Motorcycle specifications Mission-MotorcyclesMission R 2011 The desire for new experiences

the electric motorcycle is rapidly gaining ground, evolving much more rapidly than some had anticipated. For all manufacturers, large and small, the challenge is colossal: to build a fast, high-performance, long-range machine capable of taking over from our good old gasoline-powered motorcycle. The latter has a century of technical evolution and thousands of hours of design behind it. Until now, battery-powered motorcycles have barely aroused the public's curiosity, and their performance in competition has been limited to the figurative. But Mission Motorcycles is about to change all that.

And its weapon is the Mission R. And now, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to stop mocking and take a serious look at this superbike. The word is not an exaggeration, and if you look closely, it's very promising.
With this model, the American brand takes a giant leap forward in styling compared to the Mission One, its first prototype. Quite simply, the Mission R is beautiful, sexy and successful. It clearly draws inspiration from some of the most admirable contemporary creations(R1 2007 for the front end, R6 last generation for the rear frame, 1198-type single-arm) to present itself like a diva. Don't look for it, it just makes you want to ride it. It's a far cry from other electric products, square as a box and as appetizing as a cube of frozen porridge.

Before we get to the electric technology, let's get a little more excited about the peripherals. Although a symbol of the future, the Mission R is nothing like the bike from Tron. The components are familiar, classic (a telehydraulic front fork, a rear shock absorber, wheels, tires, disc brakes...), but above all noble and efficient. The unmissable Öhlins is the guest of honor for suspension. A 43 mm FGR 000 pressurized inverted fork works in concert with a TTX 36 shock absorber; fully adjustable, of course. The other components are also top-notch: Brembo brakes with radial mounting and monobloc clamps, Marchesini wheels in forged magnesium, carbon, slicks and a chrome-molybdenum trellis frame. This is what you generally find on WSBK machines. The only problem is that the machine is heavy for a sports bike: 247 kilos. Yep, a big battery weighs a lot.

we don't know the exact mass of the big battery, but the work involved in making it compact and not too heavy is enormous. By way of comparison, the Chevrolet Volt's battery pack weighs 170 kg and delivers 16 kWh of power. The Mission R's power pack is only slightly less: 14.4 kWh. OK, that's not saying much. Let's go back to more conventional figures. Forget volumetric ratios, cubic capacity, lighter moving parts, fuel injection and the smell of gasoline. The engine doesn't make vbraoummm, doesn't contain camshafts or valves, but puts out the equivalent of 141 horsepower. Just like a big 1000 from the turn of the century. But the great strength of an electric motor is its torque, which is enormous and constant. Around 16 mkg are available here, the strength of a Suzuki Hayabuza, obtained... all the time, from 0 to 6,400 rpm. That's just what's needed to ensure blistering acceleration at any rpm.
The bike also features multiple engine maps, a brake energy recovery system, 3G and WiFi connectivity, and... a single gear in the transmission.

Exciting, powerful, promising, the Mission R is unfortunately only a showcase for the moment. Its only place of expression will be the TTXGP (the electric motorcycle championship), where its power and 260 km/h should rule the track. Nothing has been planned for the road, for the moment... Given that we know nothing about range, and that none of us is prepared to wait 4 hours at a gas station to fill up, for the time being we have to be content with imagining this prototype mixed with reality. But hey, look on your desk: a flat screen, a USB key, a touch-sensitive phone, a ticket for a 1 km/h speeding ticket. None of this existed 10 years ago. So let's believe it for 2020.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos