IOM Zero TT class on hold

[Jaws]

Published on 22 October 2019 by Mike Waters
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The Isle of Man TT Zero class will not be held in 2020 and 2021, an announcement by the island’s government has confirmed.

Instead, there will be a moratorium while the future of the TT Zero class is discussed. It is understood that the move was prompted by a fall in entries in recent years leading to doubts about whether continuing to hold the class would be viable.

Commenting, Member with Responsibility for Tourism and Motorsport Rob Callister MHK said: “As an island, we remain committed to the principles and passion that continues to motivate everyone associated with the TT Zero class and the clean tech industry. Our intention is to have a moratorium on the event to allow the motorcycle industry as a whole to catch up on the leading edge developments that some manufacturers and individual race teams and universities have achieved to date.

“We remain incredibly proud of everything that has been achieved in clean emission racing at the TT and will work closely with the industry and with manufacturers without the pressure and focus of delivering a race format to build on the success to date.”

 

[hilldweller]

I can't work that out, even a small grid adds to the TT experience.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I was looking forward to it being shown on TV this year, and what did they show? About 60 seconds of it ?

 

[The Flute]

I can't work that out, even a small grid adds to the TT experience.

I think the biggest issue for them is the weather. It can take a full day or 2 to charge the batterys properly so this year proved very difficult for them. Plus the grids are getting no bigger. It's always around 6 bikes. By now I think they were expecting there to be 15-20

 

[hilldweller]

I think the biggest issue for them is the weather. It can take a full day or 2 to charge the batterys properly so this year proved very difficult for them. Plus the grids are getting no bigger. It's always around 6 bikes. By now I think they were expecting there to be 15-20

Only 6, I did not know it was that bad. But the charging, they should be able to do that in hours not days. Oh Please! they only race 37 miles.

There is huge debate on EV in Grommet's Tesla mega thread. Much moaning on the lines of electric being forced down our throats for all the wrong reasons. The attempt in MotoE is a pretty brave one but it shows the limitations and no advantages of EV racing with all races short and often little practice.

We'll know when electric has really made it when there are mixed petrol and electric vehicle grids where they can show which technology works best.

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[PhilG]

The issue is that big companies have thrown huge money at it to win it, in a way that nobody else can compete with, so it becomes a pointless race because there will always only be one winner. I think that there have been a couple of close races , but of late its been a bit of a procession.

A good friend of mine won the first one, said it was the scariest thing he had ever done.

 

[TheTwoOfUs]

You have to be realistic. Who can justify closing the roads and marshalling for 6 bikes?

 

[PhilG]

Only 6, I did not know it was that bad. But the charging, they should be able to do that in hours not days. Oh Please! they only race 37 miles.

There is huge debate on EV in Grommet's Tesla mega thread. Much moaning on the lines of electric being forced down our throats for all the wrong reasons. The attempt in MotoE is a pretty brave one but it shows the limitations and no advantages of EV racing with all races short and often little practice.

We'll know when electric has really made it when there are mixed petrol and electric vehicle grids where they can show which technology works best.

That doesn't work for bikes, because the whole issue of weight and packaging.. The LMP1 Hybrid cars in Endurance racing are dominant because the rules are always tilted slightly their way, but last weekend we saw the first win in years for a non hybrid car .

MotoE is awful, the bikes are heavy and dangerous and a lot of guys in it are very careful about what they are saying in public. Its a spec series which for me defeats the object. They don't even get a warm up lap Oh Please!

 

[Manxcat]

I think this is very sad, and a wrong decision. The essence of the TT is an endurance test for bikes. The very first TT on the old circuit hardly any bikes made it. Within a couple of decades it had become the most important test bed for manufacturers.

Electric bikes have progressed well, but can only do one lap. We need to get electric bikes capable of covering 3 laps. The IOM is a perfect location for such challenges.

 

[Stealaway]

About time.
They have had 10 years to develop the race. There's only one bike head and shoulders better than the rest.
It was never worthy of TT Senior win or trophy.

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