Sportbike Saturday is a new series at Street N Trail magazine. Each week, we will look at the up and coming news from the sportbike world. In this the inaugural Sportbike Saturday post, we are taking look at the future of motorcycling: the Mission RS.
Generally, the idea of electric vehicles strikes a chord with automotive enthusiasts. They are either seen as vehicles that are driven by eco-friendly diehards, or clueless individuals who care more about saving a few cents at the pump than enjoying an actual driving experience. Electric motorcycles are no different. That persona is about to change with the Mission RS motorcycle.
Electric automobiles aren’t anything new. In fact, they’re about to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2014. What’s new about electric vehicle technology is the quality of craftsmanship and the powertrain at the heart of the vehicle. Whether it be a split between electric and gas, or all electric, the fundamental element of an electric vehicle is the battery. With battery technology improving at breakneck speeds, the quality of the formerly useless technology is becoming less and less of an issue.
Mission Motorcycles, located in San Francisco, California, is the bow of the ship that is the electric motorcycle movement. Mission has developed and created the future of motorcycling; the Mission RS. The RS is a white, yellow, and silver behemoth that will blow the competition out of the water, and set a precedent for electric motorcycles that will take some time to match.
The heart of the beast that is the RS is a 163.2 horsepower, 120 kw, liquid-cooled, 3-phase AC induction motor. Compare those specifications to what’s regarded as the two best sportbikes in the world, the BMW HP4 and the Ducati 1199 Panigale R, and the RS is down over 20 horsepower to each. What sets the Mission monster above the rest, including the HP4 and Panigale, has to do with the very nature of what makes electric vehicles, the future of automotive enjoyment. With electric motors, 100% of the torque of the motor is available at any time. In Lehman’s terms, 100% of the bike’s horsepower is available from a complete standstill, or as you’re zooming down the highway at 65 MPH. A traditional internal combustion engine has a curve that predicates torque based on engine RPM’s. The RS boasts an astounding 133.4 ft. lbs. of torque. The HP4 can only muster 83 ft. lbs, and the Panigale sits at 98.1. Compound those torque numbers with the fact that maximum torque is only reached at a specific RPM in regular engines, and you can easily see why a prototype RS dominated the entire field by a whopping 39.9 seconds in a race at Laguna Seca in June 2011.
Consider this: No internal combustion engine means no noisy powertrain. Electric motors have no audible sound when they’re turned on and if the RS is not in motion, you have no idea if it’s on or off. When it is in motion, the only sounds made are the whizzing of the 163.2 horsepower electric motor and the tires begging for mercy as they’re blistering down the pavement.
Another advancement of the electric motorcycle is that a transmission is no longer necessary. The engine has one gear and torque is 100% available at any speed. This eliminates the need for a clutch, which depending on who you talk to, is either a positive or a negative. While the lack of clutch certainly makes city driving much easier, it takes some of the feeling of connection with the motorcycle away from the rider.
Not only do these machines come with top-of-the-line electronics, they come with top-of-the-line equipment. Equipment like Öhlins gas-charged front forks and rear shock, Brembo rotors paired with Brembo CNC GP4-RX calipers, and BST carbon fiber wheels wrapped in the newest and greatest from Dunlop tires, which like the RS, are made in America. The CPU features built in telemetry and Google Maps for turn-by-turn guidance assistance. The telemetry can either be downloaded onto a computer and analyzed or brought up on the immensely large screen on the motorcycle itself.
You aren’t going to find any of these sitting in your local motorcycle dealer. That’s because Mission has no dealer network. In order to claim one of these behemoths, you place an order via their website, figure out a payment plan, and they will hand deliver your new machine directly to your house. Have any technological issues? No worry, Mission will come back to your lovely home and fix your motorcycle in your garage. For free. Mission is so confident in their machines that their service scheme offers in-home repair for every one of their motorcycles — on the house. They have noted that the battery technology is evolving as fast as the motorcycles themselves. For this reason, Mission is going to upgrade your battery packs when the technology becomes obsolete and replace them with brand new packs, you guessed it, free of charge.
The downside of this incredible machine? The price and availability. The Mission R, the “little brother” to the RS starts at $29,999. The RS itself starts at $56,499 after a $2,500 electric vehicle tax credit. In order to place an order for an R or RS, you must put down a minimum of a $1,000 deposit and patiently wait for them to call you and let you know your dreams have come true.