Timeline Photos
--- Flashback Friday: 7 years since conquering Pike's Peak ---
I meant to post this two weeks ago, but I somehow missed the reminder I had set in my calendar. May 25th marked the 7 year mark of my homebuilt electric street bike "ElectroCat" being the first electric motorcycle to conquer Pike's Peak. Electric cars had conquered the 14110 ft (4300 m) tall mountain before, but this was the first time an electric motorcycle did it.
I was signed up for the legendary Pike's Peak Hill Climb race in June 2010, and I needed to get some data for energy consumption. The ElectroCat did successfully finish the race with rider veteran rider John Scollon. It was certainly not a winning time, but it was the very first electric motorcycle to ever finish the race. I should have ridden in the race, but was injured during practice and couldn't participate. Despite this very last minute rider change, we made a little bit of history.
Since then, electric motorcycles have had large successes in the Pike's Peak race, and it is only a matter of time before one takes the track record. As opposed to internal combustion engines that lose about half their engine power in the thin air at the high altitude, electric motors are unaffected. Electrics are simply perfectly suited to win this race! ;-)
I always like to say "You can be the first, or you can be the best. If you are the best, someone can beat you. If you are the first, no one can ever take that away from you." I like to continue doing things that are "firsts", I enjoy that much more than being the "best".
The 7 years since that first Pike's Peak ride just flew past, and I can't even imagine what the next 7 years will be like. But I am sure it will be yet another adventure, and hopefully it is will contain several new "firsts".
#FlashbackFriday #ElectroCat #EvaHakansson #FlatOutIntoTheFuture ... See more
