February 2010- Few things in life, or at least in a garage, offer the kind of full sensory experience motorcycles do.

You see your reflection in gleaming chrome pipes. You feel the sting of the wind as you zip down the road (and perhaps taste an insect or two if you open your mouth at the wrong time). Mostly, though, you hear the roar of the engine and smell of exhaust.

The Mission One from Mission Motor Co., San Francisco, redefines the motorcycle experience, however.

The bike has an electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack enclosed in a lightweight aluminum structure. This allows Mission One to provide a silent, emissions-free ride and, accordingly, a low environmental impact.

Zoom, zoom
Mission Motor was founded by Forrest North, with help from Edward West and Mason Cabot. North led the solar car team at Stanford University, and he worked at Tesla Motors, San Carlos, Calif., a company spearheading electric car design and production.

"As a motorcycle enthusiast and engineer, I knew I could combine my passion for motorcycles with my passion for innovation and create a motorcycle that truly sets a new standard in the perception of electric vehicles," said North in a press release. "With the Mission One, we're writing the next chapter in motorcycle design, delivering a new riding experience without sacrificing performance or design in a zero-emissions vehicle."

Designed by Yves Behar, the founder of fuseproject, a San Francisco-based design studio, Mission One embodies the expression "riding the wind," according to a fuseproject press release.

"The top portion of the motorcycle is an iconic continuous line that brings together comfort and performance; the rider's chest is cradled in a convex tank area, allowing a lower position [with] the seat and tail light integrated into one lightweight, dynamic line," it stated. "Designed to express speed and efficiency in its overall sharp lines, [the Mission One] is highly detailed, with special attention to a rider's needs, bringing a high level of product design and ergonomics to a new generation of performance transportation."

Mission Motor offered 50 limited-edition models of the Mission One for delivery in 2010. These bikes feature high-end components, including MotoGP spec suspension from Ohlins. Production bikes are slated to follow.

Need for speed
The Mission One offers maximum torque from 0 rpm to 60 mph. Its maximum speed is 150 mph, and it has a range of about 150 miles per charge, which takes about two hours at 240 V.

The bike proved its mettle--and speed capabilities--late last year in the salt flats 90 miles west of Salt Lake City.

"On Sept. 1, 2009, the Mission One claimed the national AMA top speed record for an electric motorcycle, with an unprecedented 150.059 mph two-pass average run sustained for one mile at the Bonneville Speedway," according to the Mission Motor Web site.

The wireless-enabled bike also features a customized chassis that has suspension elements geared toward race-level handling and performance, as well as adjustable regenerative braking and an intuitive and adjustable data-acquisition system.

According to fuseproject's blog, Mission One is "not your grandma's superbike." FFJ