I’ve always known the Yamaha R1 motorcycle to be one of the big daddies of sports bikes. That is until a company in Oakland, CA that goes by Electric Motorsport converted the 99′ R1 into a LiIon (lithium ion) battery powered bike that can do 100mph and 0-60 in 3 seconds.

To get the bike this way, they had to yank the engine, tailpipes, radiator, gas cap, transmission, and clutch. They then replaced all that with 28 lithium ion batteries, an AC regenerative motor, and an electric throttle…all weighing less than what was removed in the first place.

One of the coolest parts is that when the bike is idle, it is completely silent…when it’s going, it sounds like a remote control car on steroids. The conversion costs about $15,000, but is just a prototype at this time. The company hopes to have a production version around this price range with a custom chassis, as well as a cheaper, smaller $6,000-$8,000 version.

Here’s a video report that was done by LATimes.com:

[Source: LA Times]

Ready to upgrade your bike? Consider donating your motorcycle to a charity of your choice! You can donate your boat, car, or RV! Car donation is a great way to get a tax deduction for a good cause. Learn about deducting vehicle donations and read some important car donation FAQ for more information.