As you might expect Deejay I'm going to challenge you on a couple of things
I would disagree that TTXGP and the FIM ePower series are going well. The FIM version started out with just 6 entrants, now trimmed to 5 after that ridiculous scooter (the same one that turned up at the TT...) got booted out.
Despite the first round of the American TTXGP being in the industry's back yard in California there were only 10 entries. This had dropped to 7 for the second round at Elkhart Lake (the one that clashed with the TT) and fell again to just 6 for the third round in Canada. The Hussain fans in the internet blogosphere that had mocked the FIM series for having so few entries were mysteriously quiet after that
The British series also has entries in the single figures - 9 for the first two rounds.
The FIM round at the Laguna Seca Moto GP was arguably the biggest platform so far for this type of racing and combining the FIM entrants with some of the American series runners the grid just staggered into double figures (11) despite, again being in the industry's back yard.
My belief is that electric bike racing needs to go away and prove itself to be a viable long term proposition on short circuits before it gets anywhere near the TT again. Of the 8 machines that left the TT grid I would say that only 4 of them were what could be called credible racing machines. I honestly don't think the Manx Govt should be spending £100k a year on what is, to be honest, a very poor spectacle. That money would be better spent helping out the sidecar guys at the TT and subsidising entries for the MGP.
For it to be a worthwhile exercise around the TT course there needs to be at least 45-50 machines capable pf performing to at least the level of the first 4 home this year. I would say that currently, if you look at all the teams currently involved in ZEV racing worldwide, the number of machines capable of fitting the above description probably doesn't reach double figures. So, my guess is that ZEV racing is years away from being viable at the TT.
