By Chuck Squatriglia

The coolest thing about the electric motorcycle grand prix is anyone with a bit of skill and determination can make a run for the checkered flag. It doesn’t require a wad of money or bleeding-edge machinery, so even two guys working in their garage in Ohio have a shot at victory.

But they need a little help to get there.

John Wild and Sean Ewing are scrambling to finish their homebuilt electric motorcycle and get it shipped to California in time for the opening race of the TTXGP electric motorcycle grand prix season. The two guys, who call themselves Square Wave Racing, got together three months ago and they’ve built the SWR1 in record time.

Wild is a vintage motorcycle racer and a fabricator who’s built a few choppers. Ewing is an electrical engineer, entrepreneur and student at Ohio State University. They started with 1996 Honda CBR F3, which was a hot bike back in the day. It’s a bit long in the tooth now, but Wild says it was perfect for their application because it’s relatively nimble and it’s got a steel frame. That makes welding a snap.

Source: Wired.com