Roehr Motorcycles has released more information about its line of electric sportbikes including two street models and a higher-spec racing version.

The Illinois-based manufacturer announced its entry in the electric motorcycle segment in January with two eRoehr models, the eSuperbike and the entry-level eSupersport. They will be joined by the Roehrs new flagship electric sportbike, the eSuperbike RR which was designed to compete in the TTXGP and the FIMs ePower racing series.

According to Roehr Motorcycle founder Walter Roehrich, development of the electric models had fallen behind, and the eSuperbike RR will not be ready for the start of the TTXGP series. Roehrich told Motorcycle.com there is a chance the eSuperbike RR would ener the TTXGP late in the season but 2011 would be more likely.

The mechanical portion of the bikes are completed, we are in the testing and development process right now, both on the dyno and the street. We were planning to be a little further along by now, and were hoping to enter the TTXGP series, however a few delays, mainly with bodywork tooling have set us behind schedule a bit, Roehrich wrote on the electric motorcycle forum ElMoto.net. As much as we would have loved to compete at Infineon next week, our main priority is to finish our development, and deliver a refined quality product with confidence. Like the eSuperbike production model, the RR version will use twin AC induction motors with a claimed output of 96 hp and 210 ft-lb. of torque. The motor will run on a 96V lithium-iron-phosphate battery with a capacity of 9.6 kWh.

According to Roehr, th eSupersport is as fast as the Roehr 1250sc to 50 mph, and has a range of 100 mile in the city and 40 miles at highway speeds. The eSuperbike offers similar performance.

Roehr designed the bodywork which will be produced by Florida-based SharkSkinz Racing Bodies. The chassis is from a Hyosung GT250.

Ultimately, we want to build our own chassis specifically for an electric motor and batteries, says Roehrich.

The production eSuperbike uses a fully adjustable rear Ohlins rear shock while the RR model adds an Ohlins front fork. Both models will use four-piston Brembo brakes, but the eSuperbike RR will use 320mm front rotors instead of the production versions 310mm rotors. The RR will also get lighter aluminum wheels and a 190/70 rear tire instead of the regular eSuperbikes 185/55 rear tire. According to Roehr, the production and racing eSuperbike models will weigh 500 lb.

The eSupersport will use only one AC induction motor, cutting its claimed power and torque numbers in half to 48 hp and 105 ft-lb. The 96V lithium-iron-phosphate battery also has a lower capacity than the eSupersport models at 6 kWh.

Instead of the eSuperbikes 43mm front fork, the eSupersport uses a 41mm fork while the brakes use only two pistons and 300mm front rotors. The wheels will also be smaller (3.0 x 17 front and 4.5 x 17 rear compared to the eSuperbikes 3.5 x 17 and 6.0 x 17 wheels).

The eSupersport has been priced at $16,965 while the eSuperbike is priced at $27,595. The eSuperbike RR has been priced $34,495. Specifications and pricing may still be subject to change however. Deliveries are expected to begin in the summer.

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