http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/10/ktm-builds-a-ra.html
KTM Builds A Race-Ready Electric Motorcycle
By Chuck Squatriglia 
Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM is developing an all-electric enduro that could be in showrooms within two years.
The competition-ready ride features a lithium-ion battery that provides 40 minutes of riding time "under race conditions" and can be charged in just one hour,
according to Hell for Leather. KTM isn't saying much about the bike, but by following the all-electric path blazed by startups like
Zero Motorcycles and
Quantya, the company seemingly is betting batteries are the future of off-road riding.
KTM is keeping the specs under wraps but says the prototype Zero Emission Motorcycle produces 29.5 foot-pounds of torque.The battery and motor weigh 17 kilograms (about 37.5 pounds). That may seem heavy, but electric bikes don't need an exhaust system, fuel tank and other parts. No word on what the KTM EV weighs, but
the all-electric Zero X we rode tipped the scales at a bantamweight 140 pounds and was good for 57 mph.
Off-road bikes lend themselves to electric power because they're typically ridden short distances, so range isn't that big an issue. Electric motors also provide gobs of torque, a big plus in motocross riding. And as Hell for Leather notes, going green doesn't just help the environment, it could preserve or even expand off-roaders' access to land.
More
info and photos at Hell for Leather, which provided the photo.
