Japanese electric motorcycle manufacturer Mugen
Shinden has unveiled a new model dubbed the Mugen Shinden Roku - the firm's sixth
entry into the Isle of Man TT. "Roku" - Japanese for number
"six" is so named to mark Mugen's sixth year in the iconic race.
Piloted this year by John McGuinness and Guy Martin, this year's attempt will
be to break the 193 km/h at the IOMTT - a record that was almost
broken last year at the TT Zero event.
The Mugen Shinden Roku looks a
lot familiar to its predecessors, but there are some changes - the bodywork is
sharper than the older models, with a narrower profile and more aggressive
lines. Underneath the fairing, Mugen has also made some changes to the bike. It
now weighs less, at 248 kg, thanks to the new monocoque frame. Performance from
the electric motor is still rated at 161 bhp and 208 Nm of torque.
The one-lap (60 km) electric motorcycle event at
Isle of Man has been in place after it was first introduced in 2010. According
to regulations, all machines participating at the TT Zero event with a minimum
weight of 100 kg and up to 200 kg. From 2010 up till 2013, American
manufacturer MotoCzysz held the record for subsequent TT Zero titles.
From 2014
though, it's Team Mugen which has consistently been claiming the titles.
Electric motorcycle racing may not only be green and clean but could well turn
out to be the racing format of the future, but so far mainstream motorcycle
manufacturers like Yamaha, Kawasaki or Suzuki have yet to get involved in the
TT Zero.
