Zero Motorcycles announced specs on their 2009 model.

The Zero X electric motorcycle gets 40 miles per charge from it’s proprietary patent-pending lithium ion array and charges in 2 hours. The frame is handmade and shot-peened from aircraft grade aluminum. Built from the ground up and boasting 50 ft-lbs of torque, 23 horsepower and a total weight of 151 pounds, it also features six piston brake calipers. The list of newness goes on for quite a bit. Details are on their website.

The 3rd generation of the Zero X is priced at $7750, with an introductory price of $7450 through December 31, 2008.

Source: Market Watch

From the KillaCycle website:

The KillaCycle, ridden by Scotty Pollacheck, made drag racing history AGAIN at Bandimere Speedway October 23rd, 2008. 7.89 seconds @ 168 MPH is a new official NEDRA record and makes KillaCycle to the world’s quickest electric vehicle of any kind in the quarter mile! This was the very last run down the strip for this season at Bandimere.

The History Channel was on hand to film the event. The footage will air early in 2009, perhaps February or March.

Handheld video is available on the KillaCycle website.

The blogosphere is lighting up tonight with reports that KTM will deliver a lithium ion powered bike within two years. It’s rumored that the Austrian government is giving financial support to KTM. The Zero Emissions Motorcycle is said to weigh around 200 pounds and recharge in under an hour. KTM is keeping some numbers under wraps but it’s said the batteries last 40 minutes “under race conditions”.

Sources: MCN, Wired, Hell for Leather

Eagle eyed reader Don pointed out that Electric Motorsport has a new model. The fully electric GPR-S weighs 285 pounds and is lithium powered. Electric Motorsport say you’ll get 35 miles if you ride like a hooligan and up to 60 if you ride like my mom. Top speed is in the 60 to 70 mph range depending on how you gear it.

The bike comes with an on board charger but an optional external charger can fill ‘er up in an hour and a half.

The first 100 Electric GPR-S motorcycles will be numbered special edition units with extra graphics and accessories.

Price for the GPR-S with lithium batteries is $8,000 usd.